Why The Past 10 Years Of American Life Have Been Uniquely Stupid

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The introduction of Facebook’s Like and Share and Twitter’s Retweet feature between 2009 and the early 2010s became the dart guns by which extremists silenced moderates. The outrage-inducing posts of political extremists were promoted because people shared emotionally charged content. The vitriol that members of the far right and the far left exude in their thought-policing seemed more visible, discouraging nuanced thinkers from speaking up. By shooting down their more thoughtful members, extremists created a political system hostile to compromise. Read full article here

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With drug overdose deaths on the rise, authorities are attempting to curb the epidemic by tracking and sharing information in real time. In one unique effort, a nonprofit in New York City is using drug-testing equipment and stamping or marking habits of dealers to identify drug batches that may endanger users. Other approaches are also being used, such as monitoring drug-related chatter on Reddit and analyzing local wastewater for opioid and other drug levels. With the combination of these efforts, researchers hope to put a dent in the opioid crisis and reduce overdose deaths. Read full article here

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A look inside the lab building mushroom computers

The Unconventional Computing Laboratory at the University of the West of England is pushing the boundaries of computing, working to see if mushrooms can be used to carry out computing and sensing functions. By stimulating the mycelium—the branching, web-like root structure of the fungus—researchers can get it to produce electrical activity and see if it can be used to create complex, multi-dimensional functions that are more precise than traditional computers. This could lead to a whole new world of possibilities, such as using mushrooms to create fault-tolerant, energy-efficient computers and even mapping neural networks. It’s truly a fascinating field of study – and one that could shape the future of computing. Read full article here

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