Science & Technology
Planned Obsolescence
Plus: New York (the adult playground), almost to Mars, Elon Musk's sins, and more...
The New FCC Chairman's Agenda Contradicts Conservative Principles
Brendan Carr’s plans for "reining in Big Tech" are a threat to limited government, free speech, free markets, and the rule of law.
The Best of Reason: Abolish Amtrak, the FDA, and the TSA
In the Abolish Everything issue, Reason writers make the case for ending Amtrak, the FDA, the TSA, and everything else.
Photo: The First Commercial Spacewalk
Civilian astronauts on a SpaceX mission traveled more than 800 miles away from Earth.
Trump's Pick To Run the FCC Wants To Restrict the Editorial Discretion of Social Media Platforms
"Reining in Big Tech," Brendan Carr says, requires scrapping liability protections and restricting moderation decisions.
How Scientific American's Departing Editor Helped Degrade Science
When magazines like Scientific American are run by ideologues producing biased dreck, it only makes it more difficult to defend the institution of science itself.
European Commission Fines Meta for Serving Consumers
If advertisers don’t want to give data to Facebook Marketplace, they shouldn’t advertise on Facebook.
The Best of Reason: Is Being a Mom Bad for Your Career?
A recent study shows that women experience a short-term "motherhood penalty," but their earnings rebound within a decade.
Introducing the Just Asking Questions YouTube Channel
Join Zach Weissmueller and Liz Wolfe every Thursday as they uncover facts and expose realities that the government and the media would rather not talk about.
Regulations Are Making It Harder To Meet the Nation's Power Demands
Federal regulators have rejected a proposal to increase electricity generation from a nuclear power plant to a large data center in Pennsylvania.
Apple Makes It More Difficult for Crooks and Cops To Look at Your Phone
A new "inactivity reboot" protects data from thieves and helps preserve due process.
Judge Dismisses Copyright Lawsuit Against OpenAI
Copying information is not the same as copying content.
Feds Use 'Border Security' To Justify Social Media Surveillance
Supposedly targeted at immigrants and travelers, the program endangers everybody’s liberty.
A Psychedelic Ban Would Disrupt Important Research
Making DOI and DOC Schedule I drugs would interfere with psychiatric research.
Australian Prime Minister Proposes Total Social Media Ban for Anyone Under 16
Under this restrictive measure, there will be no exceptions, even for parental consent.
To Fight Donald Trump, the Media Contemplates Vast Censorship
"It would help if we could regulate social media," said The View's Sara Haines.
The Best of Reason: How the Political Spectrum Turned Inside Out
From 9/11 to the COVID-19 pandemic, crisis moments keep reshaping the political landscape.
Abolish the FCC's Equal Time Rule Before the Next Election
The decades-old regulation imposes burdens that no other media outlets are subject to.
A Bad Election for Sex and for Tech
No matter who wins, we can expect bad policies surrounding sex and especially surrounding technology.
One More Damned Time: Vaccines Do Not Cause Autism
The Trump campaign is all in on RFK Jr.'s debunked anti-vax crusade.
A Week of Failing To Pay With Bitcoin in El Salvador
The country claims to be a leader in crypto transactions. But you can't force people to take a currency they don't want.
'Let Parents Decide' What Kids Can Do Online, Argue Tech Groups in New Lawsuit
The groups are challenging a Florida law that bans some teens from social media.
What the Past Can Teach Us About Our AI Fears
Regulating AI could threaten free speech, just as earlier proposed regulations of other media once did.
The Perils of Trump's Proposed Bitcoin Strategic Reserve
In 2021 Trump called bitcoin a "scam" but he seems to have realized his political coalition includes cryptocurrency enthusiasts.
SCOTUS Case Involving Cannabis Fraud Highlights the Illogic of Federal Drug Testing Mandates
A trucker lost his job because he tested positive for marijuana after consuming a supposedly THC-free CBD tincture.
The Feds' Chinese Investment Ban Will Harm America, Not China
The Treasury's sweeping rule curtailing dual-use technology transactions with Chinese firms will reduce domestic growth, innovation, and security.
One-Third of Expensive Border Surveillance Towers Don't Work
Decades of border surveillance programs have spent billions of dollars but achieved little.
The Best of Reason: Big Pot vs. Big Government in Florida
Mom-and-pop marijuana operations do not exist in Florida. That's by design.
Elon Musk Versus the California Coastal Commission
The state's powerful coastal land-use regulator is arguing its awesome development-stopping powers applies to rocket launches as well as housing.
The Justice Department's Proposals for Breaking Up Google's Dominance Won't Work
But consumers will pay a price.
Review: Sunny Is a Techno-Satire About Violent Robots
Technology is neither inherently good or bad. Our friendbots—and our murderbots—are what we make of them.
We Were Wrong To Panic About Secondhand Smoke
A recent American Cancer Society study reports a negligible risk from passive smoking, shedding new light on the uproar over a 2003 paper.
Glasses Equipped with Facial Recognition Are in Our Future
Two Harvard undergrads give us a glimpse of the surveillance future.
The Best of Reason Magazine: How Did Immigration Politics Get So Toxic?
Changing migration patterns, outdated policy tools, and growing presidential power made it inevitable.
Police Want the Password to Your Phone
Without a warrant and specific proof of incriminating evidence, police should never be allowed past your phone’s lock screen.
Review: A Murder Mystery After the Apocalypse
The Last Murder at the End of the World explores the dangers of absolute power.
Can Differences in 'Misinformation' Sharing Explain Political Disparities in Social Media Suspensions?
A new study finds that conservatives are especially likely to share information from sources that a "politically balanced" sample of Republicans and Democrats deemed untrustworthy.
Watch Now: Classified: The War on Backpage.com
Reason's new documentary is now streaming on the video platform CiVL. I hope you'll watch.
Neither Harris Nor Trump Is a Friend of Free Speech
Both presidential candidates (and their running mates) seem confused about the constraints imposed by the First Amendment.
The Best of Reason: Kamala Harris' Freedom Flip-Flop
Harris is running away from her far-left past.
Baby Bottle Manufacturers Sued for Not Warning Customers That Their Plastic Bottles Could Leak Microplastics
Not only are microplastics essentially unavoidable, but the alleged harm they pose has been wildly overblown.
Hillary Clinton Wants To Repeal Section 230
Her comments are a reminder that this free-speech protection is far from safe.
Anthony Fauci, the Man Who Thought He Was Science
On Call, Anthony Fauci's new memoir, can't disguise the damage caused by his COVID-19 policies.
