Greg Epstein
Humanist Chaplain @Harvard & @MIT. @HarvardHumanist
@HumanistHub Director. NYTimes bestseller @GoodWithoutGod. Dad, Husband. Sisyphus in community.
Thought Leader
| #301 | The New Center |
Last synced from Twitter 11m ago
Experiments in Tyranny, Brought to You by Tech
Amazon says it’s not responsible if its creations are abused.
Climate justice and environmental ethics in tech, with Amazon engineer Rajit Iftikhar
Nearly 8,000 Amazon employees, many in prestigious engineering and design roles, have recently signed a petition calling on Jeff Bezos and the Amazon Board of Directors to dramatically shift the giant company’s approach to climate change. By...
Pollen is getting worse, and climate change is the culprit - The Boston Globe
Allergy sufferers are feeling it: This spring’s bumper crop of the sticky powder has kicked into high gear. Achoo!
Greg Epstein
For those who doubt masculinity can be toxic: it's literally making your allergies worse
Via @BostonGlobe
bostonglobe.com/metro/2019/06/… pic.twitter.com/vGV2I3YL1A
4d
Dissecting value systems and exclusion in ‘big tech’, with Jessica Powell (Part Two)
In this second of my two-part conversation on the ethics of technology with Jessica Powell, the former head of PR at Google turned author of the wonderful satirical novel, The Big Disruption: A Totally Fictional But Essentially True Silicon Valley...
Judge Sentenced To 28 Years In Bribery Scandal
Mark Ciavarella Jr. was convicted of taking bribes from developers of juvenile detention centers. The case, known as "kids for cash" led to the tossing of 4,000 convictions issued by Ciavarella.
Greg Epstein
His attorneys had asked for a "reasonable" sentence and since I was on judge duty that day, I gave him eternity in a dank cell along with every. single. person. with whom he collaborated.
7d
YouTube CEO apologizes to LGBTQ community after outcry
‘Context really, really matters’
Better Schools Won’t Fix America
Like many rich Americans, I used to think educational investment could heal the country’s ills—but I was wrong. Fighting inequality must come first.
New Zealand’s ‘Well-Being’ Budget Is Worth Copying
To succeed, it has to respect the role economic growth plays in making people happy.
Trump Allows High-Tech U.S. Bomb Parts to Be Built in Saudi Arabia
Tucked into the administration’s emergency order to sell arms to Saudi Arabia is approval for Raytheon to build key components of precision-guided bombs with Saudi partners.
Tackling ‘big tech’ issues through storytelling, with Jessica Powell
Jessica Powell, Google’s former head of PR from 2012-2018 (years in which Google required a not-insignificant amount of PR leadership), is now a rock star writer whose 2018 debut book, The Big Disruption: A Totally Fictional But Essentially True...
Greg Epstein
Anyway check it out! Yes there's a paywall, but before you hit it you get a quick book excerpt I describe as The Circle/Coming to America/Dystopian Tarzan. Plus Jessica becoming literally the only person to ever tell me my "music career" made me relatable
12d
Training a single AI model can emit as much carbon as five cars in their lifetimes
Deep learning has a terrible carbon footprint.
Greg Epstein
Great news, the AI you designed to craft inspirational pickup lines delivered by robots who are working on carbon offset pricing strategies*, or whatever, is actually causing plenty of climate change. Enjoy!
technologyreview.com/s/613630/train…
*Not sure this is a thing yet, but it will be
12d
Promoting based on potential: How The Atlantic is putting a lot more women in charge
"The only way to put women in leadership is to do it for the first time."
Bernie Sanders Wants to Change America. First He Needs to Change Himself.
The movement he built in 2016 has proven durable, but there are few signs it's growing
National Security & Peace-Building | Marianne Williamson 2020
A Williamson presidency will re-prioritize national security to have an equal emphasis on peacebuilding as we do for preparing for any necessary war.
I Went to the Grand Opening of &pizza/Milk Bar and All I Got Was the Cold Reminder That Harvard Square is Doomed to the Gentrification That Has Overtaken All Major Cities Across the United States | Magazine | The Harvard Crimson
Greg Epstein
@pendergrassdrew @thecrimson I really, really love how you brought Martin Luther into this
16d
Why India Needs Modi
The country’s leader has fulfilled his economic promises.
Why I'm boycotting my Harvard reunion
Shortly before my 25th reunion at Harvard University, I wrote op-eds opposing legacy preferences, the troubling practice of colleges and universities giving a leg up in admissions to their own alumni. I knew from experience to expect blowback, but I...
Greg Epstein
"At Harvard in particular, the picture is getting worse, not better. Among members of the Class of '18, 26.9% had a relative who'd attended Harvard. For the Class of '22, that increased to 36.8%', per @thecrimson." Devastating/true/timely @EvanMandery @CNN
27d
Will Facebook Replace Labor Unions?
While the hidebound institution of the union will become less relevant, organized labor as a force will become more powerful in years to come. Things wi...
Greg Epstein
"Will Facebook Replace Labor Unions?" Researching labor issues at Facebook, came across a 2011 gem. In a crowded field of takes that didn't age well, this one's a winner.
(*Also sighs loudly at 2011 me 'cause I might just have bought this back then* 🙄)
27d