Lulz

最近一期的時代雜誌提到越來越嚴重的網路霸凌(lulz), 其中提到2014年的一項心理研究， 網路使用者大約有5.6%有霸凌的趨向，這些人大部分具有黑四元 (dark tetrad) 的性格趨向: 不擇手段，精神變態，自戀狂和施虐狂。 這些人統稱為 troll (網路惡意挑衅的人, 原意為住在山穴中的怪物)。

boon or bane

最近大量閱讀有關基因定序(DNA Sequencing)的技術資料. 1990年美國政府開始做基因定序, 花了27億美金13年，才將人類 33億個核甘酸基對 (nucleotide base pairs) 完成 99%. 現在只要花2500美元3天之內，就可以一一檢視一千億個基對(平常需要檢視30倍的量，才能夠將錯誤率減到最低)。 當人類開始漸漸地了解因為基因的些微不同，而產生的疾病，面貌，膚色，智商和個性的不同 ( 美國專利局因此而工作量大增)，甚至已經可以切斷再重整基因的結構。 這二十幾年來的基因研究的快速成長，不知道對以後的人類是一項福祉， 還是一個浩劫?  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=woBomKfikWlxM  

treacherous road

Tesla顧客 使用自動駕駛超過2億公里後，第一個車禍死亡的 事件在上個月發生。 車禍事件94%是人為錯誤。 Tesla 的自動駕駛技術是全球第一， 因為它有 眾多的顧客，將實際道路的自動駕駛狀況，不斷地傳回公司。讓 Tesla 可以不斷地改進自動駕駛的軟體。 去年年底，TOYOTA跟Ford 需要各自召回3萬多輛的車子， 因為他們的自動煞車的雷達有問題。 自動駕駛的軟體，平常有規定，如果手不放在方向盤上面一段期間後，會用影像跟聲音警告你，如果不聽警告，車子會慢下來。 即使是有這些防範措施 ，似乎自動駕駛的軟體，還是有很大的改進空間。
http://www.afr.com/technology/fatal-tesla-crash-on-autopilot-sparks-us-investigation-20160630-gpvzcn

double-edged sword

Forty years ago, NIH started the DNA research. Next month, NIH is going to issue guidelines for the first groundbreaking gene-editing CRISPR-Cas9 medical treatment of myeloma, melanoma and sarcoma. This CRISPR-Cas9, though beneficial for disease treatment and prevention, may upend human evolution if some rogue institutions use it for eugenic alteration in embryo in the foreseeable future.  https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2016/06/21/federal-panel-approves-first-test-of-crispr-editing-in-humans/

a slippery slope

If a presidential candidate can spend 12 minutes to lambaste and humiliate a federal judge who presided over Trump's legal case, it portends a slippery slope of the democratic system. 

http://time.com/4351376/donald-trump-university-lawsuit-gonzalo-curiel/

To buy a cow by clicking buttons without a bank account

U.S. has the Silicon Valley while Kenya has the "Silicon Savannah". It takes years for Taiwan to adopt the 3rd-party payment. In Kenya, most of the 23-million people don't have bank accounts but 90% of them use basic cell phones to pay bills for any thing. It ranges from paying taxi drivers to roadside peddlers, or even buying a cow simply by clicking a few buttons on the cell phones. Reason for this sweeping success and popularity of electronic payment even without a bank account: Kenya government is bold enough to brush off the lobby from the formidable bank industry.
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/future-of-money-kenya-m-pesa-60-minutes-2/

disruptive innovation

Stripe, a payment processing company for Apple Pay, Android Pay and Alipay, was founded in 2010 by a Harvard dropout and a MIT dropout. Now, the company's market value surges to $5B. With the burgeoning and booming fintech, some of the coveting jobs in the banks may vanish into thin air in the near future.    http://www.cbsnews.com/news/fintech-shaking-up-the-financial-industry/