One of my favorite technology provocateurs, Marc Andreessen, recently contributed to the conversation regarding whether robots will progressively eat all of our jobs. His conclusion: they won’t; but even if they do, it’s not much of a worry. I do share Andreessen’s view that this won’t happen as soon as…

I know practically nothing about the fine art World, which means that I write about it with little authority but complete impartiality. For those of you who will bite my head off for these thoughts: I invite you to explain to me why I’m wrong. …

I was so excited to wake up today to my friend Leon Neyfakh’s well-researched summary of the concept of Universal Basic Income (UBI):http://www.bostonglobe.com/ideas/2014/02/09/should-government-pay-you-alive/aaLVJsUAc5pKh0iYTFrXpI/story.html This idea, of delivering to every citizen (in a nation or, ultimately, in the World) an unconditioned cash transfer, has a long lineage of supporters spanning the…

I think we need to retire the notion that science is somehow distinguishable from the broader pursuit of truthful knowledge, and that the people who do it are somehow essentially unique. …

Jeff Bezos’s unveiling of Amazon’s drone delivery program last night has created tons of social media buzz, exactly as he intended, I’m sure. And this is justified. I think drones are awesome, and make tons of sense for tons of purposes in the future, including delivery. What I do think…

I have come to believe that there is a false choice represented in the debate around climate change these days. On the one hand, we are told, we may choose environmental conservation and productive moderation. And on the other, we are told, we may choose social and ecological adaptation along…