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Why random selection is necessary to create stable meritocratic institutions

Campbell's Law (a variant of Goodhart's Law) states that the more a metric is used for social decision-making, the more it will be subject to corruption which distorts and corrupts not only the metric itself, but the very social processes it was meant to measure. Selection criteria for a position of authority are one example of such a metric. When selection criteria are opaque, it is difficult for them to become a target, preserving their utility as measures. For governance positions however, it

Japanese Grandparents Create Life-Size Totoro with Bus Stop for Grandkids (2020)

Totoro is a hallmark character created by Studio Ghibli, Japan's beloved animation studio. The plump bodied, wide smiling magical creature’s most iconic image is that of him waiting for an unusual bus in the rain. The magic of that scene (featured in the 1988 film My Neighbor Totoro) has been a spark of nostalgia, imagination, and inspiration for a variety of creatives. Such is the case for a pair of grandparents in Takaharu, Miyazaki Prefecture, Japan. The couple—who is in their 70s—decided to

Rainmaker partners with Atmo to squeeze more rain from clouds

Cloud seeding startup Rainmaker is partnering with Atmo, an AI-powered meteorology startup, the companies exclusively told TechCrunch. The two operate on complementary ends of the weather system: Atmo studies atmospheric patterns to forecast weather events, while Rainmaker digests such data in an attempt to squeeze more precipitation out of weather systems. Under the partnership, Atmo will use its deep learning models to help Rainmaker identify clouds that have potential for seeding. The forec

Deals: M4 MacBook Air $170 off, Apple Watch Series 10 $120 off, Nomad ChargeKey $20, Pride Sport Band, more

Prime Day is over and while we did see some of the best deals still live this morning, they are going quick so make sure you get in there while you still can – you can grab Apple Watch Series 10 at $120 off for the lowest prices to date still, for example. But there are also some fresh new deals to scope out today including a very rare deal on the 2025 Apple Watch Pride Edition band, as well as Apple USB-C cable deals, OG Apple Watch Ultra at $429 off the original price, a super rare deal on the

I'm a Windows user, but the MacBook Air M4 could be my new primary laptop at this price

MacBook Air M4 in Sky Blue Kyle Kucharski/ZDNET When Apple announced the MacBook Air M4 earlier this year, it was clear that the laptop would be an incremental upgrade from last year's model, with the latest in Apple silicon and a host of software and AI-powered features. The fact that the 13-inch version was $100 less was a pleasant surprise, however, positioning it as a competitive choice in the current market. I had a chance to test out the new MacBook Air M4, and my initial findings reflec

Coding with AI? My 5 go-to tricks for vetting output - and avoiding trouble

filo / Getty Images Our story begins, as many stories do, with a man and his AI. The man, like many men, is a bit of a geek and a bit of a programmer. He also needs a haircut. The AI is the culmination of thousands of years of human advancement, all put to the service of making the man's life a little easier. The man, of course, is me. I'm that guy. Also: The best AI for coding in 2025 (and what not to use) Unfortunately, while AI can be incredibly brilliant, it also has a propensity to lie,

Topics: ai chatgpt help time use

This hidden Pixel camera setting makes my photos absolutely pop - here's how

Kerry Wan/ZDNET One reason why the Pixel phones are so popular is the camera. There's a depth, a level of clarity, and brilliant/accurate colors that most phone cameras cannot match. Also: I changed 10 settings on my Pixel phone to significantly improve the user experience Google is always trying to one-up itself by improving the Pixel camera with every iteration. Back with the Pixel 8, Google introduced the P3 wide gamut capture feature that came along with the Ultra HDR format of Android 14

NetBox Labs secures $35M as demand for network infrastructure management surges

The platform’s technical foundation centers on modeling infrastructure relationships in detail. The NetBox model encodes realistic relationships, such as an IP address’s provision on an interface, where the interface is on the switch, and where the switch sits in a rack. In addition, NetBox Labs has expanded the core platform with complementary products that address operational pain points while leveraging the central data repository. NetBox Discovery provides automated network device and serv

What happens when a brand built for sport loses some of its focus?

I’m Carter, I lead growth and operations at Handstand [a bit more on me here]. I grew up just outside of Portland, Oregon - naturally, Nike has been in my orbit and part of my life since day one (see below: “Dear Santa, please bring me a pair of Chicago 1s”). It’s an inspiring brand we discuss and think about often, so I decided to write about it. Excited to continue sharing more perspectives from different voices on the team. Visiting Santa at Meier & Frank - Portland, OR “When you see only p

This Common Pain Med Could Be Raising Dementia Risk

Chronic pain can be a debilitating experience. A common medication used to manage the condition may come with its own serious dangers, however. Recent research finds an upsetting link between the drug gabapentin and a higher risk of dementia. Scientists at Case Western Reserve University led the study, which examined the medical records of people with chronic low back pain. People taking gabapentin for their back were significantly more likely to develop dementia over time compared to non-users

Google’s Pixel 8 Pro is $599, and includes a free Pixel Watch 2

Steam isn’t usually the best place to look for deals on PC games. Most of the time, legit code sellers like Fanatical have much better prices. If you want to buy some of Capcom’s recent Resident Evil games (excluding the RE4 remake), you can get them for $6.50 a pop as part of Fanatical’s Capcom-themed bundle that runs through July 26th. You save a little extra per game when you add three or more titles to your cart. The bundle also contains some Ace Attorney collections and the remaster of Ghos

Quicken Simplifi plans are half off right now

Engadget has been testing and reviewing consumer tech since 2004. Our stories may include affiliate links; if you buy something through a link, we may earn a commission. Read more about how we evaluate products . Budgeting is really hard. Basics like groceries, rent and transportation are expensive enough without all the tempting extras like a nice dinner or new gaming console. It's all too easy to end the month with no idea where all your money went. But, right now, one of our favorite budgeti

Texas governor says his emails with Elon Musk are too ‘intimate or embarrassing’ to release

is a news writer who covers the streaming wars, consumer tech, crypto, social media, and much more. Previously, she was a writer and editor at MUO. Texas Governor Greg Abbott is refusing to release months’ worth of emails sent to Elon Musk and his companies under public records laws, according to a joint report from ProPublica, The Texas Newsroom, and The Texas Tribune. After initially agreeing to an information request, the governor’s office argued that the emails are covered by a law that pre

Tomorrow: TechCrunch All Stage launches in Boston — and ticket prices rise

TechCrunch All Stage officially kicks off tomorrow at 7:30 a.m. ET at SoWa Power Station in Boston — and that’s when ticket prices jump to full rate. This isn’t just another founder event. It’s the summit built to help startups fundraise smarter, scale faster, and lead with impact. Whether you’re tightening your pitch, planning a raise, or navigating team growth, TC All Stage delivers the tactics and tools to take you further. Right now, until the doors open tomorrow, Founder Passes are just $

This might be the next must-buy Android gaming handheld, and it’s not a Retroid

TL;DR The ANBERNIC RG 477M is an upcoming handheld with a compact form-factor. If naming conventions hold true, it has a 4.7-inch panel and a Dimensity 8300 chipset. No release dates or pricing have been announced yet. One of the main reasons to buy an Android gaming handheld over a Linux-based one is increased power for PS2 emulation and above. Until recently, only Retroid and a few others offered devices powerful enough for reliable PS2 emulation, but the latest device announced by ANBERNIC

OnePlus earbuds could soon make Spotify access seamless (APK teardown)

Aamir Siddiqui / Android Authority TL;DR Code within the HeyMelody app suggests OnePlus and OPPO earbuds could soon get Spotify Tap functionality. Spotify Tap allows instant music playback with a double or triple tap on compatible earbuds. It’s unknown if the feature will be coming to existing earbuds from the companies, or if they will be exclusive to products slated for the near future. OnePlus makes some great earbuds, with recent options like the OnePlus Buds 4 slotting in nicely at $130

Google Contacts is making it easier to check when you last contacted someone (Updated: Rolling out)

Adamya Sharma / Android Authority TL;DR Google Contacts could soon start displaying recent calls and texts on contact profiles. The feature will appear as a new “Recent activity” section on contact profiles, listing the last call and text with each contact. Update, July 14, 2025 (07:13 AM ET): Profile pages within the Contacts app now show Recent activity, with the feature rolling out with Google Contacts v4.58.27. Original article, April 30, 2025 (06:53 AM ET): Google Contacts‘ Single Contac

Apple gearing up for day one production of iPhone 17 in India, despite Chinese disruption

Apple is gearing up for simultaneous production of the iPhone 17 in both China and India, despite apparent attempts by the Chinese government to disrupt this. Achieving day one assembly in India has long been a key objective for Apple’s work in reducing its dependence on China as a manufacturing hub, but has never before been achieved … Apple’s goal of simultaneous production The vast majority of iPhones are still assembled in China, but Apple has for many years been working on boosting the n

You should stop putting your phone face up on the table - here's why

Sabrina Ortiz/ZDNET A friend of mine recently told me, "I always keep my phone on silent mode… which doesn't matter because I compulsively look at it every three minutes anyway." He's not the only one. From becoming a text addict to having full-blown smartphone dependency, the urge to look at and interact with our "flat things" has been deeply ingrained into our collective behavior for some time now. Also: I ditched my phone for this E Ink handset for two weeks - here's my buying advice now

5 AI coding tips every pro should know to actually save time - and stay out of trouble

Erikona/Getty Images Our story begins, as many stories do, with a man and his AI. The man, like many men, is a bit of a geek and a bit of a programmer. He also needs a haircut. The AI is the culmination of thousands of years of human advancement, all put to the service of making the man's life a little easier. The man, of course, is me. I'm that guy. Also: The best AI for coding in 2025 (and what not to use) Unfortunately, while AI can be incredibly brilliant, it also has a propensity to lie

Topics: ai chatgpt help time use

How I build software quickly

Software is built under time and quality constraints. We want to write good code and have it done quickly. If you go too fast, your work is buggy and hard to maintain. If you go too slowly, nothing gets shipped. I have not mastered this tension, but I’ll share a few lessons I’ve learned. This post focuses on being a developer on a small team, maintaining software over multiple years. It doesn’t focus on creating quick prototypes. And this is only based on my own experience! “How good should t

Topics: code draft rough time ve

Dyson Reveals Its Futuristic Farming Vision

Dyson, a company best known for its vacuums and hair dryers, unveiled a new circular farm design featuring rows of strawberry plants that rotate to share sunlight, robots that do everything from harvesting to releasing helpful insects, and sensors to help farmers keep an eye on things. The company is also getting into the renewable energy game. Check out the video in this article to find out how it all connects and what it could mean for the future of food.

Can You Lose Weight and Gain Strength on a Vibration Plate? We Consulted Fitness Experts

Vibration plates are making a comeback. Similar to the mid-20th-century vibrating belt machines, vibration plates have been said to provide the body with various benefits and can even be a tool for weight loss. But is the hype actually backed by science and expert opinions, or is it all social media hearsay? To find out if you should add a vibration plate to your workout routine, we asked personal trainers and other fitness experts about the actual benefits, risks, how to use a vibration plate

Google confirms it’s ‘combining’ Chrome OS and Android into a single platform

We exclusively reported back in November that Google was working to merge Chrome OS into Android . Now, a Google executive has effectively confirmed the company’s intentions to combine the two platforms. Sameer Samat, president of Android ecosystem at Google, asked a TechRadar journalist why they were using an Apple Watch, iPhone, and MacBook: I asked because we’re going to be combining Chrome OS and Android into a single platform, and I am very interested in how people are using their laptops

Show HN: ArchGW – An intelligent edge and service proxy for agents

Arch is a proxy server designed as a modular edge and AI gateway for agentic apps Arch handles the pesky low-level work in building agentic apps — like applying guardrails, clarifying vague user input, routing prompts to the right agent, and unifying access to any LLM. It’s a language and framework friendly infrastructure layer designed to help you build and ship agentic apps faster. Quickstart • Demos • Build agentic apps with Arch • Route LLMs • Documentation • Contact Overview AI demos a

Black hole merger challenges our understanding of black hole formation

Gravitational waves—ripples in space-time caused by violent cosmic events—travel at the speed of light in every direction, eventually fading out like ripples in water. But some events are so destructive and extreme that they create disturbances in spacetime more like powerful waves than small ripples, with enough energy to reach our own detectors here on Earth. Today, the LIGO Collaboration announced the detection of the most colossal black hole merger known to date, the final product of which

The Scourge of Arial (2001)

Arial is everywhere. If you don’t know what it is, you don’t use a modern personal computer. Arial is a font that is familiar to anyone who uses Microsoft products, whether on a PC or a Mac. It has spread like a virus through the typographic landscape and illustrates the pervasiveness of Microsoft’s influence in the world. Arial’s ubiquity is not due to its beauty. It’s actually rather homely. Not that homeliness is necessarily a bad thing for a typeface. With typefaces, character and history a

Myanmar’s proliferating scam centers

'Modern slavery' Human trafficking victims, pictured in Thailand's Tak province in February, show scars left by electric shocks and beatings. (Reuters) Criminal networks amassed such enormous profits that they were able to sustain -- and even expand -- these sprawling compounds. One man who claimed to have perpetrated scams recalled that a deep, resonant beat from a Chinese-style drum would echo through the compound each time a deposit of over $100,000 was received. The profits are built not

Astronomers Detect a Black Hole Merger That’s So Massive It Shouldn’t Exist

Gravitational waves—ripples in space-time caused by violent cosmic events—travel at the speed of light in every direction, eventually fading out like ripples in water. But some events are so destructive and extreme that they create disturbances in spacetime more like powerful waves than small ripples, with enough energy to reach our own detectors here on Earth. Today, the LIGO Collaboration announced the detection of the most colossal black hole merger known to date, the final product of which