3D printing is going to revolutionize online shopping. Amazon CEO and founder Jeff Bezos realizes that and probably envisions Amazon orchestrating the revolution. As a testament to how seriously Bezos takes 3D printing, Bezos, along with two other venture capital groups, helped MakerBot, a seller of consumer 3D printers and the accompanying necessary materials, raise … Read more
There’s been much said about the restructuring of the Harvard University Library system recently. Most campus debate and media coverage has focused on the administration’s plans to reduce the size of the library workforce. Of course, the university has a responsibility to reach a sustainable solution with its workers. However, we should not let these … Read more
Juncture is a joint project between the HPR and the Harvard College Tech Review dedicated to the highest quality writing at the intersection of government and technology. —————————————————————————— Cryptography once helped the United States win World War II and the Cold War, but today it could be preventing us from accessing important troves of data like Osama … Read more
In the recently released film The Hunger Games, the government, controlled by “The Capitol,” uses intimidation and constant surveillance to prevent rebellion against the dystopian order of the country Panem. Starving and impoverished citizens live in perpetual fear that the “Peacekeepers” (think Mussolini’s Black Shirts) will execute them for hunting game or speaking out against … Read more
HR 2306: “Ending Federal Marijuana Prohibition Act of 2011” HR 2306 is a rare example of bipartisan collaboration in a particularly divided Congress. Congressmen Ron Paul (R-Texas) and Barney Frank (D-Mass.), both prominent members of their respective parties, are cosponsors. But the fact that the bill tackles a seemingly untouchable issue, federal marijuana regulation, is even … Read more
On November 26, 2011, an American drone flew over the hilly Pakistani border after successfully hitting its target. The result: 24 Pakistani soldiers lay dead, and 13 civilians were injured. This dramatic incident was no anomaly. The United States has engaged in drone warfare in Pakistan for almost a decade, killing over 2300 militants and at … Read more
With the dust now settling after Congress went toe-to-toe with the Internet and lost, it’s a good opportunity to assess the wreckage. The majority of said dust was kicked up by the protest blackouts and obscured the issue that Congress was trying to address in the first place: internet piracy. Internet piracy is, by and large, … Read more
The response to SOPA and Protect IP, two pieces of proposed legislation aiming to curb online piracy, has been intense and highly reactionary. In October, Yahoo attracted public attention by leaving the U.S. Chamber of Commerce for its support of SOPA. In November, tech giants including Google and Facebook wrote a joint letter to key … Read more