A reform that would protect classified information even as it helped tip off Congress and the public to surveillance abuses
Source: Let’s Give Every NSA Employee an Anonymous Whistleblowing Opportunity – The Atlantic
This is an interesting idea. I think the general concept of an anonymous, multiple-choice-only quiz could also be used in a corporate environment to deal with other sensitive issues (e.g. waste, compensation, ethics vs. legality).
The Syrian disaster is like a superstorm. It’s what happens when an extreme weather event, the worst drought in Syria’s modern history, combines with a fast-growing population and a repressive and corrupt regime and unleashes extreme sectarian and religious passions, fueled by money from rival outside powers — Iran and Hezbollah on one side, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Qatar on the other, each of which have an extreme interest in its Syrian allies’ defeating the other’s allies — all at a time when America, in its post-Iraq/Afghanistan phase, is extremely wary of getting involved.
Nobody has mentioned this yet, but the number of organ donors will plummet when the supply of auto accident victims dries up, though I’m sure all of us would accept that trade-off.
Source: From Horse Power to Horsepower to Processing Power – Freakonomics Freakonomics
Sure, fears of human-zapping robots might be a “flakey concern,” but that doesn’t mean technology is short on existential risks. The University of Cambridge is out to find the truth.
Source: Killer robots? Cambridge brains to assess AI risk – CNET
RE: The Centre for Study of Existential Risk – University of Cambridge
Comparisons of downloadable books and music to their ancient, tangible predecessors are an old, old meme, but sometimes the comparison applies.
Source: Here’s Why Digital Rights Management Is Stupid And Anti-Consumer – Consumerist
The pirated version (and there is ALWAYS a pirated version) already has *FREE!* going for it. Do you really want to add “Less of a hassle to obtain, easier to use, and safer/less spyware” too?