Sr. Mary Kenneth Keller: Computer Programming Innovator

Emerging from the vibrant and innovative postwar years, the nascent discipline of computer science in America was attracting top talent in mathematics, engineering, and computational linguistics. Several schools were creating “computer science” programs by the 1950s and early ’60s. Continue Reading...

Alexa’s Just Not That into You

A few weeks ago, software engineer Brandon Jackson found himself shut out of his smart home for a full week. When Alexa wouldn’t respond to his commands, he called the Amazon help desk to see what the issue was. Continue Reading...

How “real” is a customized reality?

In a market economy, competition plays a crucial role. The capacity of both producers and consumers to outbid one another in selling and securing products allows for the optimal allocation of resources according to relative demand and supply. Continue Reading...

How are free-market think tanks doing on social media?

Alejandro Chafuen, Acton’s Managing Director, International, posted his annual analysis of think tanks’ use of social media last week in Forbes. He wrote: Due to the coronavirus pandemic think tanks around the world are working under quarantine and have cancelled all events in the coming months. Continue Reading...

The perfect lap

In this week’s Acton Commentary, I take a look at Ford v Ferrari, the new feature film that captures the story (it’s a true thrill ride) animating the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans. Continue Reading...