In The News

Three Young Men Try Waterboarding and Tell the Tale

Yochi J. Dreazen February 5, 2008
Debate by US government officials over specific techniques of torture has stirred youthful curiosity. One technique in particular is under scrutiny: forcibly holding an interview subject in place and bringing him or her close to drowning, otherwise known as waterboarding. Policymakers and researchers debate whether the technique is simply inhumane or, when used on terrorist suspects, could...

Beware the Internet's Looming Class Divide

Johann Hari February 1, 2008
Instant knowledge and connections via the internet can allow individuals to make better decisions in almost any sphere. “It is increasingly clear that the internet is going to be a transformative moment in human history as significant as the printing press,” writes columnist Johann Hari for the Independent. While the internet allows for interaction, a researcher warns that the tool – relatively...

Internet Outages Hit India, Middle East

Matthew Rosenberg January 31, 2008
High-speed communication, via the internet, is essential in modern business. But high-speed internet that supports business and many other connections is only as dependable as its supporting cables and power. Bandwidth was cut in half in India, and internet service was disrupted throughout Asia after two cables under the Mediterranean snapped, possibly by a ship anchor. Outsourcing companies that...

Questions for Al Qaeda

Yassin Musharbash January 16, 2008
Perhaps the US presidential campaign has snatched too much global attention. The second in command of Al Qaeda offered to collect questions from friends and foes on four Islamic web sites for one month, starting December 16. “As it builds its Web community, al-Qaida is apparently also looking for user-generated content,” writes Yassin Musharbash for Spiegel Online. The questions will undoubtedly...

Rocking Lolita in Tehran

Colin Meyn January 8, 2008
Iran’s strict adherence to theocratic principles has historically led it to muzzle such perpetrators of poison as rock bands, women singers, political dissenters, and other marginalized groups. In 2007, the scene changed when a film documenting Iran’s evolving underground music scene was screened internationally. Beyond the reach of the censors, this film – Sounds of Silence – might generate the...

Covering the World

Sherry Ricchiardi December 21, 2007
The Associated Press is making inroads around the globe, reporting international news, at the same time that foreign bureaus of major newspapers are closing. With 243 foreign bureaus, the AP is the world’s largest news organization. It is the first Western newsgroup to open an office in North Korea and has more than 200 staffers in Iraq. By maintaining reporters throughout the globe, the AP...

At 71, Physics Professor Is a Web Star

Sara Rimer December 20, 2007
The internet offers endless exploration – and search engines like Google, which order search results based on complex mixture of volume, links, content and the democratic nature of the web, create some surprising new stars. Among the latest is 71-year-old Walter H. G. Lewin, professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, whose lectures on physics are both educational and entertaining for...