Technology

Russia's Efforts At Information Warfare Against The West Continue

4:28pm March 17, 2021

Russia is currently in a battle against the West, aggressively promoting Sputnik V to Europe and other regions and conducting sophisticated hacking efforts, most recently through Solarwinds.

The massive core stage for NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) rocket is in the B-2 Test Stand at NASA's Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, for the core stage Green Run test series.

Science

NASA To Test Rocket In The Next Step Towards Returning To The Moon

1:28pm March 17, 2021

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

NASA is counting down to what should be the final major test of the massive rocket it is building to put the first woman and the next man on the moon.

Books
Arts

The Age Of Automation Is Now: Here's How To 'Futureproof' Yourself

10:07am March 17, 2021

by Dave Davies

New York Times tech columnist Kevin Roose says we've been approaching automation all wrong. "We should be teaching people ... to be more like humans, to do the things that machines can't do," he says.

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Pictured is a FedEx truck produced by BrightDrop, a General Motors company dedicated exclusively to electric delivery vehicles. FedEx was BrightDrop's first customer. The delivery company has pledged to replace its entire pickup and delivery fleet with el

Environment

From Amazon To FedEx, The Delivery Truck Is Going Electric

7:22am March 17, 2021

by Camila Domonoske

It's not just passenger cars: Delivery companies are updating their vans and trucks with electric models as they look to save on fuel and cut maintenance costs.

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After the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol riot, big tech companies accelerated a process of "deplatforming," or removing the right of extremists to use their technology. But the far-right is quickly adjusting to this reality.

Across The Internet, A Game Of Whac-A-Mole Is Underway To Root Out Extremism

4:07pm March 16, 2021

by Tim Mak

How are alternative platforms, where extremist ideology and disinformation thrive, monitored? Can we ever really root out extremism in the virtual space or will the targets just keep jumping around?

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Critics say Facebook does not apply its rules against misinformation as robustly to posts in Spanish, allowing harmful claims to spread.

'Ya Basta Facebook' Says Company Must Curb Misinformation In Spanish

12:00pm March 16, 2021

by Shannon Bond

Advocacy groups are demanding the social network disclose how it reviews Spanish-language content and appoint a high-level executive to oversee policy and enforcement in Spanish.

Arts

Will Posting Memes Or Pro Wedding Pics Land You In Copyright Small Claims Court?

2:28pm March 12, 2021

by Neda Ulaby

Jeff Sedlik's Miles Davis portrait shows up all over the Internet, rarely with his permission, and there's not much he can do to protect himself. Enter the CASE Act, which sounds dull ... but isn't.

Michael Foster of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union holds a sign outside an Amazon warehouse in Bessemer, Ala., where workers are voting on whether to unionize.

National

High Stakes At A Warehouse: Amazon Fights Against Alabama Union Drive

1:50pm March 12, 2021

by Alina Selyukh

A vote by workers on whether to form Amazon's first unionized warehouse in the U.S. has the community, labor groups and the company on the edge of their seats.

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Birmingham Barons outfielder Luis Basabe moves toward a ball in front of the vintage scoreboard in 2019 at Rickwood Field, America's oldest baseball park, in Birmingham, Ala.

Minor League Baseball To Experiment With Robotic Umpires

11:24am March 12, 2021

by Merrit Kennedy

The robot could help rein in different interpretations of the strike zone among umpires. It also limits the ability of catchers to frame a pitch. The machine will appear in select Low-A games.

A fake video featuring former President Obama shows elements of facial mapping used in new "deepfake" technology that lets anyone make videos of real people appearing to say things they've never said. (AP Photo)

Slick Tom Cruise Deepfakes Signal That Near Flawless Forgeries May Be Here

11:17am March 12, 2021

by Emma Bowman

When they're not lighthearted movie star cameos, the digital doppelgängers have scary disinformation potential. A deepfakes researcher hopes our wariness keeps up with the tech's quickening advances.

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