Technology

A new robot could help fight climate change by sinking stinky seaweed

5:34pm October 03, 2023

by Emily Olson

A new robot is designed to sink sargassum before the stinky seaweed comes ashore. Sargassum can wreck local economies, ecosystems — and even threaten human health, some research suggests.

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Taylor Lorenz, columnist at The Washington Post and author of Extremely Online: The Untold Story of Fame, Influence and Power on the Internet.

Books

How did we come to live extremely online? Mommy bloggers, says one writer

12:45pm October 03, 2023

by Claire Murashima

Washington Post columnist and tech journalist Taylor Lorenz chronicles the history of the internet in her new book, Extremely Online.

The first test of the national wireless emergency system by the Federal Emergency Management Agency is shown on a cellular phone in 2018. This year's test will look a lot like this.

National

A nationwide emergency alert test is coming to your phone on Wednesday

10:14am October 03, 2023

by Emma Bowman

The federal government will test the emergency alert system by sending messages to millions of cellphones, TVs and radios. Prepare for your phone to emit loud sounds and vibrations.

'Ted Radio Hour' launches special 6-part series: Body Electric

7:57am October 03, 2023

NPR's A Martinez talks to the host of NPR's TED Radio Hour about the new series examining the relationship between technology and our bodies. Listen to Body Electric and sign up for the study here.

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National

What to know about Sam Bankman-Fried and FTX before his crypto financial fraud trial

4:40pm October 02, 2023

by David Gura

NPR's David Gura speaks with Zeke Faux of Bloomberg News about the upcoming trial of Sam Bankman-Fried, the founder of FTX.

Politics & Government

Tech industry group weighs in on FTC's case against Amazon

4:41pm September 28, 2023

NPR's Ari Shapiro talks with Adam Kovacevich, CEO of the tech industry coalition Chamber of Progress, about the FTC's lawsuit against Amazon for alleged abuse of monopoly power.

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Arts

Exposing the secretive company at the forefront of facial recognition technology

1:29pm September 28, 2023

by Terry Gross

NYT reporter Kashmir Hill says Clearview AI has a database of billions of photos scraped from the internet, which it sells to governments and police departments. Her book is Your Face Belongs To Us.

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An aerial image taken on Aug. 10, 2023 shows destroyed homes and buildings burned to the ground in Lahaina in the aftermath of wildfires in western Maui, Hawaii. Rumors and conspiracy theories quickly flourished after the fire, hampering relief efforts.

National

How rumors and conspiracy theories got in the way of Maui's fire recovery

10:41am September 28, 2023

Some of the rumors and conspiracy theories were driven by the island's history, but others were pushed by social media influencers and foreign governments.

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Amazon delivery trucks are parked in Richmond, Calif., on June 21.

U.S. sues Amazon in a monopoly case that could be existential for the retail giant

9:32pm September 26, 2023

by Alina Selyukh

The Federal Trade Commission and 17 states accuse Amazon of suffocating rivals and raising costs for both sellers and shoppers.

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A rural mail carrier in 1905 trying out new transportation technology.

Horseless carriages were once a lot like driverless cars. What can history teach us?

10:00am September 25, 2023

by Neda Ulaby

Historians say that a little more than a century ago, when cars first hit the roads, they caused nervous laughter and raised real concerns, much like driverless vehicles today.