(image) If you’re a reader of this newsletter, you’re in elite company. Each week I chose ten or so stories from the score or so that I save to Evernote, and I annotate them after about three glasses of wine on a Sunday night. I make no pretense to be Jason or Dave, instead, this is a way to remember the most important stories of the past week through the filter of “the book.” And when I say “the book,” I mean That Project That Has Haunted Me For More Than Five Years But Is Increasingly Becoming Real. In other words, if you read this newsletter (or post), you’re a true fan of my work. And for that, I am thankful.
This past week was full of gems. The New Yorker reminded us how poignant digital life can be. We struggled with the ethics of 3D printing, even as we reveled in its power to save lives. Oh, and then there’s the singularity, and protecting us from the same. An epic Facebook rant, more Bitcoin, more brain-twisters about who’s a person, alive, dead, or corporate, in our increasingly mashed up world. To the links…
The Afterlife of Pia Farrenkopf : The New Yorker
What happens if you die in your car, alone in your garage, and your bill pay (and some well-intentioned neighbors) keep the world thinking you’re alive? You still “exist” – and this certainly makes one think about what the word “exist” really means.
Defending the World from Evil Robots – The Information
There are thousands of high-end PhDs at Google and many other places who want to create AI capable of thinking like a human. Then there’s this small group – seven in total – worrying about what happens if it actually comes to pass. Yikes.
The yet-to-be-defined Ethics of 3D Printing of Organs — Tech Talk — Medium
What happens to religion when we can play God?
Woman’s entire cranium replaced with 3D-printed skullcap – DVICE
Never mind, we already are. And thank God for that.
Facebook Joins Google In The Hunt For The Future – TechCrunch
Or, put another way, we have more money than we need for our current business, so let’s play the odds on where it might all go.
A Breakup Letter to Facebook from Eat24
Then again, maybe the current business has a few cracks in it. OMG. Just read this. Just READ THE WHOLE THING. And tell me you don’t want to just watch this gif over, and over. And over.
The Fierce Battle for the Soul of Bitcoin- Wired.com
Long read. Worthy.
I.R.S. Says Bitcoin Should Be Considered Property, Not Currency – NYTimes.com
Short read. Topical.
What will blow our minds in the *next* 30 years? -TED Blog
Swallowing Shakespeare.
It’s Time to Grant Immunity to Edward Snowden – Esquire
Hard to disagree with the logic here. If Snowden has forced a President to change policy, he’s a whistleblower, not a traitor.
Here’s what you need to know about the Hobby Lobby case – Wapo
Are corporations “people” with “religious beliefs”? This is a VERY BIG QUESTION now before the Supreme Court. It matters, because, you know, these “people” are making…machines that ACT LIKE PEOPLE. Does your head hurt yet? Why not?!
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Nice read! Very informative. Did you know
that Unilever-Choithrams MoU to reduce footprint? Full story here: http://bit.ly/1hdAAUn