The Stupidity of Computers

A history of the divide between computing and language, and why we “define and regiment our lives, including our social lives and our perceptions of our selves, in ways that are conducive to what a computer can ‘understand.’”

Sponsor: Distance Magazine

Distance is a quarterly journal with long essays about design and technology, making this the most well-targeted advertisement ever.

Our second issue is out now, with essays from: Cassie McDaniel, about how designers can change the world in far-flung industries; Sharlene King, about homework’s role in our daily work; and Francisco Inchauste, about how to build more meaningful businesses.

Single copies and subscriptions are available at distance.cc. Thanks for reading.

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Quite Likely the Worst Job Ever

The sewer hunters, or “toshers,” of 19th century London.

Knowing where to find the most valuable pieces of detritus was vital, and most toshers worked in gangs of three or four, led by a veteran who was frequently somewhere between 60 and 80 years old. These men knew the secret locations of the cracks that lay submerged beneath the surface of the sewer-waters, and it was there that cash frequently lodged.