Science / Tech - Quillette (Page 11)

Science Goes Rogue

Science as a discipline is supposed to be based on empirical evidence.

14 Mar 2021 · 8 min read

The End of Pestilence

The COVID-19 vaccine development experience shows it is possible to produce safe and effective vaccines much faster than previously thought.

Matthew Lesh

10 Mar 2021 · 13 min read

Lockdown Scepticism Was Never a ‘Fringe’ Viewpoint

The Declaration states that achieving herd immunity for COVID-19 can be assisted by vaccines, “but is not dependent” on their use.

Noah Carl

2 Mar 2021 · 11 min read

Accommodating Trans Athletes Without Rejecting the Reality of Human Biology

As recent studies have shown, these advantages generally don’t go away simply because an athlete has changed their pronouns and hormone chemistry. At the highest levels, the difference between male and female world records typically hovers around 10 percent.

Quillette

17 Feb 2021 · 11 min read

Beating Back Cancel Culture: A Case Study from the Field of Artificial Intelligence

It’s easy to decry cancel culture, but hard to turn it back. Thankfully, recent developments in my area of academic specialty—artificial intelligence (AI)—show that fighting cancel culture isn’t impossible.

Pedro Domingos

27 Jan 2021 · 12 min read

Wikipedia Turns Twenty

An expansive free encyclopedia is impossible without an army of volunteer writers.

Adam Wakeling

25 Jan 2021 · 9 min read

Why ‘Just Follow the Science’ Won’t Solve All Our Problems

The upshot is this: When a topic has moral or ideological implications, people typically have an a priori point of view that they then use as an end point, at least on a subconscious level.

Ilana Redstone

23 Jan 2021 · 6 min read

Big Tech and Regulation—A Response to the Quillette Editors

The fallout has been intense and has gripped the professional commentariat.

Allen Farrington

20 Jan 2021 · 7 min read

Social-Media Oligopolists Are the New Railroad Barons. It's Time for Washington to Treat Them Accordingly

In American First-Amendment jurisprudence, Brandenburg’s name is now a byword for the test that is used in assessing the validity of laws against inflammatory speech—especially speech that can lead to the sort of hateful mob activity that played out at the US Capitol last Wednesday.

Quillette

11 Jan 2021 · 11 min read

The Future Is Already Here

One can still sell people smartwatches, and create “new needs” for people who have already established lives of comfort.

Joshua Schwartz

29 Dec 2020 · 10 min read

On Sex and Gender, The New England Journal of Medicine Has Abandoned Its Scientific Mission

The very idea of “a dichotomous sex-classification system” is dubious, the authors believe.

Colin Wright

23 Dec 2020 · 14 min read

The Flawed Reasoning of the Techlash and Progressive Movements

But painting the world as a struggle between victims and oppressors leaves little room for a careful discussion of costs and benefits, the unforeseen consequences of intervention, and potential government failure.

Dirk Auer

3 Dec 2020 · 7 min read

Why Do Progressives Support the Unfettered Use of Private Property?

Tech companies are not equipped to rule on messy and complex disputes over truth.

Samuel E. Miller

3 Dec 2020 · 7 min read

The Apocalyptic Threat from Artificial Intelligence Isn’t Science Fiction

The time to begin planning our response, and designing systems to give humanity a fighting chance, is now.

James D. Miller

3 Dec 2020 · 11 min read

Desperation and the Quest for Control: The Dangers of Alternative Medicine

Contrary to popular opinion, alternative medicine is not always harmless, and when patients use it instead of conventional medical treatment, it can even be deadly.

S. Stiles

27 Nov 2020 · 16 min read