Tessa Fights Robots - Being Human Among Robots

Lovers, Missionaries and Technology: A Story of a Passionate Little Boy

Listen, baby. I’ve built a castle for you. I want you to love my castle, and I want you to love me for building it.

I am an Outsider: A Story of Freedom

In a world driven by financial self-preservation, truth-telling is a commercial affair. Truth, the edited version, hello.

Civilization at a Crossroads: Feelings, Words, and a Power Grab

Our masters don’t mind our fighting with each other for the leftovers from their table.

The Speedup

Imagine trying to get happy on a tight deadline. Like you have ten minutes to get happy, or else your boss is going to punish you.

Facts, Soundbites, Disinfo: Who Decides What’s Real?

Our soundbites are our digital drugs.

I Wanted to Talk About Dating R Kelly But Ended Up Talking about Russian Culture Instead

This story is about the Russian women and our cross-generational strengths, weaknesses, courage, and servitude.

Too Many Names to Remember: Are We 7 Billion Anonymous Observers?

I can watch a video with 55 million views, cry over it, feel the feeling—and never know who made it, or who was in it.

Let’s (Not) Debate on Facebook

“Only idiots think that…” is not a very scientific argument!

If somebody showed up at your house, confiscated your possessions, shot half of your family, spat on your altar, gave you a black eye, and then called you an ambulance (yes, you would still need to pay the medical bill), would you be grateful for the humanitarian aid?

Little Deaths

A ghost of you is everywhere. I feel dumb, helpless and enlightened. I think about all the places where we used to go every weekend. Restaurants, our faces, laughing. Trust, ease, feeling comfortable. Where the fuck did it all go? I refuse to think about quantum...

People Are Cooler Than Robots, Period

Those damn marketers, those bastards.

Economic Principle: Gluttony

It is insane to sacrifice happiness, creativity, and basic self-respect to enormous profits. It’s a bad deal.

Homo Soveticus: They Are Back!

When I was growing up in the Soviet Union, we joked that harsh Soviet reality gave birth to a new human species – Homo Soveticus. Homo Soveticus was that secretly insecure, exhausted, angry human who was too tired for politeness, too narrow-minded for freedom, and too thick-headed for dissent.

Virus of Fear: What Racists and Aggressive Fanatics Really Worship

A Muslim supremacism and a Jewish suprematist might hate each other but they are, essentially, one person.

History of Modern Economy: You Are a Baker

History of modern economy: You are a baker. You make a living by going to the market and selling your muffins. One day, you come to the market and there is a racketeer with a gun. He tells you, “You can continue selling your muffins but you have to give me 50% or you are dead”. Maybe you were in a fearful mood on that day. Maybe his gun was big. Maybe he threatened your child. Somebody got scared, somebody got bribed, somebody went with the flow, one thing led to another. Three generations later: It’s the Law. Ten generations later: “It’s how bakers have always done it. Don’t you know, you fool?”