Stream of Reading (Prepare to be Forwarded) – An Archive of What I'm Reading
“Alexa, I’m depressed.” “Alexa, I’m being abused.” “Alexa, I’m considering suicide.” When Amazon introduced Alexa in 2014, it quickly discovered that users wanted more than traffic reports and Taylor Swift songs. According to the company, more than 50% of interactions with Alexa are “nonutilitarian and entertainment related,” a category that includes professions of love for…
In April 2016, at the height of the deadliest drug epidemic in U.S. history, Congress effectively stripped the Drug Enforcement Administration of its most potent weapon against large drug companies suspected of spilling prescription narcotics onto the nation’s streets. By then, the opioid war had claimed 200,000 lives, more than three times the number of…
WASHINGTON — The Republican health care bill, at least for now, is dead. So what happens next? Senate Republicans have already announced plans to pivot to legislation that would repeal much of the Affordable Care Act without spelling out a replacement plan, after two additional GOP senators defected from the party’s controversial plan to simultaneously…
We’ve all heard that we should take a mental health day from time to time, but how many of us are brave enough to actually take one—and let our coworkers and boss know that mental health issues may be the reason for being out of office? EFLON/FLICKR – FLIC.KR Well, Madalyn Parker, a web developer, did exactly…
This week, according to the Information, Jawbone shut down. That’s the company, valued at $3 billion, that brought us the Up fitness bands. So here’s the thing: Microsoft discontinued its fitness band in 2016. Nike discontinued its Fuel band in 2015. Meanwhile, Fitbit, the biggest remaining seller of fitness bands, is having a tough time….
GIF Image Credit: Elena Scotti/Gizmodo/GMG, photos via Shutterstock In 2009, Gary Olhoeft walked into a Best Buy to buy some DVDs. He walked out with his whole body twitching and convulsing. Olhoeft has a brain implant, tiny bits of microelectronic circuitry that deliver electrical impulses to his motor cortex in order to control the debilitating…
The Senate health care bill is expected to allow states to relax the Affordable Care Act rules only on benefits, not on pricing as the House bill does. But that change could impact people far beyond those states, according to a new analysis by the liberal Center for American Progress — because it could lead to a…
On Thursday afternoon, by the narrowest of margins, Republican lawmakers passed a bill to repeal and replace Obamacare. Pleased with their victory, they popped Bud Lights and abruptly took buses to the White House to celebrate with President Donald Trump in the Rose Garden. Carlos Barria/ReutersThe Republican Party was incredibly happy that it pushed its repeal…
On Sunday, March 29, 2015, two days after my 54th birthday, I came very close to dying. I was sitting in an armchair in my Paris apartment, reading a newspaper, when I became dizzy. The next thing I knew, my heart was beating violently. When the paramedics arrived, it was racing at 240 beats per…
Image: Flickr User Vic/Ryan F Mandelbaum If you trust a doctor with information about your urinary tract or penis, you probably don’t want them talking about you online. You probably hope that their online presence is devoid of most unprofessional behaviors, in fact. The American Urological Association encourages its docs to be active on social…