Technology

Artificial Intelligence and Global Governance: Constructions for the Future of Public Health

In the era of machine-learning and artificial intelligence (AI), many question the ethics and efficiency of integrating AI in all sectors of society. Society both vilifies and lauds AI for the problems and solutions it poses for the future of human security, with some critics forecasting “the end of modern society as we know it.”  […]

Uber’s Yellow Cab Deal: The Bittersweet Redemption of a New York Staple

On March 24, Uber announced that it would add NYC taxicabs to its app this summer to increase user accessibility. This partnership, referred to as the “yellow cab deal,” kills two birds with one stone: it creates new customers for cab drivers while simultaneously tackling Uber’s driver shortage. Though the deal appears to revive the […]

Atoms for Peace: The New Reality is Embracing Nuclear Energy

Show almost anyone the yellow and black three-pronged nuclear emblem, and you will probably get a negative reaction. The symbol evokes feelings of impending doom, visions of mushroom clouds, and worries of radiation-borne maladies. But ironically, the energy behind it is the only thing that can avert catastrophe: the climate emergency.  Our current culture would […]

“Move Fast, Break Things”: Facebook Is Killing American Democracy

If Mark Zuckerberg could have predicted that his infamous philosophy—“move fast, break things”—would have turned into the antithesis of democratic values today, he likely would never have said it. Of course, to move fast and break things was once a widely adopted way of thinking for entrepreneurs who aimed to achieve Zuckerberg’s level of success. […]

Machine Learning Misses the Mark on Equality

Robert Williams had just pulled into his Farmington Hills driveway after another long day’s work, relieved to finally spend time with his wife and two daughters. Nothing seemed obviously amiss. But something was very wrong. A police car waiting down the street inched forward, trapping Williams against his own house. Two officers approached, cuffing him […]

Abandon Ship: How SAIL Threatens Intrinsic Curiosity

Illustration by Ishita Khanna Curiosity is the lifeblood of academia. It drives us to the classroom to learn and to the laboratory to discover.  At Northeastern, curiosity propels us beyond the boundaries of the lecture halls to develop skills in the real world. Rather than be content with academic knowledge alone, Northeastern students use six-month […]

A Positive from 2020: The Overdue Modernization of American Theatre

What comes to mind when you think of going to the theatre? It might be dazzling lights, a show-stopping dance break, or the plush velvet seats of a Broadway house. Maybe it’s a more intimate setting, with a smaller space and cast. Regardless, you probably do not imagine yourself sitting alone on your couch, watching […]

Censorship and Self-Censorship: China and the NBA

Illustration by Ellie Strayer “Tank Man”—the photo of a man defiantly standing in front of four advancing tanks during the Tiananmen Square massacre 30 years ago—is one of the most iconic photographs of the twentieth century. Search for it in the United States and Google returns millions of hits. Search for it on the Chinese […]

It’s Time to Talk About Smartphone Addiction

Take a moment to remember your first cell phone. Mine was a blue LG env3 flip phone that was virtually indestructible and had a mysterious internet button that I was never allowed to press. In 7th grade, this was the epitome of freedom; all of a sudden, I had the power to text or call […]

App-tivism For Syria

We are in the depths of one of history’s largest human rights crises. Syria is hemorrhaging refugees, and its citizens inside and out are being deprived of basic living, educational, and health resources. Humanitarian assistance organizations are overloaded with need, and strong Western governments need to step up to bridge the gap. Instead of focusing […]