Bina Venkataraman

Why do you forget where you put the car keys but remember the worst thing that happened to you? A new book by neuroscientist @CharanRanganath explains. I review it here for @BookWorld: washingtonpost.com/books/2024/02/…

Our traffic in The Washington Post’s book section was actually quite robust, even relative to the general decline of newspaper audiences. There’s an appetite for this work no matter how little institutional will there is to support it.

Do NYC voters expect Zohran Mamdani to actually make all the buses free? I wrote about what New York can learn from the election and reelection of Boston Mayor Michelle Wu about city politics & daydreams. Thanks for asking me for my take, @mitrakalita epicenter-nyc.com/mayor-mamdani-…

Does AI reduce the need for human decision-making? As @binajv explains to @AnnieDuke in an episode from Season 5 of The Decision Education Podcast, in order to be better decision makers, we need to question the data that informs our decisions.

There is still time to apply for the AI Spotlight Series Editor’s course are still open! Learn with coaches @glichfield and @binajv how to identify AI stories, reporting opportunities, and avoid common pitfalls that can mislead an audience. Apply now 👉 bit.ly/4o6Bgp4

Saturday, join @_KarenHao to discuss EMPIRE OF AI - an eye-opening account of arguably the most fateful tech arms race in history - w/ @binajv - 5PM @ CONN AVE - bit.ly/3FshX88

RIP American innovation Powerful read from @binajv "American entrepreneurs have built their ideas and fortunes on the back of basic research supported by taxpayers, who then reap the rewards." "The hidden engine of the US’s illustrious track record has been the grants given to academic researchers that DOGE has been decimating and that President Trump proposes to shrink catastrophically in the next budget." "Most people can’t yet see what’s being lost. The most profitable companies in the country continue to trade on investments in research made decades ago, while political leaders strip the next generation of the chance to become groundbreaking inventors and innovators." "Preventing such entrepreneurs from rising might even protect the big companies’ profits."

"Don’t count on the free market to fix what Trump and DOGE will destroy," @binajv writes. wapo.st/4jJws6q

.@reidhoffman tells @binajv, "You don't get the future you want by just trying to eliminate all the ones you don't want ... You get it by building to the one that can be more human."

You don’t want to miss my conversation with journalist & author @binajv on this week’s episode of The Decision Education Podcast! We explore the difficulty of delaying gratification, the power of gamification, & more. Listen now! @alldecisioned alliancefordecisioneducation.org/podcasts/episo…

President Trump is not on a free speech crusade. He’s on a crusade of censorship, via @crampell washingtonpost.com/opinions/2025/…

"Too many of today’s innovations and futuristic visions focus on how AI can replace humans — or even dominate them," writes TPN member @binajv. "...Why not dream about humans and AI-powered robots working together to improve antiquated practices? And why not have more help for the seriously stressed-out people arriving on the scenes of disasters to decide quickly who needs care?" washingtonpost.com/opinions/2024/…

Who are we, America? This time, no one can claim to have been fooled by Trump or unaware of what he will do. By our votes, or by failing to cast our votes, we are stating unequivocally who we are as a people. My final column of the election. wapo.st/3YxRs6G

Canceling a newspaper subscription helps politicians who don’t want oversight, does nothing to hurt the billionaires who own the newspapers and make decisions with which you may disagree, and will result in fewer journalists trying to hold the powerful to account.

Want to learn how to think more strategically and create meaningful change in your life? You won't want to miss @ThisIsSethsBlog's chat with @binajv this Monday. In-person and virtual tickets: bit.ly/46XWahW (with @PostOpinions)

From @binajv: What I learned from Indian American voters in Georgia wapo.st/3U1heiv

Great discussion with @WashingtonPost's @binajv on the global stakes of climate action. The IMF is committed to helping countries navigate climate challenges and mobilize resources for a sustainable future. Together, we can tackle these global issues. youtube.com/watch?v=3ovjnK…

Going to watch Tuesday’s presidential debate? Here’s why making it — and other aspects of public life — more accessible to people with different abilities could make everyone’s experience of them better. My latest for @postopinions wapo.st/47j0msE

"This antitrust case...is seminal not because it will break the back of Big Tech — it likely won’t — but because it could encourage the companies building the next era of information services to continue to innovate," writes TPN member @binajv. washingtonpost.com/opinions/2024/…

Full of apprecation for @BBCWorld this morning. The NewsHour host is giving a masterclass in interviewing politicians with skepticism & rigor while interrogating leaders of both the French far-right and left contingents vying for the government. No claim is unchallenged.

"Artificial intelligence is increasing the ease and slashing the cost of creating and circulating online rumors in multiple languages and formats," writes TPN @binajv. She reports on one community in South Florida that is fighting back. washingtonpost.com/opinions/2024/…