Technology Reporter, New York Times
Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter for the New York Times based in the San Francisco Bay-area, focusing on technology; author of Hooked, which explores love and Internet addiction, and A Deadly Wandering: A Tale of Tragedy and Redemption in the Age of Attention
How Technology Distraction Kills Drivers tell pollsters they know it’s too dangerous to text while they’re at the wheel, but about one third admit they do it anyway. Now there’s persuasive evidence that we don’t have as much choice as we tell ourselves. Matt Richtel reports for the New York Times, where he writes about the intersection of technology, neuroscience and public policy. He’s author of a new book called A Deadly Wandering: A Tale of Tragedy and Redemption in the Age of Attention.
Hooked on Gadgets, Muddling Our Minds? As you're buying holiday presents, think about this. Internet multi-tasking is both a magnificent research tool and an infuriating distraction. Neuroscientists are sure that it's transforming the human brain. What they're not sure about is whether the change is for better or worse. Critics insist it's reducing the ability to focus, enforcing shallowness, stifling the creative impulse and breaking connections between human beings. Advocates say the media revolution is producing new ways of thinking and more human connectedness than ever before. In this rebroadcast of a program originally aired in June of this year, we hear both sides.
Hooked on Gadgets, Muddling Our Minds? Internet multi-tasking is both a magnificent research tool and an infuriating distraction. But, like it or not, it's transforming the human brain. Neuroscientists are sure about that. What they're not sure about is whether the change is for better or worse. In the meantime, debate is raging. Critics insist it's reducing the ability to focus, enforcing shallowness, stifling the creative impulse and breaking connections between human beings. Advocates say the media revolution is producing new ways of thinking and more human connectedness than ever before. A recent article touched a nerve in so many readers of the New York Times that editors say it was the most frequently emailed they've ever seen.
Wi-Fi in the Wilderness As Americans head off to campgrounds this summer, they'll be packing their tents, sleeping bags, and laptops. That's right...laptops. Camping used to be about getting away from it all. Now, if you drive past campgrounds or RV parks, you're likely to see signs advertising wi-fi access. Gone are the days when a few songs around the campfire would suffice for our entertainment in the woods. Now wireless connections can keep Americans in touch with their email, even with the office. This news follows the recent launch of the i-phone, a gadget that, like the blackberry, seems designed to seduce us into yet more hours on the web. Has our internet dependence gone too far? Do we have an addiction or has the wired world simply given us the freedom to mix work and play? Are we so busy living in a virtual world that we have forgotten how to enjoy the real world?
Janesville and the American Dream Janesville, Wisconsin is the hometown of Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan. But he couldn’t prevent the closing of the General Motors factory after 100 years. On this Memorial Day rebroadcast of To the Point, we hear what’s happened to what once was a model of American middle-class unity.
How was the trip? President Trump's travels got less fun as he went from the Middle East to Europe.
Is the threat from Russia missing from the Russia meddling probe? There's much being made about the Trump administration's possible ties with Russia. But the bottom line is Russia's effort to influence American democracy. Do the President and his aides care enough to take action before voters go back to the polls?
The longest US war: Will Trump send more troops to Afghanistan? The Trump White House is divided over the Pentagon's request for more troops in Afghanistan—where the US has been fighting for the past 16 years. Is there a formula -- either for "victory" or a political settlement? Is there an end in sight for America's longest war?
