What's Not the News: April 2
Welcome back to Not the News! It’s easy to forget what day of the week it is when you’re WFH—and even easier when you see Not the News on Friday instead of Thursday. But don’t worry, we’re back.
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What to Read
The Hidden Costs of Automated Thinking
Did you know that we have no idea how some common drugs actually work? AI is similar: We can build neural networks, but when they learn we might not actually know why they’re giving us the answers they are. That’s a problem—especially when we’re blindly trusting AI to get important things right, like medical diagnoses.
What to do? Don’t keep the algorithms secret when we’re relying on the results, says says this Harvard professor:
In cities, building codes ask building owners to publicly disclose their renovation plans. Similarly, we might explore asking libraries or universities to accept, in escrow, otherwise hidden data sets and algorithms that have found a certain measure of public use.
Easier said than done, though. These algorithms often belong to private companies, and there isn’t much regulation yet.
Kim Kardashian: Criminal Justice Reformer
Kim Kardashian wears a lot of hats: reality TV star, very successful businesswoman, promoter of beauty products and clothing lines. After getting interested via Twitter, she started advocating for criminal justice reform and studying to become a lawyer.
[Prisoners] around the country, along with their family members and lawyers, started writing letters to Kardashian West. ... She estimates she receives hundreds of letters a month … She says she reads them all. She keeps an eye out for policy issues … like mandatory minimums, and cases where she thinks she might be able to help.
It’s natural to wonder if she’s thinking about her brand. But, as a law student, I can tell you that you need to be motivated by a lot more than good publicity.
The Race for Consistent Cannabis
You know how I said we don’t know how some drugs work? Ditto for cannabis: It’s not really clear why different varieties make people feel differently. The result is an inconsistent product. That’s why the $8 billion a year industry is trying its hardest to make a product as standardized as a bottle of beer—even trying to take the plants out of the equation.
It remains to be seen whether that’s even possible with a plant as complex as cannabis. What those companies know for certain, however, is that the billion-dollar race to find out has already begun.
If it’s possible, capitalism will find a way. It’s clear the industry has a long way to go, even scientifically.
What to Stream
“Unorthodox” (Netflix)
A young Orthodox Jewish woman runs away from an arranged marriage and her community and moves to Berlin, trying to navigate a secular life. But her estranged husband travels to Berlin to find her. It’s the first Netflix show primarily in Yiddish, and based on Deborah Feldman’s book of the same name.
“Master of None” (Netflix)
A modern, millennial take on the classic “people in their 20s trying to figure out love and life” genre of sitcom. Funny, lots of emotional depth, and very relatable.
Non-News Podcasts
“Beautiful Stories From Anonymous People”
Comedian Chris Gethard tweets out a phone number, 10,000 people try to call, and he has an hour-long conversation with whoever gets through. It’s like Humans of New York in podcast form: You hear incredible stories and learn a lot from ordinary people.
Start with: Aussie Best Friend
“Dissect”
The host devotes each season to a single rap album and breaks it down song-by-song, line-by-line. He has a degree in music theory, so you learn a ton. The albums include: “To Pimp a Butterfly” by Kendrick Lamar, “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy” by Kanye West, “Blonde” by Frank Ocean, and “Flower Boy” by Tyler the Creator.
Start with: Season 1
What to Cook—Passover Edition
Matzo Brei
Toffee Chocolate Matzo Bark
That’s it!
Take some walks, check in with friends and loved ones, and stay healthy. We’ll see you next week.
—Charlie, Meital & the North American Board