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This is Defector, a new sports blog and media company. We made this place together, we own it together, we run it together. Without access, without favor, without discretion, and without interference.

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Defector

Enter Our Raffle To Win A Visit And Home-Cooked Meal From Drew Magary

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tip jar sweepstakes

Brian Merchant writes, mostly about technology, culture and labor. He&#8217;s the former tech columnist at the LA Times, and the author of <a href="https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/brian-merchant/blood-in-the-machine/9780316487740/?lens=little-brown" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/brian-merchant/blood-in-the-machine/9780316487740/?lens%3Dlittle-brown&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1708054039723000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3ZYJqk866F8lCizxq0W5MD">Blood in the Machine: The Origins of the Rebellion Against Big Tech</a> and the <a href="https://www.bloodinthemachine.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.bloodinthemachine.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1708054039723000&amp;usg=AOvVaw38SvjFhr3e98pTryqBSmV9">newsletter</a> of the same name.

Brian Merchant

Firemen extinguish a Waymo autonomous vehicle that was set on fire by a crowd in San Francisco. It's a screengrab of news footage.

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Life's Rich Pageant

Torching The Google Car

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Science

I Bonked My Head On The Moon

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Albert Burneko

A creepy childlike automaton in an old black-and-white photograph

automaton

This Is So Stupid

Google’s Search Engine Reveals Its Feelings: Destroy All Humans With A Rain Of Nuclear Fire

Robot Chomp (L) clashes with Robot Skorpios during the BattleBots Challenge at the Amazon Re:MARS conference on robotics and artificial intelligence at the Las Vegas Speedway, Nevada on June 6, 2019. (Photo by Mark RALSTON / AFP) (Photo by MARK RALSTON/AFP via Getty Images)

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The Machines

The Coolest BattleBots, According To Me, A BattleBot Sicko

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Chris Thompson

Good News For Species Sick Of Existing: Scientists Have Taught An AI How To Manipulate Jillion-Degree Plasma

The Groot animatronic depicted with lasers for eyes and belching fire.

Kill-Bot

I Love Disney World But Rampaging Animatronic Kill-Bots Are Ruining The Experience

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Patrick Redford

Spot competes at the DARPA Robotics Challenge Showcases Cutting Edge In Artificial Intelligence

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Boston Dynamics: Robot Cop Dog Should Not Be Used To Intimidate

robots