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Antony Funnell

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Trams, bots and solar roads

It’s a cross between a bus and light rail, a new form of transport that promises greater flexibility and a reduction in costs – it’s called the trackless tram. Online bots are getting better at sounding human, because humans online are sounding more like bots...
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The rise of the Silicon Valley oligarchs

Public discussion about the dramatic rise of UBER is often themed as a titanic struggle between old-fashioned expensive taxi companies and a new digital upstart. UBER usually comes out on top because it's new, cool and part of the ‘sharing economy’. But legal academic Frank...
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Smart cities, digital skins

Imagine a city where everything from the cars to the street lights to the traffic bridges are connected. Where censors and beacons pepper the urban environment. Imagine a city where all of those internet-connected objects are networked, giving the metropolis a second layer of infrastructure...
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American declinism

Summary Americans have a long history of predicting the demise of their nation, only to be proven wrong. However, with a gridlocked government and the rise of China, some observers believe the United States may actually be entering a period of long-term decline.
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Going underground

When we think of underground space many of us think of carparks, subways and storage. Or we think of dark science fiction scenarios – mole people living deep below our cities! But as we move into an increasingly urbanised 21st century – is it time...