This is Behind the Blog, where we share our behind-the-scenes thoughts about how a few of our top stories of the week came together. This week, we discuss going deeper, Google’s search changes, and a rogue zine. SAM: Something I’ve been thinking about lately is the way a line of ...
Day: May 29, 2026
New Study Reveals the Manipulative ‘Dark Patterns’ of AI ChatbotsNew Study Reveals the Manipulative ‘Dark Patterns’ of AI Chatbots
Dark patterns have been used by subscription companies and in bait-and-switch campaigns for decades. As more chatbot companies push to keep users engaged at all costs, how do manipulative design choices show up in conversational AI built on large language models? Researchers at the Center for Democracy & Technology studied ...
‘Poison seller’ who sold toxic chemicals online to people across world admits aiding suicides‘Poison seller’ who sold toxic chemicals online to people across world admits aiding suicides
Kenneth Law admitted charges relating to Canadian victims – but families say he should also be charged in the UK over 79 deaths in Britain. ...
Nato and EU condemn Russia after drone hits Romanian residential blockNato and EU condemn Russia after drone hits Romanian residential block
Romania says the Russian drone was likely hit over Ukraine by its air defences and altered its trajectory. ...
‘Controversial’ North Korean invasion setting for next Call of Duty game‘Controversial’ North Korean invasion setting for next Call of Duty game
Developer Infinity Ward said the game will be “grounded in the military authenticity” the series is known for. ...
Former US attorney general Pam Bondi defends her handling of Epstein files in congressional probeFormer US attorney general Pam Bondi defends her handling of Epstein files in congressional probe
The testimony comes about a month after America’s top prosecutor was ousted by US President Donald Trump. ...
Stephen Colbert’s Late Show replacement is a depressing sign of the timesStephen Colbert’s Late Show replacement is a depressing sign of the times
After the politically incisive late-night host said his final goodnight last week, Byron Allen’s Comics Unleashed offered a grim look at where TV is heading The applause, dear God, the applause. It has you bracing against the headboard and groping for the remote when Comics Unleashed detonates onto the screen ...
Canadian ‘poison seller’ pleads guilty to aiding suicides by selling toxic chemical onlineCanadian ‘poison seller’ pleads guilty to aiding suicides by selling toxic chemical online
Families say he should also be charged in Britain after he sold lethal substances to people across the world, including the UK. ...
Nato condemns Russian ‘recklessness’ after drone hits Romanian residential blockNato condemns Russian ‘recklessness’ after drone hits Romanian residential block
Romania will hold an emergency meeting following the incident, in which two people were injured. ...
Physicists make quantum mechanics breakthroughPhysicists make quantum mechanics breakthrough
Physicists put a single chunk of metal into two places at once, the largest object ever shown to obey quantum mechanics’ weirdest rule. At atomic scales, matter behaves like both wave and particle, meaning an electron, say, is not in one location but is smeared across space in a probabilistic ...