Weekly Filet #192: What do you think about machines that think? And more.
1. 2015 Question: What do you think about machines that think? (Edge)
186 smart people have answered this year's Edge question: What do you think about machines that think? I can't say I've read them all (due to imminent head explosion threat), but those that I've read, make for great discussion starters. Especially liked Thomas Metzinger's argument that only the ability to suffer allows for substantial thinking.
2. The 36 Questions That Lead to Love (The New York Times)
So, apparently, discussing these 36 questions makes two people fall in love. Don't say you haven't been warned.
3. Like Being in Prison with a Salary: The Secret World of the Shipping Industry (Longreads)
Fascinating in-depth look at a major force of the global economy that we hear relatively little about. Interesting factoid: Denmark's ships use more oil than the entire nation. Wut?
4. Emotion Heatmaps (Jake Lodwick)
Where in your body do you feel anger? Sadness? Pride? That's what a research team set out to investigate. A GIF-animation nicely illustrates their findings.
5. Boko Haram: The Other Islamic State (The New York Times)
Want to finally learn a little more what this Boko Haram is? This overview page by the NYT provides a good starting point.
Recommended by Erik Martin:
Erik is travelling this week, so unforunately no new recommendation from him. But why don't you follow him on Twitter, he's got you covered there.
January guest curator: Erik Martin is the former General Manager of reddit. He recently launched Assholes On Demand, a pro bono service that helps senior citizens and other underserved communities sort out customer service problems with big companies.