Why A.I. Should Be Afraid of Us

Artificial intelligence is gradually catching up to ours. A.I. algorithms can now consistently beat us at chess, poker and multiplayer video games, generate images of human faces indistinguishable from real ones, write news articles (not this one!) and even love stories, and drive cars better than most teenagers do. But A.I. isn’t perfect, yet, if…

Where Are Karastan Rugs Made?

Mr. Shropshire’s own Karastan rug has been in storage at the shop ever since his family welcomed a new puppy to their home last year. (“Dogs, cats and kids keep us going,” he said of the rug-cleaning business.) Mr. Shropshire’s shop has had ties to the people who worked at the mill, less than a…

Naomi Osaka and the Language of Fame

Who lost what, exactly, when Naomi Osaka announced the she wouldn’t participate in news conferences at the French Open last week, citing her mental health? The fans lost a few minutes of potentially vulnerable but generally formal interviews with Ms. Osaka. Ms. Osaka was unburdened of what she felt was an irrelevant obligation, but also…