In The News

Russia Clampdown Stokes Fears of Balkanization of the Web

Kathrin Hille July 11, 2014
Governments and tech companies continue to tussle over control of the internet. Russia’s parliament approved “a bill requiring all technology companies to store the personal data of their Russian users in the country,” reports Kathrin Hille for the Financial Times. “The Russian clampdown is the first serious move to assert national control over segments of the web in the wake of the revelation of...

Google to Spread the Web With $1 Billion Worth of Satellites

Kris Holt July 4, 2014
Google is in a hurry to extend its reach and connect the world to the internet by installing a fleet of satellites. The company that started by providing a popular search engine is investing in a range of other technologies, including alternative energies and driverless vehicles. The company also aids internet use with Project Loon, a network of high-altitude balloons, quick to build and...

US Secret Service Wants Sarcasm-Detection Tool for Twitter

Sophie Curtis June 23, 2014
Understanding the tone and trends of social media is essential in the modern world. The US Secret Service monitors the short, fast messages in search of security targets and has put out a request for proposals on a software system that can analyze social-media data with the ability to "detect sarcasm and false positives," reports Sophie Curtis for the Telegraph. “As well as detecting...

Ringside Seat at the Cutting Edge of Science

Priyamvada Natarajan and Ravi Sankrit June 12, 2014
In March, a team of physicists announced that data from the BICEP2 telescope, at the South Pole, offered evidence for cosmic inflation, thus confirming the Big Bang Theory. The event went viral online. Scientists around the globe weighed in, pointing out that the team may have underestimated the effects of space dust in measuring ripple waves that could be from the expansion of the universe. “The...

The Legacy of Tiananmen Square

Johan Lagerkvist June 3, 2014
China’s communist leaders orchestrated a steady march towards great power status, accompanied by rewriting history and erasing tragic moments. Author Johan Lagerkvist reflects on the 25th anniversary of what has come to be known as Tiananmen Square massacre and points out how “the mindset behind the tragedy – unswerving support for China’s rise, with no toleration for criticism, questions or...

China’s Cyberespionage Presents a 21st-Century Challenge

Fareed Zakaria May 23, 2014
China, with budget surpluses and plenty of cash, balances old and new strategies in foreign relations. Trade, energy deals, assertive territorial claims, aid, spying are all part of the mix, suggests Fareed Zakaria in an opinion essay for the Washington Post. The United States has charged five Chinese military personnel for economic cyberespionage conducted against US companies. Analysts suggest...

Exploring Spices, We Bring the World to Our Tables

Susan Kelleher April 15, 2014
Spice is an ancient trading item and descriptions of one Seattle dealer suggest that the business did not change much over the past century. But Americans now embrace spicy dishes, watching competing cooking shows on television, exploring recipes and ordering spices online, and experimenting at home. “The wide availability means that pure spices that once inspired epic ocean journeys, wars,...