Up until recently, the world’s most used translation engine reproduced and reinforced gender bias. «My friend is a doctor» doesn’t specify gender, but when translating to German or Spanish, Google turned the doctor into a man. No more. Here’s how they taught their algorithm to avoid gendered translations.
The current lockdown is also a reminder that people changing their personal habits in order to slow climate change will never be enough. Not even close.
Ever since it became apparent that Covid-19 will be major threat, we keep hearing that only a vaccine will put a definitive end to it. An excellent piece that explains, essentially in one graphic, what an enormous feat it will be to shorten the timeline of coming up with a vaccine against this coronavirus – so we have it earlier than what would typically be 2036 (yes, not a typo).
Advice accepted. Some really great bits, both for your personal and professional selves.
It’s probably quite telling that, a couple months into this crisis, the article that sums it up best is one that reminds us that there is so much we don’t know. «We crave simple narratives, but the pandemic offers none.» Thus, highly recommended: A guide to making sense of a problem that is now too big for any one person to fully comprehend.
A beautiful piece on running that, of course, is not really about running. If you like running – this piece is for you. If you like the idea of you maybe running sometime – this piece is for you. If you like a good, personal essay – this piece is for you.
This week, the oil price dropped below zero. How is that even possible? And what does it mean? This piece by Bloomberg has the simplest, best explanation I found (it’s not as long as it appears – just the first part is about the oil price).
A very nice selection of books on climate change, both fiction and non-fiction, by the editors of the Books and Climate desks of the NYT. Grouped into helpful categories like «I’d like a novel that taps into my current, IRL dread», «I only have time for one canonical read», or «I need help arguing with my denialist uncle». I can personally vouch for «The Sixth Extinction»
I remember listening to an episode of The Daily back in February which hit home for me how all-encompassing this pandemic will be. That same science and health reporter I listened to back then is back in a new episode, giving his assessment of what’s ahead of us. Excellent stuff, again (he’s primarily talking about the US, but we shouldn’t be fooled into thinking that things will be completely different elsewhere).
Every hiking trail deserves such a perfect…is it a review? An introduction? An homage? Craig Mod blends personal thoughts, beautiful photographs and tons of useful information on the 170km coastal pilgrimage trail Ise-ji in Japan. Immediately makes me want to go hiking.