High school calculus is probably the last time you had to think about algorithms—if you’re lucky, that is. But for performers and content creators alike, there’s a new algorithm to worry about: ...

The time has come when views on Tik Tok are the top priority, when adults don’t fall asleep without watching popular videos, and children start filming on Tik Tok before they have learned to connect ...

It’s hard to ignore the seismic shifts brought about by algorithm-driven content. Every time you scroll through your social media feed or check your favorite news app, algorithms are diligently at ...

Algorithms have taken on an almost mythical significance in the modern world. They determine what you see on social media and when browsing online, help form people’s belief systems, and impact the ...

The power of social media cannot be denied, but the landscape is complex and constantly changing. It’s easy to get frustrated with the various algorithms that control how much of your messaging gets ...

In an era dominated by social media, misinformation has become an all too familiar foe, infiltrating our feeds and sowing seeds of doubt and confusion. With more than half of social media users across ...

AI slop and enshittification are making the public social commons unbearable. The alternative pathways are more accessible than you think.

Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. The author of Filterworld: How Algorithms Flattened Culture discusses how we might be able to cultivate our own ...

The original version of this story appeared in Quanta Magazine. Imagine a town with two widget merchants. Customers prefer cheaper widgets, so the merchants must compete to set the lowest price.

The original version of this story appeared in Quanta Magazine. If you want to solve a tricky problem, it often helps to get organized. You might, for example, break the problem into pieces and tackle ...