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Cathy O'Neil
For Cathy O'Neil's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 20, 2020
This grading algorithm is failing students
Schools around the world are trying to figure out what education in the time of COVID-19 will look like — and specifically how, where personal contact isn’t possible, to monitor and assess students’ progress. The experience of Hadrien Pellous, a high school senior in London, offers a caution: Don’t leave it up to an algorithm.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 13, 2020
America is being way too calm about COVID-19
This is a case where optimism may be an existential threat.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 4, 2020
Has racism exacerbated the COVID-19 crisis?
Mass incarceration and other social ills made the world more vulnerable.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 28, 2020
We can’t get together until tests get better
More coronavirus tests won't be enough to stop social distancing, but better tests might be.
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 25, 2020
Pandemic data could be deadly for the elderly
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought out some ugly truths about modern-day ageism. A combination of the virus’s properties, an overwhelmed health care system and systematic neglect have taken a brutal toll on the elderly.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 24, 2020
Pandemic data could be deadly for the old
Using biased data to allocate resources could perpetuate a high mortality rate.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 14, 2018
Mark Zuckerberg is totally out of his depth
And so are all the big boys of tech.
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 26, 2017
'Gaydar' shows just how creepy computer algorithms can get
Researchers have demonstrated facial recognition technology that can identify gay people. Imagine how that could be used in a country where homosexuality is a criminal offense.
COMMENTARY / World
Feb 23, 2017
Trust big data? Try googling the Holocaust
Big data was supposed to usher in a more precise and rational world. It might be leading us into the swamp of 'alternative facts.'

Longform

Later this month, author Shogo Imamura will open Honmaru, a bookstore that allows other businesses to rent its shelves. It's part of a wave of ideas Japanese booksellers are trying to compete with online spaces.
The story isn't over for Japan's bookstores