Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Is Facebook’s News Algorithm Influencing Voters?
Facebook has denied allegations that its curators suppressed conservative news stories, but the site is clearly having an effect on the 2016 election. Plus, how pit bulls went from adorable to abominable.
By Madeleine Brand • • 42m ListenMore than a billion people log onto Facebook every day, and increasingly, users are going to the site for news. Facebook is clearly having an effect on the 2016 election.
In this episode
4 storiesFacebook’s Influence in the Presidential Election
More than a billion people log onto Facebook every day to look at cat gifs and baby pictures; and now more than ever, people are getting their news from the social networking site. That news is controlled by Facebook’s powerful news feed algorithm, but there are also humans involved.
Read the story10 minHow Expensive Will the "Most Expensive Election Ever" Get?
Presidential hopeful Donald Trump is going back on his promise to pay for his own campaign, saying he needs $1.5 billion for the general election. Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders isn’t getting as many $27 donations as he was, and Hillary Clinton’s fundraising machine continues to raise more than both Trump and Sanders by double-digits.
Read the story10 minHow Pit Bulls Went from Adorable to Abominable
A hundred years ago, pit bulls were among the most popular American dog breeds. They were owned by presidents and celebrities; they appeared with The Little Rascals and in countless other movies and ads. America loved the pit bull, and they are still among the most popular dogs.
Read the story14 min'Second Skin' Makes Wrinkles Disappear
The fountain of youth isn’t actually a fountain, it’s an elastic 'second skin.' Scientists at Harvard, MIT and Olivo Labs have developed a polymer mixture that is applied as two creams and when it sets, is less than a millimeter thick and makes wrinkles disappear. The breakthrough in aging was recently published in the journal Nature Materials .
Read the story6 min
