- Social:
Atlantic
Alexis Madrigal is a staff writer at the Atlantic and author of Powering the Dream: The History and Promise of Green Technology.
PROFILE
Alexis Madrigal
Guest
FROM Alexis Madrigal
To the Point
Millions of powerless Floridians await recovery In the aftermath of Irma, some daunting figures: between 6.5 and 15 million Floridians are without power; Florida Power and Light has some 16,000 workers laboring to repair the lines. Worst hit is the Florida Keys, where 25 percent of the homes have been destroyed. Florida Governor Rick Scott said officials are doing everything they can to get power back on. Alex Madrigal is keeping track of all this for the Atlantic .
To the Point
Google Joins Race for a Drone Delivery System The technological arms race in Silicon Valley is soaring into the air as Amazon and Google vie to be first with deliveries using unmanned drones. The pilot project has already delivered a first aid kit, candy bars dog treats and water—in Australia. The competition for drone delivery has been super-secret, but Alexis Madrigal was given access to Google’s Project Wing, a pilot project that’s being tested in Australia. He describes it in detail in the Atlantic magazine, where he’s Deputy Editor.
Which Way, L.A.?
Intelligence Analysts Look for Deeper Meaning in Language US intelligence agencies want to know how people use language, people who speak not just English but Spanish, Russian and Farsi. Specifically, it wants computer programs developed that can provide keys to how people think by the way the use metaphors. The ultimate grant could run to nine figures. Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity, IARPA, is a small research arm of the US intelligence establishment. It's ready to spend big money on The Metaphor Program , to analyze common turns of phrase to learn "in a deep and fundamental way [how] humans make sense of the world." That's according to Alexis Madrigal in The Atlantic magazine.
To the Point
Intelligence Analysts Look for Deeper Meaning in Language US intelligence agencies want to know how people use language, people who speak not just English but Spanish, Russian and Farsi. Specifically, it wants computer programs developed that can provide keys to how people think by the way the use metaphors. The ultimate grant could run to nine figures. Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity, IARPA, is a small research arm of the US intelligence establishment. It's ready to spend big money on The Metaphor Program , to analyze common turns of phrase to learn "in a deep and fundamental way [how] humans make sense of the world." That's according to Alexis Madrigal in The Atlantic magazine.
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To the Point
Venezuela spirals into economic and political chaos Venezuela, a country whose potential for prosperity is unmatched, finds itself on the verge of civil war. What sustains the repressive government? With time running out, guest host León Krauze looks at what the international community can do to pull the country from the edge of collapse.
To the Point
White House budget proposal slashes and burns President Trump's first budget request is considered dead on arrival in Congress — a familiar development in Capitol Hill. We hear what it reveals about the priorities of the new administration. What's likely to die… and what might survive?
To the Point
Trump's new look at civil rights and global warming President Trump is reportedly ready to pull the US out of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. We look at the possible consequences. On the second half of the program, we hear about cuts in Obama-Era civil rights programs called for by the Trump Administration's first budget plan.