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Recommended Reading: Does Facebook need to be regulated?
How the government could fix Facebook Julia Angwin, The Atlantic There are a number of issues surrounding the Facebook and Cambridge Analytica saga. Perhaps the most prominent one is the question of whether or not the social network needs to be regulated by the government. The Atlantic discusses four ways regulators could "fix" Facebook if there is a move to enact reforms.
Recommended Reading: Saving Stephen Hawking's voice
The quest to save Stephen Hawking's voice Jason Fagone, San Francisco Chronicle There's no doubt Stephen Hawking will be remembered for his work on black holes and relativity, but he will also be remembered for his distinctive voice. San Francisco Chronicle tells the story of the Silicon Valley team that helped create, and later save, the physicist's iconic sound.
Recommended Reading: The dark past of Jessica Jones
The creator of 'Jessica Jones' serves up a dark mirror for our moment Joy Press, The New York Times Jessica Jones returns to Netflix in less than a week, and thanks to a couple of trailers, we know it's going to be dark and angry. The New York Times sat down with the creator of the show, Melissa Rosenberg, who has also penned the doom and gloom for Dexter and Twilight. Rosenberg opens up about how her own past helped her craft the show's protagonist.
Recommended Reading: Tim Cook on Apple's iPhone X, HomePod and more
Why Apple is the world's most innovative company Robert Safian, Fast Company Apple may be one of the biggest companies in the world, but it still doesn't open up often about how it operates. A few times a year though, we catch a glimpse. Fast Company caught up with CEO Tim Cook back in January to chat Apple's recent run of new gear in an interview that published this week.
Recommended Reading: The making of Elton John's VR retirement party
How Elton John's VR retirement announcement hit your headset Emma Grey Ellis, Wired If you haven't heard, music legend Sir Elton John announced his retirement and final tour this week in the most 2018 way possible: VR. Wired goes behind the scenes to get the details on how that montage was made before it beamed out to your headset.
Recommended Reading: Please bring back 'NBA Jam'
How the silver anniversary of 'NBA Jam' could resurrect the franchise Law Murray, ESPN Will the iconic basketball game NBA Jam be revived for its 25th anniversary? EA already rebooted the franchise once, but the original voice of the game wants to bring it back once more. ESPN caught up with Tim Kitzrow, the man behind the legendary "BOOMSHAKALAKA!" catch phrase, to get the latest details -- complete with additional backstory from creator Mark Turmell.
Recommended Reading: Must-see TV in 2018
36 TV Shows to Watch in 2018 Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic 2018's television slate is already off to a solid start, but there's a lot more good stuff to come before the year is out. The Atlantic breaks down three dozen shows to watch this year, including streaming selections from the likes of Netflix, Amazon and many more.
Recommended Reading: Making a shed a top-rated destination on TripAdvisor
I Made My Shed the Top Rated Restaurant On TripAdvisor Oobah Butler, Vice If you've ever wondered just how many reviews on sites like TripAdvisor are fake, you're not alone. One writer took maters into their own hands to prove the extent of the issue by creating a fake restaurant in a backyard. Once it became popular on the site though, things escalated quickly.
Recommended Reading: The church of AI
Inside the First Church of Artificial Intelligence Mark Harris, Wired You may know Anthony Levandowski from being at the center of Waymo's lawsuit against Uber, but he's also the "Dean" or leader of a new religion of artificial intelligence. Wired takes a look at Way of the Future's doctrine, Levandowski's role and the quest to create the divine AI.
Recommended Reading: Trust your gut
Is Your Gut Microbiome the Key to Health and Happiness? Amy Fleming, The Guardian You've likely heard the phrase "trust your gut" at some point in your life, but the key to being healthy and happy could actually lie in all of those organisms in your digestive system. The Guardian lays out the case for how influential your gut really is and discusses the act of "poop doping." Yes, that's a thing.
Recommended Reading: Is 'Stranger Things' really that popular?
In Netflix's Upside Down Reality, 'Stranger Things' Is a Hit Before It Even Premieres Victor Luckerson, The Ringer The excitement around Stranger Things season 2 has been building for months. We've seen soundtracks, merchandise and all kinds of promo tie-ins with other companies along the way. As the show returns this week, the buzz is already so high that reviews probably won't even matter -- people will binge it anyway. It also helps that the first season was both really good and seemed to be really popular, despite the company not releasing any numbers. The Ringer takes a look at how Netflix creates the feeling of must-see TV even though we might not ever find out how popular its shows really are.
Recommended Reading: 'Lore' makes the leap from podcast to TV
'Lore' Proves Podcasts Can Inspire Disturbingly Effective TV Bryan Bishop, The Verge A year after Amazon greenlit the television adaption of the popular podcast, Lore debuted this week. The Verge reviews the series as it makes the jump from audio to visual, exploring whether or not the storytelling medium can be the basis for good television. Meanwhile, we're still waiting on that Serial TV show.
Recommended Reading: The 'Blade Runner' effect on electronic music
Do Androids Dream Of Electronic Beats? Al Horner, FACT After months of teases, trailers and short films, Blade Runner 2049 is now in theaters. FACT takes a look at the original film's impact on music, including comments from electronic music legend Gary Numan on how he was influenced. There's also a 12-minute documentary to accompany the written portion, and it's well worth your time.
Recommended Reading: Streaming is changing the sound of music
Uncovering How Streaming Is Changing the Sound of Pop Marc Hogan, Pitchfork You don't have to look far to find evidence of how streaming services have dramatically changed the way we listen to music. But it's not just the consumption that's been affected, it's the creation too. Pitchfork takes a look at how services like Spotify have impacted music trends and why things like globalization, collaborations and slower tempos have taken over the pop sound.
Recommended Reading: Behind the scenes of 'Blade Runner 2049'
The Replicant: Inside the Dark Future of 'Blade Runner 2049' Brian Raftery, Wired The much-anticipated Blade Runner sequel is due to hit theaters in two weeks, but Wired wants to make sure you're properly prepared for that viewing. Step behind the scenes of Blade Runner 2049 for a look at the sci-fi, dystopia and darkness.
Recommended Reading: Why Cassini had to be destroyed
Analysis: Why Nasa's Cassini Probe Had to Be Destroyed Fedor Kossakovski, PBS By now, you've likely read a bit about NASA's Cassini probe plunging into Saturn to end its tour of duty this week. You've also probably wondering why that had to happen. PBS breaks it down.
Recommended Reading: Hollywood is really mad at Rotten Tomatoes
Attacked by Rotten Tomatoes Brooks Barnes, The New York Times The film scores tallied by Rotten Tomatoes are what many moviegoers use to decide how to spend their money. As you might expect, this doesn't make some folks in Hollywood too happy. In fact, they're pretty darn upset. Some claim low scores on Rotten Tomatoes cost big name films like Baywatch and King Arthur: Legend of the Sword millions this summer. The New York Times takes a look at the rift the movie ratings site has created with its Tomatometer. I'd argue studios should stop blaming a website and just start making better movies, but what do I know.
Recommended Reading: Japan's eSports struggle
The Crazy Laws Keeping Japanese Out of Video Game Competitions Yuji Nakamura and Takako Taniguchi, Bloomberg Japan is a popular locale for video games, but laws are keeping eager players from participating in the eSports revolution. Bloomberg has the details on how regulations aimed at gambling and organized crime make paid gaming competitions impossible.
Recommended Reading: Meet the brothers behind 'Stranger Things'
Turned Upside Down Adam Sternbergh, Vulture Netflix darling Stranger Things returns for a second season this fall and the hype is already building. Vulture caught up with the Duffer brothers, the twins who created the nostalgic series that's equal parts horror and adventure. The duo chats seasons 2 and 3, including details of how they plan to end the show at the conclusion of the fourth season.
Recommended Reading: Netflix's heroes return in 'The Defenders'
'The Defenders' Is Thrilling Superhero Team-Up Entertainment Mark Hughes, Forbes Netflix's last Marvel series, Iron Fist, didn't quite offer the same thrills as its previous three original series. Its fourth installment that unites all four heroes debuted today, and so far, the reviews are mostly positive. Forbes details how the streaming service returns to form with The Defenders miniseries. Even though the latest show may not be the best of the Marvel options on Netflix thus far, it's an improvement after the disappointment of Iron Fist and shows potential for future team-ups with the foursome.
