Finnish Inmates, Pothole Vigilantes, and Exoplanets

Weekend Reads: April 5, 2019

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Young Astronomer Uses Artificial Intelligence to Discover Two Exoplanets

Joe Palca | NPR | Tweeted by Jennifer Huddleston

Anne Dattilo, a senior at the University of Texas, Austin, used artificial intelligence to discover two planets more than 1,200 light-years from Earth.

Inmates in Finland Are Training AI as Part of Prison Labor

Angela Chen | The Verge | Tweeted by Alex Tabarrok

Vainu, a startup that is building a comprehensive database to help businesses find contractors to work with, teamed up with Finnish prisons to allow inmates to train artificial intelligence for the project.

An Antitrust-Informed Approach to Net Neutrality

Daniel Lyons | AEIdeas | Retweeted by Brent Skorup

At the Free State Foundation’s eleventh annual Telecom Policy Conference, Federal Trade Commission Chairman Joseph Simons addressed how his agency’s mission applies to the internet ecosystem.

This Agency Might Wreck Internet Economics

Jeffrey A. Tucker | American Institute for Economic Research | Shared by Donald Boudreaux

A lawsuit filed by the Department of Housing and Urban Development could threaten the entire economic model of Facebook and other online advertising platforms.

Toyota Seeks to Keep Hybrids Relevant by Releasing Trove of Patents

Yukihiro Omoto | Nikkei Asian Review | Retweeted by Veronique de Rugy

Driven by a fear of hybrids losing relevance in the auto industry, Toyota is offering royalty-free access to its coveted hybrid-vehicle technology patents that will allow new competitors to enter the market.

Right-Wing Terrorism and Violence May Actually Have Declined

Jacob Aasland Ravndal | The Washington Post | Shared by Tyler Cowen

Right-wing terrorism is often portrayed as marginal, while after a terrorist attack, media commentators often say it’s “on the rise.” These conflicting narratives could be the result of incomplete data.

12-Year-Old Michigan Boy Fills Neighborhood's Potholes Because the Government Won't

Joe Setyon | Reason | Retweeted by Adam Thierer

Monte Scott of Muskegon Heights filled 15 potholes with a garbage can full of dirt after the government failed to fix the roads near his family's home.

Congestion Pricing: NY Embraced It. Will Other Clogged Cities Follow?

Winnie Hu | The New York Times | Retweeted by Salim Furth

America’s biggest and fastest-growing cities are facing traffic crises. New York City’s plan to implement congestion pricing could provide a path forward for America’s clogged streets.