Neuroscientist Michael Graziano outlines the steps he believes would create an artificially-conscious computer.
Category Archives: The Modern World
Double-Bind: Three Women of the Harlem Renaissance
Among the more well-known male writers and artists of the Harlem Renaissance existed women who also deserve to be recognized. Read about three writers whose work reflected being both black and female.
Greenpeace faults many tech giants for environment impact
An October 2017 report by Greenpeace, an environmental group, rated the environmental impact of several tech companies. Many of them did not rate well.
Stock Market Crash of 1929
Learn about what led to the crash of the stock market in 1929 and the resulting effects.
Extracting the Woodchuck
In this biographical essay, literary critic Adam Kirsch argues that Robert Frost led a kind of double life that was necessary to create his acclaimed poetry.
Three Reichs, You’re Out
At the end of World War II, American servicemen in Europe organized a “World Series” baseball game, played in Nuremberg’s Stadion der Hitlerjugend, formerly the site of Nazi Party rallies.
Devices That Know How We Really Feel
Can you imagine a video game that can tell if you are happy or frustrated? Computers, smartphones, even cars may someday be able to identify our emotions and adjust accordingly.
Muhammad Ali’s Legacy: Boxing Legend, Proud Muslim, Champion of Civil Rights
Read how Muhammad Ali, one of the United States’ most prominent sports figures, influenced the Civil Rights Era in the fight for equality.
Tinker v. Des Moines: Protecting student free speech
This article describes the chain of events that led to the 1969 Supreme Court decision that protected students’ right to free speech.
Writing the future: A timeline of science fiction literature
Check out this interactive timeline of science fiction literature, from Jonathan Swift and Mary Shelley to Douglas Adams and Octavia Butler.
Inside the Secret World of Russian’s Cold War Mapmakers
During the Cold War, the Soviet Union created millions of detailed maps of locations across the globe. Read about the historians uncovering the previously-classified documents and why they were important.
Arthur Miller’s Chameleon Play
Critic Alina Cohen reviews a recent Broadway production of The Crucible and reflects on the play’s lasting themes.
These Rarely Seen Photographs are a Who’s Who of the Harlem Renaissance
Read about this collection of photos by Carl Van Vechten, who employed more of an archival rather than artistic method to his work. He sought to photograph as many notable people of the early 20th century as possible.
The AI Revolution Is On
Artificial intelligence is all around us—and it’s not a bunch of robots that behave like humans. Find out what AI looks like in today’s world, and discover how we got here.
Holocaust Museum: Exhibit probes Berlin’s historic Olympics of 1936
Earlier this year, the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center featured an exhibit that explored the controversial 1936 Olympic Games held in Nazi Germany.
Why The Consumer Internet Of Things Is Stalling
Mike Farley, the CEO of a Silicon Valley-based company, argues that technology companies should focus on solving simple everyday issues in order to connect to consumers.
Tracing F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Minnesota Roots
Read about the city that influenced Fitzgerald and his work.
Humans once opposed coffee and refrigeration. Here’s why we often hate new stuff.
Harvard professor Calestous Juma explains why people often resist innovation.
There Is Nothing Accidental About School Segregation
Reporter Jake Blumgart talks to Matt Delmont, author of Why Busing Failed: Race, Media, and the National Resistance to School Desegregation, about the history of segregation and desegregation of public schools.
How Apple and IBM Marketed the First Personal Computers
Early personal computer advertising needed to explain the need for such devices.