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Laura Sydell
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Laura Sydell

Monday

A Robot That Harms: When Machines Make Life Or Death Decisions

When a person places a finger in the slot on the left, the robot uses an algorithm — unpredictable even to its creator — to decide whether to prick the finger with the pin on the end of its arm. Alexander Reben hide caption

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Alexander Reben

All Tech Considered

A Robot That Harms: When Machines Make Life Or Death Decisions

An artist has designed a robot that purposefully defies Isaac Asimov's law that "a robot may not harm humanity" — to bring urgency to the discussion about self-driving and other smart technology.

A Robot That Harms: When Machines Make Life Or Death Decisions

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Wednesday

Tuesday

Why The Airline Industry Could Keep Suffering System Failures Like Delta's

Passengers wait at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport after a computer systems failure on Monday caused Delta to delay or cancel hundreds of flights. Branden Camp/AP hide caption

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Branden Camp/AP

All Tech Considered

Why The Airline Industry Could Keep Suffering System Failures Like Delta's

Delta's massive outage wasn't the first malfunction to wreak havoc on an airline. The industry's systems are complex and require high security, which can make them more prone to shutdowns.

Why The Airline Industry Could Keep Suffering System Failures Like Delta's

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Monday

Why Taylor Swift Is Asking Congress To Update Copyright Laws

Taylor Swift is one of many artists urging Congress to update copyright laws, which they argue don't fairly pay for music available online. Kevin Mazur/WireImage/Getty hide caption

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Kevin Mazur/WireImage/Getty

All Tech Considered

Why Taylor Swift Is Asking Congress To Update Copyright Laws

It's an ongoing standoff between musicians and Google's YouTube: Who should be responsible for removing unauthorized copies of songs posted online?

Why Taylor Swift Is Asking Congress To Update Copyright Laws

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Wednesday

Is There A Double Standard When Female CEOs In Tech Stumble?

Yahoo President and CEO Marissa Mayer delivers a keynote during the Yahoo Mobile Developers Conference on Feb. 18, in San Francisco. Stephen Lam/Getty Images hide caption

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Stephen Lam/Getty Images

All Tech Considered

Is There A Double Standard When Female CEOs In Tech Stumble?

Male CEOs fail all the time, but when someone like Yahoo's Marissa Mayer or Theranos' Elizabeth Holmes falls short of expectations it can feed stereotypes about women being unfit for leadership.

Is There A Double Standard When Female CEOs In Tech Stumble?

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Tuesday

Technology

Pokemon Go: The Live Video Game Everyone Seems To Be Playing

Pokemon Go is the latest game to use something called augmented reality which combines virtual and real worlds on a smartphone screen. Released only last week by Nintendo, it is a runaway success.

Pokemon Go: The Live Video Game Everyone Seems To Be Playing

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Friday

Bodybuilders Beef Over A Workout Supplement — And A Stanford Patent

Pump-Bol is a ThermoLife workout supplement containing arginine. Cameron Robert/NPR hide caption

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Cameron Robert/NPR

All Tech Considered

Bodybuilders Beef Over A Workout Supplement — And A Stanford Patent

Two bodybuilders go at it in a legal battle that reveals how university patents for federally funded research can end up in unexpected places.

Bodybuilders Beef Over A Workout Supplement — And A Stanford Patent

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Tuesday

Technology

Brexit Could Threaten England's Global Technology Status

London-based tech companies face the uncertainty of the upcoming exit from the European Union. Many worry about less investment and less access to the talent they need to grow. Some may just leave.

Brexit Could Threaten England's Global Technology Status

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Friday

Technology

Game Developers Try Hard To Appeal To Professional Competitors

They may not be lifting weights to get in shape, but eSports players train hard. And they're competing hard at this year's E3 conference for video gamers in Los Angeles. Top prize is $10,000.

Game Developers Try Hard To Appeal To Professional Competitors

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Thursday

Humor & Fun

E3 Conference Showcases New Kind Of Video Game Celebrity

Millions of video game fans have created a new kind of celebrity — gamers who play live while others watch online. NPR looks at the biggest video game trade conference, known as E3, through the eyes of two of these celebrities.

E3 Conference Showcases New Kind Of Video Game Celebrity

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Tuesday

Video Game Trade Show Kicks Off Under Cloud Of Real-Life Violence

Julian Gerighty of the video game maker Ubisoft and actress Aisha Tyler speak at a press conference during the E3 video game trade show in Los Angeles. Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP hide caption

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Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP

All Tech Considered

Video Game Trade Show Kicks Off Under Cloud Of Real-Life Violence

There were signs that E3's organizers were trying to bridge the contradictions between violent video games and the Orlando massacre. "Shooter games" are a significant part of the industry's sales.

Thursday

Media

Tech Billionare Peter Thiel Comes Forward In War Against 'Gawker'

Billionaire Silicon Valley investor Peter Thiel revealed he was a backer of Hulk Hogan's successful invasion of privacy lawsuit against Gawker.

Tech Billionare Peter Thiel Comes Forward In War Against 'Gawker'

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Saturday

Tuesday

Too Much Technology Can Spoil Your Warhol Experience

Two people hold electronic devices while looking over a sculpture by George Segal with the Living Wall in the background at the newly expanded San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. Eric Risberg/AP hide caption

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Eric Risberg/AP

All Tech Considered

Too Much Technology Can Spoil Your Warhol Experience

The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art has reopened after a three-year closure. Like a growing number of museums, it hopes new tech doesn't get in the way of looking at the art.

Too Much Technology Can Spoil Your Warhol Experience

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Monday

Art & Design

Revamped San Francisco Museum Merges Modern Art With Interactive Tech

The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art re-opened this weekend with groundbreaking interactive technology meant to enhance the experience of looking at art. But can there be too much tech in a museum?

Revamped San Francisco Museum Merges Modern Art With Interactive Tech

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