Coloured engraving from Joseph Racknitz’s 1789 pamphlet which attempted to reveal the secret workings of William Kempelen’s alleged chess-playing automaton “The Turk” / Wikimedia Commons Defecating ducks, talking busts, and mechanised Christs — Jessica Riskin on the wonderful history of automata, machines built to mimic the processes of intelligent life. By Dr. Jessica Riskin Professor[…]
Strategy for a Living Revolution – George Lakey How Strategy for a Living Revolution came to life By George Lakey / 05.04.2016 In Prague during the height of the Cold War, I met an African freedom fighter who changed my life. He and I were there as resource people for a 1967 international youth conference[…]
Salem Witchcraft Trial / Wikimedia Commons By Matthew A. McIntosh Brewminate Editor-in-Chief “Religion,” wrote Dan Brown in Angels and Demons, “is like language or dress. We gravitate towards the practices with which we were raised.” It is that simplicity which so often sets the parameters within which groups of people operate. A collective mentalité can[…]
A view of the state capitol in Montgomery, Alabama / Brendan Smialowski, AFP, Getty Images Authorities could no longer charge a pregnant woman with child endangerment for taking a drug prescribed by her doctor. By Nina Martin / 05.04.2016 This story was co-published with AL.com. Pregnant women and new mothers using legally prescribed medications may[…]
Viking Longship / Creative Commons By Matthew A. McIntosh Brewminate Editor-in-Chief The artistic and architectural stylistic, methodological and technological aspects of world cultures have, with rare exception, displayed bilaterally direct and indirect influence while leaving their unique historical fingerprint. Pyramids and ziggurats still stand as testaments of Egyptian and Sumerian technology in addition to the[…]
Close to the source: Boise Brewing, on Broad Street, houses shiny beer making equipment on the tasting room floor. / Hannah Marconi / Boise Brewing A Sudsy Mix of Beer, Hops and Low Taxes By Tim Atwell Boise State University With close to 3,500 active breweries in the United States, craft beer has become a[…]
Thumbs half up? Trump’s winning streak is unlikely to continue through the general election. Reuters/Kamil Krzaczynski The GOP nomination is within Donald Trump’s grasp. On Tuesday he won the Indiana primary in decisive fashion, a victory that puts him about 185 delegates short of the 1,237 he needs to secure the nomination. Ted Cruz, Trump’s[…]
One balloting machine for all voters: universal design is accessible for everyone, with or without disabilities. University of Florida By Dr. Juan E. Gilbert Andrew Banks Family Preeminence Endowed Chair, Associate Chair of Research Computer & Information Science & Engineering Department University of Florida In the 2012 presidential election, 15.6 million people with disabilities reported[…]