Twenty-Six Words …

In his latest book, The Twenty-Six Words that Created the Internet, Jeff Kosseff, a professor of cybersecurity law in the U.S. Naval Academy’s Cyber Science Department, examines the implications of Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, the succinct law that has governed the dissemination of information, and disinformation, on the internet since 1996. It … Continued

High Times

In 1974, an underground journalist used drug money to launch High Times magazine in a basement office. It was supposed to be a single-issue spoof of Playboy, complete with lurid centerfold photography of obscenely big buds. But the magazine found an immediate audience and for more than four decades has remained true to its core … Continued

La Dolce Vita: THC-infused Sugar

This first-mover cannabis sweetener hopes to earn $3 million in first-year revenues. Shoogies, a (THC) cannabis-infused sweetener, is hitting dispensary shelves throughout California. It’s available with agave or cane sugar, and the manufacturer hopes it can “elevate” the way users eat, cook and mix cocktails.  Shoogies co-founder and CEO Latham Woodward says the product provides … Continued

Strap on & Calm Down

A new wearable device works with the body’s nervous system to reduce anxiety. Two-thirds of the full-time American workforce feel “burned out” from chronic workplace anxiety, while some 120,000 Americans die from stress-related illnesses each year.  In late May, the World Health Organization (WHO) officially recognized burnout as an “occupational syndrome.” The WHO cites “feelings … Continued

MY DEAD WIFE, THE ROBOT CAR

In 1964, My Mother the Car, an NBC sitcom, aired one season for 30 episodes. The set-up was a man’s deceased mother communicating with him through his car’s radio. Critics hated the show and held onto their disdain for decades. In 2002, TV Guide proclaimed it the second-worst TV show of all time, behind The … Continued

MIT ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

General-interest journalists love to score interviews with prominent technologists, futurists and other visionaries. But it’s not easy to ask the right questions or understand the answers on the fly. That’s why asking an expert to interview a peer can produce satisfying results. Author and futurist Martin Ford, for example, speaks the same technical language as … Continued

Mother Jones

Mother Jones (MoJo), a news organization launched in 1976, is named after Irish-American labor activist Mary Harris “Mother” Jones. MoJo publishes a quarterly print magazine featuring investigative journalism on politics, the environment, culture and human rights to 200,000 paid subscribers.  As with MoJo’s roots, the publication’s backers, contributors and editors are unapologetically left-leaning. Activist documentary … Continued

Zuckerberg’s Still Lucky — For Now

To the casual observer, the past year probably looked disastrous for Facebook (FB) CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Yet, despite all the drama, Zuckerberg’s actually been quite lucky. He’s been fortunate enough, in fact, to earn the sobriquet of luckbox of the month. Sure, Zuckerberg’s net worth has declined of late, but it declined from a high … Continued