Computing
The Metaverse Is Coming: We May Already Be in It
As in the world of The Matrix, we may not be able to tell what’s real and what’s not
"Internet"
Inequality
Crowdfunding Isn’t Enough in a Crisis
Despite growing popularity, the fundraising strategy will never be social safety net
Defense
Russian Cyberattacks against the U.S. Could Focus on Disinformation
Direct system invasions are possible, but efforts to sow confusion and division are more likely
Psychology
How Targeted Advertising on Social Media Drives People to Extremes
People seeking to radicalize others are using ads to push conspiracy theories and extremist views
Behavior
Personality Type, as well as Politics, Predicts Who Shares Fake News
Highly impulsive people who lean conservative are more likely to share false news stories. They have a desire to create chaos and won’t be deterred by fact-checkers
Computing
Should Big Tech’s Plan for a Metaverse Scare Us?
Tech companies seek to create far more immersive digital environments, possibly mediated by brain implants
Climate Change
Google Bans Ads That Spread Climate Misinformation
The new rules could put pressure on Facebook to take similar steps
Privacy
Social Security Numbers Aren’t Secure: What Should We Use Instead?
The answer is not as simple as replacing each nine-digit number with a longer one
Privacy
How Facebook Hinders Misinformation Research
The platform strictly limits and controls data access, which stymies scientists
Agriculture
In-Hive Sensors Could Help Ailing Bee Colonies
The technology could help beekeepers reduce short-term losses, but it doesn’t address long-term problems facing honeybees
Culture
YouTube's Rock Stars of Science Make a Splash a VidCon
With hundreds of millions of video views, the new faces of science communication are lighting up the web and reaching more young people than Carl Sagan and Neil deGrasse Tyson combined
How Identity Evolves in the Age of Genetic Imperialism
From designer babies to women whose genitals smell like peaches, 2014 graced us with a taste of the hope, hype and superficiality of business as usual in Silicon Valley.
Technology
Scientific American Editor's Picks for the Top Tech Stories of 2014
Wallets, wreckage and digital coin. Before the new year appears, let's look at some of the most important technology stories Scientific American covered over the past 12 months.
Technology
Facing Up to Online Murder and Other Cybercrimes
A recent report from Europol's European Cybercrime Center includes a forecast that the world's first "online murder" will likely occur before the end of 2014.
Ted Cruz Is Not 100% Wrong that Net Neutrality Is ObamaCare for the Internet
President Obama announced his support Monday for net neutrality. And Texas Republican Senator Ted Cruz let loose one of his biggest howls, tweeting: “Net Neutrality” is Obamacare for the Internet; the Internet should not operate at the speed of government...
Technology
5 Ways to Thwart Illegal Drug Dealing Online
Recent reports from ABC News and the UK's Daily Mail suggest eBay is providing a platform for sellers engaged in an illegal prescription drug trade.
Technology
Smartphone App Takes Morality Science Out of the Lab and Into the Real World
Just when it seems there's a mobile app for just about everything, psychologists have shown there's room for one more: they are using smartphones to help them better understand the dynamics of moral and immoral behavior out in the community...
Technology
Switches, Hubs, Bridges, and Routers Explained
Computers talk to each other and the web in a variety of ways. This communication is facilitated by routers, bridges, switches, and other hardware. Tech Talker explains what these devices are, what they do, and which are best for your home's computer network...
Technology
3 Projects Prove Privacy Is Not Dead
Web and mobile phone users willingly share personal data in exchange for free stuff, but not everyone is ready to throw in the towel on privacy
Technology
Google Gives the Internet Amnesia in Europe
One of the Internet's greatest assets is also perhaps its biggest curse—it never forgets. Except in the European Union, where a court last month ruled that people have the right to have certain sensitive information about themselves deleted from Google search results...
