The Verge

IT REALLY TOOK OFF THIS YEAR

The Year In Space

11 diggs The Verge Space Aviation Long Reads Science Technology 11h

The year 2016 was a dynamic time for spaceflight and space science, marked by major technological achievements in rocketry and scientific discoveries that will completely alter our understanding of the Universe for decades to come.

DOXXING HETERODOX

Peter Thiel Is Almost Definitely Behind This Mysterious 'Heterodox Science' Course

15 diggs The Verge News Science Technology 1d

An upcoming seminar at a loosely-based UC Berkley organization will tackle the idea that science is too liberal and bad. And Peter Thiel will be the instructor.

YOU CAN'T TELL BY THE PIXELS

Artificial Intelligence Is Going To Make It Easier Than Ever To Fake Images And Video

14 diggs The Verge Technology Culture Media Science 2d

With the ability to map someone else's face on something as ubiquitous as a YouTube video, neural networks are only going to complicate this fake news nonsense.

STEP 1: BE UPSET IT ISN'T ALREADY AN EMOJI

How An Emoji Goes From Pitch To Product

9 diggs The Verge Design Art Internet 3d

At a glance, emoji are simple. Each icon visually represents something instantly recognizable — food, a happy face, a high-five. The creation of an emoji is hardly so straightforward.

BREAKDOWN

Inside The Messy World Of Anonymous Therapy App 'Talkspace'

10 diggs The Verge Long Reads Health Internet Law 3d

Traditional therapists often find themselves having to report abuse or endangerment, but Talkspace's anonymous "tele-health" model gets in the way of care professionals' legal obligations.

TO DISTRACT YOU FOR THE NEXT FOUR YEARS

The Story Behind The New York Times’ Largest And Most Ambitious Crossword Puzzle

4 diggs The Verge Media 2d

The goal is to take advantage of the tactile, aesthetic, and nostalgic qualities of ink on paper, at a time when the death of print news is but a foregone conclusion for publications whose digital operations cannot keep them afloat.

A PROMISING START

Facebook Partners With Fact-Checking Organizations To Begin Flagging Fake News

38 diggs The Verge News Technology 1w

Facebook today began rolling out new tools designed to prevent the spread of misinformation, weeks after the US presidential election results raised new questions about how viral hoaxes may have contributed to Donald Trump’s victory.

AND IT MIGHT BE UBER ILLEGAL?

You Can Hail A Self-Driving Uber In San Francisco Starting Today

11 diggs The Verge Cars Cities Culture Technology 1w

Starting today, anyone in San Francisco who hails an UberX could find themselves in the backseat of a luxury, self-driving Volvo XC90, complete with leather interior, spinning LIDAR sensor, and a trunk full of computing power.

RETCON MIDICHLORIANS

What 'Star Wars' Learned From Its Prequel Problem

16 diggs The Verge Entertainment Culture Movies 1w

How does "Rogue One" avoid the mistakes of "The Phantom Menace?"

ERROR: FUNDING NOT FOUND

What Happened To Obama’s $4 Billion In Computer Science Funding?

9 diggs The Verge Politics Technology 1w

Some progress has been made at the city and state level, but Obama made headlines when he talked about setting aside billions. Would it shock you to learn that Congress didn't approve it?

STRIKE A POSE, CRACK THE CODE

Why Body Language Holds The Key To Virtual Reality

13 diggs The Verge Technology 1w

Step inside the portal and everything is white, calm, silent: this is where researchers are helping craft the future of virtual reality.

DETAILS ARE UNCLEAR

Sprint Owner SoftBank Says It'll Invest $50 Billion In US Under Trump

9 diggs The Verge News Business Politics Donald Trump 2w

SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son said at Trump Tower Tuesday that he'd worked out a deal with the president-elect to invest $50 billion in the US over the next four years and create 50,000 new jobs. Details of the planned investment are basically nonexistent, but it’s more than likely that it involves Sprint, which represents SoftBank’s main presence in the US.

CONFRONTING ADDICTION

My Brother's Keeper

5 diggs The Verge Long Reads Human Nature 2w

After years of prison and addiction, my brother went silent. So I visited his rehab.

HOTTEST WHEELS

One-Of-A-Kind Ferrari Auctions Off For $7 Million

3 diggs The Verge Cars 2w

Auctioned off on Saturday for a cool $7 million, the Ferrari LaFerarri becomes "the most valuable 21st century automobile ever sold at auction." All proceeds from the sale go to benefit earthquake recovery efforts in Italy.

PROJECTING EMOTIONS

Behind The Scenes Of A 30-Player Video Game Theater

10 diggs The Verge Gaming Culture Entertainment Long Reads Technology 2w

The ESC Game Theater is an experiment in group video gaming, a cross between an arcade, a cinema, and a pickup basketball game.

BRAINS FOR BUTTS

Chimpanzees Recognize Each Other’s Butts The Way We Recognize Faces

16 diggs The Verge Animals Science 2w

For chimpanzees, it’s all about the butt. You won’t find a female chimp going “My eyes are up here,” as it turns out that chimps often tell each other apart based on their behinds. Their brains even process butts in the same way that we process faces.

FROM ZERO TO ZERO

AT&T Just Declared War On An Open Internet

25 diggs The Verge Internet 3w

Zero rating is a poison pill wrapped in a piece of cheese; it looks like a good thing for consumers (free video!), but ultimately has the capability to rot competition and the open internet.

THE MAN IN THE BLUE VEST

DeRay McKesson And The Future Of Online Activism

10 diggs The Verge Politics Culture Internet Long Reads 3w

With his now-iconic blue vest, Mckesson, now the interim chief of Human Capital for Baltimore City Public Schools, has balanced using his platform online and off in order to draw attention to matters such as public safety and law enforcement reform.

THE WALKMAN AND THE... WATCHMAN?

A Look Back Through Some Of Sony's Most Iconic (And Non-Iconic) Devices

13 diggs The Verge Technology Design 3w

Sony is hosting an exhibition called “It’s a Sony,” which places hundreds of devices on show from the company’s inception to the present day. Here are a bunch of photos of the products showcased.

APPROACHING PEAK CYBERPUNK

Hackers Are Holding San Francisco’s Light-Rail System For Ransom

45 diggs The Verge News Cities Crime Technology 3w

Reached by email, the hacker confirmed he was seeking a deal with MUNI to undo the damage.