Amanda Silverman
@asilverman.bsky.social
Features and investigations editor @technologyreview.com
Today @technologyreview.com has a new series filled with doom and (perhaps surprisingly) fun about *~conspiracies~* and how we survive this wild moment. Read about AGI, weather control, Mandela effects, whale necropsies & some fascinating conspiracy history: www.technologyreview.com/supertopic/t...
The New Conspiracy Age
Everything is a conspiracy theory now. An MIT Technology Review series The New Conspiracy Age Conspiracists are all over the White House, turning fringe ideas into dangerous policy. America’s institut...
www.technologyreview.com
October 30, 2025 at 5:45 PM
Today @technologyreview.com has a new series filled with doom and (perhaps surprisingly) fun about *~conspiracies~* and how we survive this wild moment. Read about AGI, weather control, Mandela effects, whale necropsies & some fascinating conspiracy history: www.technologyreview.com/supertopic/t...
It’s been an exciting few weeks for features over at @technologyreview.com. First we published one for all you lovely Wikipedia nerds out there, about how the platform + AI are sending small languages into a doom spiral, from @jacobjudah.bsky.social www.technologyreview.com/2025/09/25/1...
How AI and Wikipedia have sent vulnerable languages into a doom spiral
Machine translators have made it easier than ever to create error-plagued Wikipedia articles in obscure languages. What happens when AI models get trained on junk pages?
www.technologyreview.com
October 1, 2025 at 6:16 PM
It’s been an exciting few weeks for features over at @technologyreview.com. First we published one for all you lovely Wikipedia nerds out there, about how the platform + AI are sending small languages into a doom spiral, from @jacobjudah.bsky.social www.technologyreview.com/2025/09/25/1...
So it turns out the most advanced AI systems that people fear/hope are “becoming human” are actually a lot more pigeon-like than human-like?!It’s maybe time we reconsider the much-maligned bird. Brilliant from @bencrair.bsky.social. @technologyreview.com www.technologyreview.com/2025/08/18/1...
Why we should thank pigeons for our AI breakthroughs
The bird has never gotten much credit for being intelligent. But the reinforcement learning powering the world’s most advanced AI systems is far more pigeon than human.
www.technologyreview.com
August 18, 2025 at 4:13 PM
So it turns out the most advanced AI systems that people fear/hope are “becoming human” are actually a lot more pigeon-like than human-like?!It’s maybe time we reconsider the much-maligned bird. Brilliant from @bencrair.bsky.social. @technologyreview.com www.technologyreview.com/2025/08/18/1...
Reposted by Amanda Silverman
NEW: This is the inside story of how astronomers tracked down 2024 YR4, the most dangerous asteroid ever found, in the hope of working out whether it would strike Earth in a few short years. It’s Don’t Look Up, but everyone lives.
Me @technologyreview.com www.technologyreview.com/2025/07/08/1...
Me @technologyreview.com www.technologyreview.com/2025/07/08/1...
Inside the most dangerous asteroid hunt ever
As space rock 2024 YR4 became more likely to hit Earth than anything of its size had ever been before, scientists all over the world mobilized to protect the planet.
www.technologyreview.com
July 8, 2025 at 4:52 PM
NEW: This is the inside story of how astronomers tracked down 2024 YR4, the most dangerous asteroid ever found, in the hope of working out whether it would strike Earth in a few short years. It’s Don’t Look Up, but everyone lives.
Me @technologyreview.com www.technologyreview.com/2025/07/08/1...
Me @technologyreview.com www.technologyreview.com/2025/07/08/1...
Reposted by Amanda Silverman
Everything about this story is *fantastic* but I particularly enjoyed the bonus fun sidebar: astronomers absolutely hate the moon
NEW: This is the inside story of how astronomers tracked down 2024 YR4, the most dangerous asteroid ever found, in the hope of working out whether it would strike Earth in a few short years. It’s Don’t Look Up, but everyone lives.
Me @technologyreview.com www.technologyreview.com/2025/07/08/1...
Me @technologyreview.com www.technologyreview.com/2025/07/08/1...
Inside the most dangerous asteroid hunt ever
As space rock 2024 YR4 became more likely to hit Earth than anything of its size had ever been before, scientists all over the world mobilized to protect the planet.
www.technologyreview.com
July 8, 2025 at 6:27 PM
Everything about this story is *fantastic* but I particularly enjoyed the bonus fun sidebar: astronomers absolutely hate the moon
Reposted by Amanda Silverman
Fantastic new big story out today from Greg Barber about Big Tech's plans to plant its way to being carbon neutral.
Wonderful read, with sensational art and photos. Enjoy!
The kind of big ambitious piece that makes me proud to work at @technologyreview.com www.technologyreview.com/2025/04/24/1...
Wonderful read, with sensational art and photos. Enjoy!
The kind of big ambitious piece that makes me proud to work at @technologyreview.com www.technologyreview.com/2025/04/24/1...
Inside the controversial tree farms powering Apple’s carbon neutral goal
The tech behemoth is betting that planting millions of eucalyptus trees in Brazil will be the path to a greener future. Some ecologists and local residents are far less sure.
www.technologyreview.com
April 24, 2025 at 9:22 AM
Fantastic new big story out today from Greg Barber about Big Tech's plans to plant its way to being carbon neutral.
Wonderful read, with sensational art and photos. Enjoy!
The kind of big ambitious piece that makes me proud to work at @technologyreview.com www.technologyreview.com/2025/04/24/1...
Wonderful read, with sensational art and photos. Enjoy!
The kind of big ambitious piece that makes me proud to work at @technologyreview.com www.technologyreview.com/2025/04/24/1...
What if I told you the key to Apple’s big goal to be carbon neutral by 2030 was…planting millions of eucalyptus in Brazil? It’s a controversial plan—and one many may copy. Luckily we have @gregbarber.bsky.social to take us on a journey through the groves www.technologyreview.com/2025/04/24/1...
Inside the controversial tree farms powering Apple's carbon neutral goal
www.technologyreview.com
April 28, 2025 at 8:21 PM
What if I told you the key to Apple’s big goal to be carbon neutral by 2030 was…planting millions of eucalyptus in Brazil? It’s a controversial plan—and one many may copy. Luckily we have @gregbarber.bsky.social to take us on a journey through the groves www.technologyreview.com/2025/04/24/1...
Reposted by Amanda Silverman
UPDATE: It happened. In an 11:15 meeting, employees were told that the office has been eliminated and their positions will be terminated.
SCOOP: sources tell me that the State Dept plans to eliminate its only office to counter foreign disinformation, as soon as today, delivering a win to foreign governments like Russia, Iran, and China—and the office's mostly conservative critics.
www.technologyreview.com/2025/04/16/1...
www.technologyreview.com/2025/04/16/1...
US office that counters foreign disinformation is being eliminated, say officials
Conservative critics have long accused the department of helping to censor the American right.
www.technologyreview.com
April 16, 2025 at 3:34 PM
UPDATE: It happened. In an 11:15 meeting, employees were told that the office has been eliminated and their positions will be terminated.
Have you ever gotten a weird wrong number text? You’re probably not surprised to hear that was likely a scammer. You may be surprised to hear that scammer is possibly a victim themselves—and perhaps being held in a prison-like compound in Southeast Asia. www.technologyreview.com/2025/03/27/1...
Inside a romance scam compound—and how people get tricked into being there
Survivors reveal how criminal syndicates use Big Tech to recruit and trap people into operating “pig butchering” scams—and then use the same platforms to steal billions of dollars from targets all ove...
www.technologyreview.com
April 2, 2025 at 6:55 PM
Have you ever gotten a weird wrong number text? You’re probably not surprised to hear that was likely a scammer. You may be surprised to hear that scammer is possibly a victim themselves—and perhaps being held in a prison-like compound in Southeast Asia. www.technologyreview.com/2025/03/27/1...
Reposted by Amanda Silverman
Yesterday's earthquake in Myanmar is another catastrophe for a country already in crisis.
For months, Peter Guest & I have been investigating another crisis in Myanmar -- its online scamming industry, which largely relies on forced labor (thread)
www.technologyreview.com/2025/03/27/1...
For months, Peter Guest & I have been investigating another crisis in Myanmar -- its online scamming industry, which largely relies on forced labor (thread)
www.technologyreview.com/2025/03/27/1...
Inside a romance scam compound—and how people get tricked into being there
Survivors reveal how criminal syndicates use Big Tech to recruit and trap people into operating “pig butchering” scams—and then use the same platforms to steal billions of dollars from targets all ove...
www.technologyreview.com
March 29, 2025 at 9:21 PM
Yesterday's earthquake in Myanmar is another catastrophe for a country already in crisis.
For months, Peter Guest & I have been investigating another crisis in Myanmar -- its online scamming industry, which largely relies on forced labor (thread)
www.technologyreview.com/2025/03/27/1...
For months, Peter Guest & I have been investigating another crisis in Myanmar -- its online scamming industry, which largely relies on forced labor (thread)
www.technologyreview.com/2025/03/27/1...
I was totally fascinated by @peterguest.bsky.social’s reporting here, about how Ukraine’s neighbors fear what happened there—and have been inspired to quickly reshape their own civilian tech, like scooters, drones, med tech + way more @technologyreview.com www.technologyreview.com/2024/12/04/1...
How the Ukraine-Russia war is reshaping the tech sector in Eastern Europe
Startups in Latvia and other nearby countries see the mobilization of Ukraine as a warning and as inspiration. They are now changing consumer products—from scooters to recreational drones—for use on t...
www.technologyreview.com
December 5, 2024 at 7:22 PM
I was totally fascinated by @peterguest.bsky.social’s reporting here, about how Ukraine’s neighbors fear what happened there—and have been inspired to quickly reshape their own civilian tech, like scooters, drones, med tech + way more @technologyreview.com www.technologyreview.com/2024/12/04/1...
Been thinking a lot about this @technologyreview.com story over the past few weeks, by @annamerlan.bsky.social. Crucial reading to understand the growing mistrust in our health care institutions—and a preview of even more theories RFK may push if confirmed. www.technologyreview.com/2024/08/07/1...
How covid conspiracy theories led to an alarming resurgence in AIDS denialism
Widespread distrust of our public health system is reviving long-debunked ideas on HIV and AIDS—and energizing a broad movement that questions the foundations of disease prevention.
www.technologyreview.com
November 22, 2024 at 5:09 PM
Been thinking a lot about this @technologyreview.com story over the past few weeks, by @annamerlan.bsky.social. Crucial reading to understand the growing mistrust in our health care institutions—and a preview of even more theories RFK may push if confirmed. www.technologyreview.com/2024/08/07/1...
You’ve probably been at an airport and thought, huh, what’s the deal with Clear and how come these people can skip the line? Well @eileenguo.bsky.social did a deep dive. Super important read about the rise of Clear and biometric tech in @technologyreview.com: www.technologyreview.com/2024/11/20/1...
Inside Clear’s ambitions to manage your identity beyond the airport
The company that has helped millions of people cut security lines wants to give you a frictionless future—in exchange for your face.
www.technologyreview.com
November 20, 2024 at 7:54 PM
You’ve probably been at an airport and thought, huh, what’s the deal with Clear and how come these people can skip the line? Well @eileenguo.bsky.social did a deep dive. Super important read about the rise of Clear and biometric tech in @technologyreview.com: www.technologyreview.com/2024/11/20/1...
Reposted by Amanda Silverman
@asilverman.bsky.social and I will be talking abt this story, Clear, biometrics, and identity, on a LinkedIn live tomorrow. Join us: www.linkedin.com/events/72628...
November 20, 2024 at 5:29 PM
@asilverman.bsky.social and I will be talking abt this story, Clear, biometrics, and identity, on a LinkedIn live tomorrow. Join us: www.linkedin.com/events/72628...
Reposted by Amanda Silverman
Our deep dive from @melissahei.bsky.social on the battle by one Chicago lab to slowly tilt the balance of power from large corporations back to individual creators. www.technologyreview.com/2024/11/13/1...
The AI lab waging a guerrilla war over exploitative AI
The tools Glaze and Nightshade are giving artists hope that they can fight back against AI that hoovers internet data to train. Are they enough?
www.technologyreview.com
November 13, 2024 at 10:16 AM
Our deep dive from @melissahei.bsky.social on the battle by one Chicago lab to slowly tilt the balance of power from large corporations back to individual creators. www.technologyreview.com/2024/11/13/1...