O.J. Simpson has died at 76. In 1996, Henry Louis Gates, Jr., wrote about the racialized response to Simpson’s murder trial: nyer.cm/JTlprhE

My latest AI readings on the issue of whether the brain = computer; computer = brain metaphor holds (by Teppo Felin et al.) and on the dangers of anthropomorphizing AI (by @floridi and Nobre). Both papers are interesting. Eager to hear feedback from others.…

I wrote about how Donald Trump's second term foreign policy may go down, for the The Boston Globe.

bostonglobe.com/2024/04/11/opi…

Of all the things I’ve written, this one is my favorite! It’s a love letter to a unique old family-run hotel that serves amazing homemade soup and is a temple of the analog. Every time I go, it’s a spiritual pilgrimage! Bonus riff on Benjamin’s “aura.”
bostonglobe.com/2024/04/05/opi…

This is shocking.

Facebook gave Netflix all your private messages on Messenger in exchange for all your watch history, while Netflix paid them $100M+ for ads.

Meta will sell your data at a heartbeat for profit.

Ozempic has gone from strange new treatment to human right in record time 🚀

Believe it or not, the illicit sale of human body parts is a booming business.

This Hanna Krueger story takes you inside the gruesome, not-so-secret nationwide network. And right into the hallowed halls of Harvard U. bostonglobe.com/2024/03/20/mag…

In our report on the impact of empty offices on Boston's budget, we lay out 3 options:
1- cut the budget;
2- raise residential property taxes;
3- increase state aid.
There is a 4th option: find new sources of growth. This special from Boston Globe Ideas has some specifics!

Here's the deal. Somebody has to pay for academic journals. It's better that rich universities pick up the tab rather than make authors scramble.

bostonglobe.com/2024/03/25/opi… Daily Nous / Justin Weinberg Arts & Letters Daily American Philosophical Association

A year ago, Massachusetts created a new position in its Governor’s cabinet: a state climate chief, the first in the nation.

Can it make a difference? For The Boston Globe, I went to find out!

bostonglobe.com/2024/03/14/opi…

We badly need this position in #rhodeisland Rhode Island Dept of Environmental Management RI General Assembly Governor Dan McKee

With resources and authority to get stuff done. We have looming emissions reduction targets, based on the science of #climatechange , and need to lean in now.

bostonglobe.com/2024/03/14/opi…

Anyone who wants to seriously grapple with war had better be prepared for far more shocking opinions than are found in this thoughtful essay by a translator and writer living in Israel. Shame on Guernica Magazine for pulling it down.

Archived link here:
web.archive.org/web/2024030509…

got a little spicy in Maclean’s Magazine about the limits of the settler imagination when it comes to reconciliation & Indigenous sovereignty macleans.ca/society/sen%cc…

This is fascinating

Empty offices, vacant storefronts, wasted opportunities — it's time to reimagine the identity of downtown Boston. We've got ideas. trib.al/RlrcNVu

Exodus Bagels had to go through an expensive, arbitrary 6-month process to obtain a variance to add indoor seating to its production facility in Boston’s Roslindale neighborhood. 🥯

Our zoning prevents the neighborhoods we want and need and stunts small business growth.

Downtown Boston is a perfect place to raise a family: Great parks. Minimal commute. Dim sum at your doorstep.

So why doesn't downtown attract a lot of families?

Kids can't be an afterthought - which they are now. More playspaces, classes, activities.

bostonglobe.com/2024/02/28/opi…

ICYMI: Reimagining downtown Boston | A Boston Globe Ideas special project. Brian Bergstein & his team on what's possible and what's next with pieces by Joan Vennochi David Scharfenberg Kara Miller & more. I'll be on Boston Public Radio today talking about the package. apps.bostonglobe.com/opinion/ideas/…