In a recent interview, the WikiLeaks founder talks about how Google is funding groups that would otherwise criticize it; a writer questions what allows humans to feel at peace with destroying the planet; meanwhile, a conservative judge writes a scathing dissent on voter ID laws. These discoveries and more below.

Wikileaks Meets Surveillance Valley: An Interview with Julian Assange “The problem,” says Julian Assange, is that “a lot of groups that would normally criticize Google, the nonprofits that are involved in the tech sector, are funded directly or indirectly by Google.

The Kink in the Human Brain– How Are Humans OK with Destroying the Planet? This is a moment at which anyone with the capacity for reflection should stop and wonder what we are doing.

Civility and Free Speech In his “Civility Manifesto” published here last week Cary Nelson cites my blog post, “Is Incivility the New Communism?,” as “particularly hyperbolic” in its critique of efforts by some university administrators to demand that free speech be limited to expression they deem “civil.”

Meet the Hipster Wing of Putin’s Propaganda Machine Located in a redevelopment project in downtown Moscow, where one square meter of office space can cost up to $750 per year, Set’s headquarters resemble the office of an internet publication, or a tech startup.

Conservative Icon Federal Judge Sees the Light—Writes Amazing Dissent on Voter ID Laws If you read just one top-to-bottom dismantling of every supposed premise in support of disenfranchising Photo ID voting restrictions laws in your lifetime, let it be this one!

A New Department Marks the Rise of a Discipline: ‘Computational Media’ Pixar movies, interactive video games, smartphone applications—all are forms of computational media, the marriage of computer science to the arts and humanities.

Why the U.S. and Europe Have Little to Fear From the Rise of Chinese Science Beijing is the world’s top science city, but Chinese policies will prevent China from becoming the world’s top science country.

The Right Has Turned Israel into a Hopeless Place People aren’t leaving for Berlin just because of the cost of living. Many Israelis do not want a nationalist-religious government imposing its values.

Weapons of Mass Distraction Can you believe it? Groups hiding arms in places of worship, schools, even kindergartens. Welcome to pre-state Israel, where comparisons with Gaza are not welcome.

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