Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 in total
Issue 95 - My emotional support robot is not returning my calls
Welcome to 500 Words, a letter about indie publishing, artificial intelligence, and the creative process. Though I write about AI, I'm not an AI fanboy. I'm intereste...
Issue 94 - How to Stop Reading Newspapers
Welcome to 500 Words.When I worked as a news writer and producer, I acquired a habit that I am now trying to break. Back then, every day, I churned through as many pri...
Issue 93 - Mourning in America
Well, that didn't go well. A majority of Americans have voted for hate, choosing a criminal to lead us. It feels like a day, or a few days, or maybe a whole week to di...
Issue 92 - Nuclear-Powered AI
A moment for station identification for new readers and listeners: 500 Words is a weekly-ish newsletter with two regular columns: INTERROGATING AI, which examines our...
Issue 91 - Follow the Money
There are many AI unknowns this week. To sort them out, let's follow the money.OpenAI is restructuring from a non-profit to a for-profit company. Its Chief Technology ...
Issue 90 - Online Personhood
Hey, you human? Prove it. With more AI-generated slop that I can handle on my screens these days, I say it's time to issue online credentials that will prove that you'...
Issue 89 - Book Talk
Not only are people buying more books, but they are also talking about them more often, in more venues. BookTok helped sell about 20 million books in 2021, more than 2...
Issue 88 - Yes, people buy books, and AI has a good side
Hello, and welcome to 500 Words.It didn't seem that long ago that the experts said that nobody would buy physical books anymore. Well, Barnes & Noble is thriving, on t...
Issue 87 - Is that Really You?
How can you be sure I'm me and you're you? I'm asking because a person's vocal identity is hard to verify online, even if you know their voice well. Synthetic speech g...
Issue 86 - Cloning an Actor's Work
Let's consider actors' voices as uncommon instruments, ready to fit vastly different roles and build big emotions with the smallest nuances of expression. Voice actors...
Issue 85 - Here Comes the Future
An announcement about a new feature of the newsletter, Interrogating AI, your guide to collaborating with AI. Also, the new podcast is starting, and you can get your v...
Issue 84 - Praise for Librarians
Since I've been working on distributing my new book, I have been thinking about libraries. This summer, our family has been visiting our local library nearly every wee...
Issue 83 - FAKEOUT LOL and a visit to the archives
Since I can't keep up with all the output *500 Words* requires on a weekly basis, I've brought in a collaborator, one with BIG ideas. They have written for Time, Place...
Issue 82 - Anxiety About What's Next
Navigating anxiety, embracing climate fiction, and preparing for a paywall in this edition of 500 Words.
Issue 81 - Let's Enter the Flow State
This is an audio version of 500 Words - Issue 81 - Let's enter the Flow State. It is read by Lee Schneider.Creative work starts with a flow state. A flow state is a st...
Issue 80 - Special Edition - Celebration
I'm writing today to celebrate the official publication of my second novel, Resist. It went live yesterday on Amazon, with more platforms to follow. It's been a journe...
Issue 79 - Climate Positivity
This is an audio version of 500 Words - Issue 79 - Climate PositivityHave you heard that climate change is your fault? It's your fault that you drive a gas-guzzling ca...
Issue 78 - Thank you for the Blurbs
Blurbs. You see them on the back of books. You see them in movie ads. Now, here they are in my newsletter. They're everywhere! Not really, but a few kind folks have bl...
Now Here's Something - Food in a Tube
Now Here's Something is a two-minute conversation between father and son. In this episode, we discuss the merits of serving food in a tube.
Now Here's Something - Episode 2
In this episode of Now Here’s Something, Bodhi and I go deep for three minutes about the dilemma we all face now: screen or paper. If you’re just joining me on the 500...
Introducing ... Now Here's Something
Hello! During the last few months in this space, I’ve been posting a series of short-form stories from the future. I need to give the time machine a little rest (those...
SCHOOL AND WORK ON YOUR SCREEN What’s the way forward?
Sure, I write short-form essays for the web right here on 500 Words. I’m working on one today to share with you. I’m also the co-founder of a futurist network called F...
How the Climate Crisis Affects the Food Chain
Editor’s note: This is a guest podcast by Bodhi Schneider. He is eight. He’s also my son. He wrote the script and composed the music. How the climate crisis affects t...
Ep 10 - On a Call With Vikram Chandra, Novelist
This week's call is with Vikram Chandra, novelist, software developer, and deep thinker about the creative process. I first discovered his work when I read his bestsel...
Creative Keynotes With Ady Floyd of Trendhunter
In this special on-location edition of the podcast, Ady Floyd, a senior research manager at Trendhunter, shares her ideas and tips about creating a keynote speech. Wit...
Ep 09 - On a Call With Adrian Fisher
This week's' conversation is with Adrian Fisher. This is a man who believes in the power of the rough pencil sketch. He believes in having control, but not. My art for...
Ep 08 - On a Call With David Tolzmann, Labyrinth Maker
This week's phone call is with David Tolzmann. David is the founder of The Labyrinth Company, which designs and builds walkable labyrinths in all media. He’s designed ...
Ep 07 - On a Call With Christina Dunbar
This week’s interview is with Christina Dunbar, who has said, “Our culture is starving for story, for vulnerability, for truth telling, for personal story. Story creat...
Ep 06 - On a Call with Jeremy J. Lee
Sound Designer Jeremy J. LeeThis week's call is with Jeremy J. Lee, a sound designer. He's worked in theater productions and we talk about his adventures in podcasting...
Ep 05 On a Call With Photographer Bobbi Lane
This week's interview is with Bobbi Lane, who has said memorably, "If you don’t have a concept then you don’t have a picture." What she means is that all the photograp...