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How drones are waging a stealth war on the way we think about society

How drones are waging a stealth war on the way we think about society

30 September 2020

Must-read book The Drone Age by Michael J. Boyle reveals how drone technology is challenging everything we do – and how we think about war and peace


Why #oddlysatisfying videos are so oddly satisfying

Why #oddlysatisfying videos are so oddly satisfying

3 June 2020

Watching videos of different tasks being completed is oddly satisfying and reminds us of pre-lockdown life, says Annalee Newitz


No Signal review: Extreme track and trace pits liberty against society

No Signal review: Extreme track and trace pits liberty against society

27 May 2020

When everything is recorded by an implant in the brain, people become paragons of moderation – but this societal bliss isn't all it's cracked up to be, finds Sally Adee


Providence review: Chilling sci-fi where an AI becomes god by accident

Providence review: Chilling sci-fi where an AI becomes god by accident

1 April 2020

Is our love affair with AI really about building a new kind of deity to meet human needs no amount of rationality can fill? Max Barry's disturbing novel Providence lays out the case, says Sally Adee


What would our lives be like if Amazon or Tinder ran an entire city?

What would our lives be like if Amazon or Tinder ran an entire city?

5 February 2020

A sci-fi collection explores extreme corporate futures, such as a Tinder-run city where you can swipe left or right for everything from sex to teachers


film poster

Don't Miss: social media violence, lowdown on AI, scary black holes

14 November 2018

Watch a town descend into chaos after a social media hack, learn how much we really know about AI, explore science-art links – and peer inside black holes


phone users

Censored: Why China’s online oversight is anything but crude

30 May 2018

The three pillars of Chinese online censorship create a sophisticated, invisible system that democracies would do well to take seriously, a new book argues


Futuristic city

Science fiction picks: Time for a reality check

9 August 2017

In this season’s crop of science fiction, the world turns to putty in our hands, we dodge “calendrical rot” and worry about absolute truth


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