Tech

What psychology of mass mobilization can tell us about the Capitol riot

Enlarge / Trump supporters near the US Capitol on January 6, 2021 in Washington, DC. The rioters stormed the historic building, breaking windows and clashing with police. (Photo by Shay Horse/NurPhoto via Getty Images) It’s a dark moment in American history that will not be soon forgotten. On January 6, thousands of supporters of soon-to-be-former […]

Tech

Gaming the system: How GameStop stock surged 1,500% in nine months

Enlarge / When will this stock [game]stop rising? (credit: Aurich Lawson) Nine months ago, GameStop stock bottomed out at $2.80 a share, a reflection of the myriad problems facing the retailer specifically and brick-and-mortar game retail as a whole. As of Tuesday morning, though, that stock price is hovering around $40 a share (peaking at […]

Tech

How one musician took on the world’s biggest TV network over copyright—and won

A dramatic moment from Glee maybe isn’t the first thing you expect to see in an Ars story, but promise there’s a point here. You’ve heard Kerry Muzzey’s work (Bandcamp, Spotify), even if you haven’t heard of him. The 50-year-old classical music composer from Joliet, Illinois, who now lives in Los Angeles, produces haunting orchestral […]

Tech

Hitman III review: Let’s call it Hitman 2.5 and be fine with it

How many people can we assassinate from the very top of a Dubai skyscraper? Agent 47 seems poised to find out in the opening mission of Hitman III. [credit: IO Interactive ] The Hitman game series reached a zenith in 2018 with Hitman 2, technically the seventh in the series—but, hey, the seventh time can […]