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(01/17/18 5:53am)
Facebook is going to be more personal. At least that’s what Mark Zuckerberg claimed on Thursday after announcing the most significant overhaul to Facebook’s News Feed in years. The proclamation promises to prioritize posts from friends and family over those of brands and publishers for its 2 billion users. Despite a desire among virtually all major social media companies to refine their products to incentivize so-called “meaningful interactions,” the mission itself is at odds with the financial incentives which underpin their hefty valuations. Scrap the crap, Facebook — this mission is doomed from the start.
(08/31/17 4:34am)
“I’ll never trust my life to some robot.” It’s a common human trait — a fallacy — to resist surrendering one’s life to a couple thousand lines of code. People have always desired control over their own lives, but when the alluring new technology of self-driving cars becomes twisted into some dangerous innovation that threatens individual freedom, it necessitates an honest appraisal. Though difficulties lie ahead in perfecting the technology and defining regulatory uncertainties, a blanket opposition to self-driving cars fails to consider the most central promise of the technology — its ability to save lives. Every time a person steps behind the wheel of a car, there’s always a chance of a fatal accident occurring — for self-driving cars, there’s an opportunity to eliminate this threat completely.
(09/23/16 1:57pm)
Last week, The Daily Tar Heel’s editorial board published a disgusting editorial that peddled stereotypes of a group that makes up around 27 percent of its student population. Racism is not limited to Hispanic or Black injustices but rather extends to any action which labels a group of people based on petty, preconceived notions. So when the editorial board at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill issues a piece about white males that any reasonable review would recognize as publishing disrespectful stereotypes, it demands a clear condemnation from everyone.
(09/08/16 10:42am)
In July 2011, Lee Carroll Brooker was arrested for growing three dozen marijuana plants on his family’s private property. The 75-year-old veteran used the drug for purely medicinal purposes to treat chronic back pain stemming from his service in the U.S. Army. For his crime against the state of Alabama, he received a life sentence without possibility of release. While Mr. Brooker spends the rest of his life in prison for using a drug which has been proven to reduce chronic pain by 64 percent, our government institutions have repeatedly failed to adapt existing policies that continuously misappropriate justice.
(09/01/16 5:36am)
Ending the semester on an academic high note is the goal of many University students. However, the transparency that stems from teachers returning assignments throughout the semester often takes a complete nosedive during finals. At the end of a semester, University professors should be as transparent as possible with grades, allowing not only students to function as a necessary check on potential mistakes but also giving them the opportunity to learn from the most important assignments of the class.
(08/24/16 4:39am)
While the threats facing the United States are clear and present — from climate change endangering our coastline cities to the looming insolvency of Social Security — one recent trend, if continued, could jeopardize our ability to respond to crises: the rise of anti-intellectualism. When journalists are derided as liars, scientists doubted for their conclusions and beliefs viewed as superior to facts, we add a new threat could undermine our political institutions, further divide citizens based on inherent, physical characteristics and leave us as mere followers instead of the “shining city upon a hill” that we’ve demonstrated ourselves to be.
(04/28/16 11:07am)
Following the president at all times, a military aide carries a black briefcase, commonly known as the Nuclear Football, which acts as a mobile hub allowing the president to authorize a nuclear strike from any location. When discussing the potential launch of a nuclear weapon, as has happened numerous times over the last 70 years, there is a real and measurable distance between a staff meeting and the millions or even billions of lives that would be affected by a decision made among an aloof assembly. With the elimination of nuclear weapons unlikely to happen anytime soon, the United States must strike a balance between having sufficient constraints and being able to swiftly respond to attack.
(04/21/16 4:46am)
From the breathtaking sunny landscapes across Grounds to the revelry at countless day parties, spring at the University is one of the most memorable times of the year. To commemorate this occasion, University Programs Council, or UPC, throws its annual music, food and arts festival called Springfest. While UPC certainly is correct in its overall objective of the festival, the scale and magnitude should be significantly expanded to not only reward students with a comprehensive weekend of springtime entertainment but also showcase more of the incredible talents of its students.
(04/14/16 4:42am)
In 2015, the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team sounded their return to the champion’s throne with a resounding World Cup victory. That said, their outstanding work on the international stage was greeted with markedly less than outstanding pay. While last year the women’s team earned $20 million more in revenue than the men’s team, demolished the previous record of U.S. viewership for a nationally televised soccer match and achieved victory on one of the biggest stages in sports, the women still found themselves paid a mere quarter of what the men earn. That’s unacceptable.
(04/07/16 7:18am)
As many University students registered for classes , the Student Information System, or SIS, reminded them just how flawed the process is. Shocking to hear, isn’t it? With more than half of the University’s students capitalizing on Lou’s List, a more intelligible website, it’s clear that the status quo is unacceptable. Last semester, I wrote a piece on how a predictive analytics system would be able to alleviate many inefficiencies associated with the process. Alas, while we patiently await the evolution of class registration, the University has the opportunity to implement a much-needed change to help dismiss one its most vexing aspects. The enrollment restriction that initially limits the maximum number of credits leads to frustration on registration day and discriminates against all students who wish to take a four-credit class.
(03/31/16 5:58am)
Edward Snowden achieved cult status among privacy advocates in 2013 when he revealed the extent of the National Security Agency’s, or NSA’s, surveillance of the American populace. These revelations led to a shutdown of the heavily-criticized NSA program focused on collecting cellphone data from millions of Americans. However, another surveillance program — the U.S. Postal Service’s Mail Isolation Control and Tracking, or MICT — has curiously received far less examination than the healthy skepticism given to that of the NSA. A program which photographs the exterior of every letter and package mailed in the United States, while only requiring one to fill out a form for the NSA to access the data without any judicial oversight, certainly deserves a closer scrutiny into its function, value and constitutionality.
(03/24/16 6:08am)
Recently, Bowdoin College sent multiple emails to its student body “about an ‘investigation’ into a possible ‘act of ethnic stereotyping.’” The repercussions for students who attended this event include impeachment proceedings for those in student government, social probation from Bowdoin, dismissal from their dorms and newspaper editorials ripping attendees for a “basic lack of empathy.” So what exactly was this heinous transgression? Students hosted a party where some attendees wore miniature sombreros. From the ridiculousness of such a complete overreaction to a situation that lacks any remotely recognizable form of cultural appropriation, it’s clear that an uncompromising allegiance to political correctness can be dangerous, absurd and entirely hypocritical.
(03/03/16 6:50am)
Another one? It should come as no surprise to the typical Facebook user that an escalating number of their so-called friends publishing posts are asking for money. The most common of these publicized appeals comes from GoFundMe, a fundraising website which allows individuals to receive electronic financial payments for their own personal causes. In many cases, such as freak accidents generating seemingly unpayable medical bills or situations in dire need of crowdfunding help, this method allows people to tap into the vast human network of bountiful capital. However, a serious threat to our cultural identity arises when thousands of people demand money for trips around the world and countless other unnecessary endeavors.
(02/18/16 5:18am)
The right to vote is central to the preservation of a democratic republic. Our own country can be characterized simultaneously as a praiseworthy beacon for a representative system of government, yet also as an imperfect structure in need of desperate reform. As we work to forge a more perfect union, the University should heed the words of its excessively championed founder Mr. Jefferson: “The rational and peaceable instrument of reform, the suffrage of the people.” The University should endorse the position of a third-year Law student’s recent petition to “grant all students a full leave of absence on Federal primary and presidential election days.”
(02/11/16 6:12am)
At the Republican debate this last Saturday, leading Republican candidate and quintessential Disney villain Donald Trump expressed his support for reinstituting so-called enhanced interrogation techniques, even suggesting he would “bring back a hell of a lot worse than waterboarding.” In a shocking twist, he was not alone in this viewpoint. Sen. Ted Cruz flexed his attorney muscles from his days as a Supreme Court clerk and later on as Solicitor General of Texas to affirm his conviction that waterboarding “does not meet the generally recognized definition of torture.” Torture using enhanced interrogation techniques such as waterboarding is ineffective, is in direct violation of U.S. law and is a morally reprehensible policy which runs contrary to the universal values of mankind.
(02/04/16 5:09am)
After NASA announced Sept. 28 the discovery of liquid water on Mars, a debate exploded in the following months over the importance of this discovery. While many expressed enthusiastic fascination at this historic finding, some lambasted it as a trivial nugget of information that will have little to no effect on our daily lives. “Why should we care?” was a common theme within this dissenting viewpoint. However, an analysis of this discovery within the larger context of NASA’s total economic and educational impact on the American populace reveals that not only are we severely underfunding a critical driver of growth, but also that we still fail to grasp the importance of scientific discovery.
(01/28/16 5:18am)
We are changing. Over and above the gradual changes caused by evolution, humanity’s very nature has drastically altered over the past 10 years, with significant changes to our overall society. Just recently, I watched a movie with a friend, and I remember him texting constantly throughout. Yet, thinking back over this moment of frustration at my friend’s continuous phone buzzing, I realize I too had been doing the exact same thing, albeit with my phone on silent. On the heels of a report by Microsoft which concluded that the average transient human attention span had fallen from 12 seconds in 2000 to eight seconds in 2013, it’s becoming increasingly evident in modern society that a technological revolution has created a vastly different world, shifting from the in-depth and explanatory to the quick and astonishing.
(11/30/15 5:00am)
It’s late at night. After a relentlessly long day, the last thing you want is for the house down the street to be blasting music at 3 a.m. Everyone has experienced a similar situation. Too often, however, these situations end with someone calling the police to file a noise complaint. At the University, involving the police in situations in which people or music is too loud can not only frequently lead to unnecessary escalations, but also creates an inefficient outcome for everyone.
(11/12/15 5:42am)
Since the mastery of horse and raft, we have sought to invent new transportation methods that are faster and more efficient. From the train in the early 19th century to the airplane in the early 20th century, it’s clear human progress refuses to be satisfied with the status quo. For our generation, the next transportation revolution is already well underway. The Hyperloop, as conceived by Elon Musk, will soon irrevocably revolutionize the way we travel for years to come.
(11/05/15 5:15am)
Pets are awesome. Whether you prefer puppies, cats, parrots or fish, there’s no denying the happiness a pet’s relentless affection can create for its owner. Recognizing the positive effects of such a close, personal connection, some universities have implemented a “comfort animal” policy allowing students with diagnosed mental health issues or disabilities to bring their pets to on-campus housing. With pets’ documented ability to provide critical therapeutic support and reduce anxiety and depression, the University implemented a similar policy this summer. This wonderful new initiative uses the intimate relationship between pet and owner to aid some students’ psychological needs, yet because it’s relatively new and has had no publicity, many students who would qualify haven’t taken advantage of it.