Beware Censorship by Proxy
Prodding private companies into self-censorship is a dangerous government tradition.
Science & Technology
Feds Still Refusing to Say Why They Shut Down Backpage or What's In 93-Count Indictment: Reason Roundup
Plus: Paying taxes on cryptocurrency, Trump's delusional trade talk, and how the FBI is abusing FOIA to go after whistleblowers
Cops Will Use Drones to Monitor Traffic at Coachella
"We want people to come here and have a good time and to feel safe."
Hey, Beltway Denizens: Spies Are Tracking Your Phones, So Maybe Don't Ruin Encryption
The FBI is looking for a back door to your phone. So are some snoops in the FBI's back yard.
Driverless Trucks Will Be Great for Consumers, Safety, and Truck Drivers
Don't buy the doom and gloom over autonomous big rigs.
5 Things Everyone's Getting Wrong About Sinclair Broadcast Group
The company that brought you that wince-inducing "fake news" promo is not a "monopoly," and cracking down on it will not defend the free press.
New Backpage Ruling Lays Bare Some of the Lies Undergirding FOSTA
The ruling allows a civil suit against Backpage to proceed for one of the case's three plaintiffs.
Mexico's 'Silicon Valley' Offers Different Image for Americans
You don't have to worry about the wall when you work in the cloud.
Silicon Valley's Ultimate Diversity Problem Is Ideological
More tech folks call themselves libertarian than anything else. So why are they afraid to speak up at work?
Mozilla's New Firefox Extension Will Try to Stop Facebook from Tracking You
But wouldn't have stopped the Cambridge Analytica incident
Report: FBI Officials Dragged Feet Breaking into Terrorist's Phone to Try to Force Apple to Weaken Encryption
A political battle following the San Bernardino attack was the result of an attempt to make a test case.
Steven Pinker Thinks Pope Francis Is a Problem, Nuclear Power Is a Solution, And We All Need Enlightenment Now!
The author of The Better Angels of Our Nature is back with a bold new book defending humanism, progress, and capitalism.
California Bill Offers Phony Solution to Fake News Problem
Proposal to verify online "bots" is security theater that will make it harder for small online firms to compete with the likes of Facebook.
University of Virginia Hires 'Social Sentinel' to Monitor Students' Social Media Posts
"They are being watched, and that's a problem."
Social Media Beats Censorship in Iran
The vigorous debate over censorship shows how much Iran has changed in recent years.
Cambridge Analytica Was Doing Marketing, Not Black Magic
There's no reason for alarm (yet) over a Facebook data "breach" that benefited a firm with ties to Trump's campaign.
5 Reasons Not to Feed the Russian Troll Hysteria
"If voters are making [stupid] decisions," says Senior Editor Jacob Sullum, "that's not the Russians' fault."
Will the New '100 Percent Fatal' Mind-Uploading Service Work?
Do you want to be in control group or the experimental group?
Iconic Physicist Stephen Hawking Has Died
The world was a better place because he was in it.
Florida Government Employee Arrested for Mining Cryptocurrencies at Work
Florida man accused of ripping off government agency that rips off taxpayers.
Facebook Bans Nationalist Anti-Muslim Group Britain First
"We do not do this lightly, but they have repeatedly posted content designed to incite animosity and hatred against minority groups."
Climate Change Problems Will Be Solved Through Economic Growth
"How bad will climate change be? Not very."
Does That JAMA Study Really Show That Advil Is Just As Effective As Opioids?
Since responses to pain treatment vary widely, it is hazardous to draw broad conclusions from a single study.
Want to Hack Your Own Body? Neo.Life's Jane Metcalfe Is Making It Easier Than Ever
Wired's co-founder talks about the "Neobiological Revolution" and what happens when computer science and engineering meet evolution.
Judge Tells Trump to Pretend to Listen to Twitter Haters
A lawsuit leads to a suggestion that the president engage in a kinder, gentler ignoring.
Free Yourself From the Soft Tyranny of Nutrition Studies
Chances are, you already know what you need to do to be healthier.
A Jailed Model Claims to Have Evidence of Russian Meddling in U.S. Elections. Her Story Is Even Weirder Than You Think.
Rybka has spent the past several years as a protegee of pickup artist and seduction coach Alex Lesley-and picked up a plausible claim to 2016 election dirt along the way.
Malthusian Specter Pushed Back Further: Crops Engineered to Use 25 Percent Less Water
Yet another limit to growth recedes into the distance
$20 Fee for Porn Access Proposed in Rhode Island
Device makers would be required to block porn, prostitution hubs, and all content that fails "current standards of decency."
Victor Frankenstein Is the Real Monster
Mary Shelley's misunderstood masterpiece turns 200.
Guns, Code, and Freedom
Cody Wilson on his war against power, the irreversible course of the 3D-printed gun, and America's Weimar moment
Are We Experiencing Peak Gun Rights?
A look into a more restrictionist future for the Second Amendment.
Stone Age Statue Was Too Racy for Facebook
How can a company be expected to arbitrate "fake news" when it can't even tell ancient artifacts from porn?
How Government Lost the Crypto Wars (At Least for Now)
Public-key encryption has brought a drastic shift in power from the state to individuals.
No, Being Fat Won't Help You Live Longer
A decade or more of "obesity paradox" research is just plain wrong.
This Hacker Is Making a Driverless Car in His Garage
George Hotz wants to remake everything from your car to your phone, cheaper and faster than Google or Tesla.
House Passes 'Anti Sex-Trafficking' Bill Opposed by Both DOJ and Trafficking Survivors
The bill makes "promoting prostitution" a federal crime, holds websites legally liable for user-posted content, and lets states retroactively prosecute offenders.
Balaji Srinivasan: Technology Will Lead to a Borderless World
The Silicon Valley entrepreneur says cryptocurrencies, virtual reality, and mobile devices are helping individuals escape failed institutions.
New York Times Columnist Is Worried About What's in His Urine
The FDA debunks his fears.
Jacobson Dismisses Defamation Lawsuit Against Other Scientists
After an initial hearing, Stanford's Mark Jacobson thinks better of pursuing a scientific disagreement in court.
Trump Recycles False Claim that Video Gaming Causes School Shootings
Attacking violent video games is useless political theater.
'Crisis Actors,' Conspiracy Theories, and the Fear of Social Media
Yes, kooky rumors can spread quickly online. In this case, the angry reactions to those rumors may be spreading even faster.
Countering the Threat of the Malicious Use of Artificial Intelligence
Are smart Roombas booby-trapped with bombs in our future?
