Steve Rose

Journalist Gil Durán argues in his book The Nerd Reich that Silicon Valley’s wealthiest leaders have aligned themselves with Donald Trump and MAGA, embracing an anti-democratic ideology that combines authoritarian politics with technological utopianism. He links figures including Peter Thiel, Elon Musk, Marc Andreessen and Curtis Yarvin to efforts to weaken regulation, privatize government and create network-state societies. Their influence has expanded through government contracts, political appointments and support for AI, cryptocurrency and defense projects, although ventures such as Próspera and the Network School have suffered setbacks. Durán warns that both Republicans and Democrats have failed to hold the tech oligarchs accountable, but believes public opposition to AI-driven job losses, data centers and billionaire power could create an opportunity to defend democracy.

Michael Thomas’s acclaimed 2006 debut novel, Man Gone Down, won the €100,000 Dublin Literary Award and brought him professional success, but the pressure contributed to a severe manic and depressive breakdown. His new memoir, The Broken King, recounts the two decades that followed, including mental illness, autism, poverty, racism, parental abandonment, alcoholism, childhood rape, family trauma and the effects of literary fame on his marriage and children. Thomas reflects on how neurodivergence and trauma shaped his life and writing, and describes reaching a more stable, reflective and self-accepting period while continuing to confront the possibility of relapse and the consequences of his past.

Sean Astin discusses surviving 45 years in Hollywood after becoming a child actor in The Goonies, drawing on the influence of his mother Patty Duke and his roles in Rudy, The Lord of the Rings and Stranger Things. He describes the fame and financial strain that followed the Lord of the Rings trilogy, his continued affection for his fellow hobbit actors and openness to returning to Middle-earth. Now president of SAG-AFTRA, Astin is focused on protecting performers from artificial intelligence, deepfakes and unauthorized digital likenesses while supporting carefully regulated technological progress. He also addresses industry consolidation, declining production and the possibility of entering politics, though he says family responsibilities make union leadership his priority.

John Carpenter reflects on his career, creative independence, and influences, discussing the evolution of his films from low‑budget innovations to genre classics. He recounts early life experiences that shaped his worldview, his struggles within the Hollywood system, and his enduring cultural impact across cinema, television, music, and philosophy. Despite stepping away from directing, he remains creatively active through music and graphic novels, expressing concern about American politics while affirming his commitment to democratic values.

Finn Wolfhard reflects on becoming famous at 13 through Stranger Things and the unusual pressures of growing up publicly. He describes the show’s ending as depressing but ultimately appropriate, with its cast and crew relationships remaining central to his identity. Music, including his forthcoming second solo album Fire From the Hip, has given him greater creative control and a way to manage anxiety, while he continues to pursue acting selectively and values a quieter life in Canada.

The England flag has acquired conflicting meanings in Britain: far-right and anti-immigrant groups have used it alongside nationalist protests, while football supporters display it as a symbol of team pride and community. Sheffield residents describe both intimidation and patriotic attachment, with anti-racist activists removing unwanted flags and opposing Raise the Colours. On London’s Kirby estate, hundreds of England flags are presented as part of an inclusive, multicultural World Cup tradition. Research suggests most people support football-related flag displays and want to fly the flag without being associated with the far right, highlighting the importance of context and a more inclusive definition of English identity.

The Vegas Loop, Elon Musk’s underground Tesla shuttle, falls far short of its original promise of high-speed, driverless transport that would alleviate urban congestion. The existing system is short, slow, lightly used and dependent on one driver per vehicle, making it far less efficient than conventional rail. Experts and Nevada officials argue that private financing has allowed developers rather than public transit needs to determine station locations, while also reducing regulatory and environmental oversight. Despite these shortcomings and alleged violations by the Boring Company, Las Vegas has approved a major expansion, and Nashville has begun a similar project amid protests and complaints about secrecy. The article presents the projects as examples of Musk’s broader strategy of combining futuristic promises, political influence and public-sector support to establish private monopolies.

Filmmaker Ben Rivers explains how letters from longtime hero Don DeLillo led him to incorporate DeLillo’s one-act play The Word for Snow into Mare’s Nest. Set in a post-apocalyptic world without adults, the film follows children who build new rituals and meanings from the remains of civilisation. Rivers discusses his indirect, image-driven approach to adapting literature, his use of texts by Daisy Hildyard and Fernando Pessoa, and the challenges of having child actors perform DeLillo’s abstract dialogue. DeLillo ultimately watched the film and approved of Rivers’s interpretation, providing significant reassurance to the director.

At 92, Julie Newmar reflects on her career as a dancer and actor, her defining performance as Catwoman in the 1960s Batman television series, and her status as an enduring Hollywood, queer and drag-culture icon. She discusses being typecast as an idealised object of desire, her relationships and brief marriage, and raising her son John, who has Down’s syndrome and lost his hearing after meningitis. Newmar describes caring for him as a lifelong priority, supported by sign-language training and long-term financial and community arrangements. Now largely retired from acting, she manages property, maintains an elaborate Los Angeles garden and embraces a spiritual philosophy centred on beauty, optimism and avoiding worry.

Barry Manilow discusses recovering from lung cancer surgery and pneumonia, his decision to continue recording and touring at 82, and his enduring relationship with fans. He reflects on being mocked by critics despite selling millions of records, his early work with Bette Midler, his difficult upbringing and relationship with his mother, and his gradual understanding of his sexuality. Manilow says he stayed closeted because coming out in the 1970s could have damaged his career, though his 2017 public disclosure was largely unsurprising to fans. His new album, What a Time, is scheduled for release on 5 June, followed by a UK tour.

Oxford AI professor Michael Wooldridge argues that the most serious dangers of artificial intelligence are not robot uprisings but immediate risks involving corporate competition, unreliable systems, data exploitation and dependence on fragile digital infrastructure. Drawing on game theory, he explains how AI companies are trapped in a prisoner’s-dilemma race to build increasingly powerful systems despite recognizing potential harms. He is skeptical that artificial general intelligence is imminent, citing limits in computing power, training data and real-world adaptability, while warning that Silicon Valley has overshadowed less glamorous but socially valuable applications such as AI-assisted healthcare. Wooldridge supports slowing development to improve understanding and regulation, but remains optimistic about technology’s benefits and advises students to pursue subjects they genuinely care about.

Kane Parsons’s feature-film adaptation of the Backrooms internet horror phenomenon has turned a 2019 viral image and a series of YouTube shorts into an ambitious A24 horror movie. The 20-year-old filmmaker developed the concept through digital animation and online communities before directing established actors Chiwetel Ejiofor and Renate Reinsve in a vast, disorienting set. The film expands the Backrooms mythology into a psychological and existential exploration of memory, isolation, distorted information and increasingly uniform built environments. Its success illustrates how YouTube, gaming and DIY filmmaking can provide a pipeline for new cinematic talent while challenging traditional ideas about how stories are made and consumed.

Historian Ibram X Kendi argues that the Great Replacement conspiracy theory transforms economic hardship and social anxiety into fear of immigrants and minorities, helping far-right movements weaken democratic institutions and justify authoritarian rule. He links contemporary rhetoric from Donald Trump and European and Indian nationalist movements to repackaged forms of older racist and Nazi ideas. Kendi discusses the banning of his books, attacks on his scholarship, the closure of Boston University’s Center for Antiracist Research and his recovery from cancer. He says stronger accountability for racist and anti-democratic leaders, together with improved economic conditions, is necessary to prevent division and scapegoating from enabling racist dictatorships.

Wayve CEO Alex Kendall demonstrates a self-driving Ford Mustang navigating complex London traffic, including pedestrians, cyclists, roundabouts and narrow roads, and the vehicle performs impressively. Wayve plans to launch robotaxis in Britain with Uber after the 2024 Automated Vehicles Act, competing with Waymo and Baidu. Supporters argue autonomous vehicles could improve safety, accessibility and mobility, while black-cab representatives warn of job losses and contend that human drivers provide essential assistance and local expertise. Robotaxis have strong safety records but have also faced failures, vandalism, traffic disruptions and questions over remote human assistance. Their success in London will depend on public trust, pricing and regulation, while the article concludes that autonomous cars should complement—not replace—public transport, cycling and walking.

Ryan Coogler’s Sinners is presented as a landmark for Black cinema, combining Black historical experience and blues music with horror, action and broad entertainment. Its 16 Oscar nominations and four wins—including Best Actor for Michael B. Jordan and a historic cinematography award for Autumn Durald Arkapaw—are described as validation from an Academy that has often treated Black filmmaking as worthy but commercially limited. The film’s commercial success, inclusive portrayal of minority communities and emphasis on cultural exchange are framed as a hopeful response to racial tension and political division.

Ryan Coogler’s Sinners is presented as the strongest Best Picture contender because it combines major commercial success with critical acclaim and originality. Its standout jook joint sequence, in which blues music breaks through the boundaries of time and reality, exemplifies the film’s cinematic ambition. The film’s supernatural story is layered with the history of Black life in the American South, including slavery’s legacy, Jim Crow, the Great Migration, the Great Depression and Ku Klux Klan persecution. Its performances, music, costumes, effects, cinematography and Michael B Jordan’s dual role are cited as evidence of a comprehensive artistic achievement deserving of its record 16 Oscar nominations.

Anthony Scaramucci reflects on his long relationship with Donald Trump, his disastrous 11-day tenure as White House communications director in 2017, and his transformation into one of Trump’s most prominent critics. He says Trump is transactional, impulsive and dangerous, arguing that people with principles could never remain in his administration. Scaramucci also discusses his working-class upbringing, Wall Street career, personal failures, the strain Trump-related politics placed on his marriage, and his mistaken trust in Sam Bankman-Fried. Although he believes Trump’s political base may eventually fracture, he does not expect the Epstein files or other controversies to end Trump’s influence soon. He remains pessimistic about Trump’s immediate restraint but optimistic that the United States will eventually pass through a period of reflection, renewal and political healing.

Consumers can reduce their dependence on dominant US technology companies by switching to more private, ethical, sustainable or European alternatives. Recommended options include Ecosia, Mojeek and Qwant for search; Firefox, LibreWolf and Vivaldi for browsing; Proton Mail, Tuta and GreenNet for email; LibreOffice for office software; Fairphone and Murena for smartphones; refurbished and cooperative retailers instead of Amazon; Bluesky, Mastodon and the forthcoming European platform W for social media; and France’s Mistral and Le Chat for AI. The alternatives often involve trade-offs, including smaller user bases, paid services, reliance on underlying big-tech infrastructure and limited compatibility, but the article argues that switching is increasingly practical and could reduce exposure to surveillance, monopolistic power, misinformation and environmental harm.

At 87, Stewart Brand reflects on a career spanning 1960s counterculture, the Whole Earth Catalog, personal computing, online communities and long-term futurism. His new book, Maintenance: Of Everything, Part One, argues that maintaining material systems, institutions and eventually the planet is essential to progress. Brand praises Elon Musk and Tesla for simplifying manufacturing and accelerating electric vehicles, while supporting Jeff Bezos’s backing of the Clock of the Long Now. He remains optimistic about technology and human agency despite global instability, environmental challenges and his own incurable respiratory illness, arguing that individuals and institutions can gradually steer society toward more desirable futures.

Democrats and the White House reached a tentative agreement to avert a partial government shutdown by passing most spending bills while funding the Department of Homeland Security for two weeks as negotiations over immigration-enforcement safeguards continue. The deal still faced procedural hurdles in the Senate and House. Donald Trump reportedly sued the Treasury Department and IRS for $10bn over the disclosure of his tax returns, threatened Canada with aircraft tariffs, and said he would soon name a successor to Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell. The administration also expanded economic engagement with Venezuela, signed an executive order on addiction treatment, and imposed tariffs on countries selling oil to Cuba. Immigration enforcement in Minnesota remained a central flashpoint, with officials and lawmakers criticizing border czar Tom Homan while Minneapolis mayor Jacob Frey vowed resistance. Other developments included Democratic gubernatorial bids by Amy Klobuchar and Matt Mahan, scrutiny of intelligence director Tulsi Gabbard's appearance at an FBI search, and charges against a man accused of targeting Ilhan Omar.

Hayao Miyazaki’s 1989 anime follows 13-year-old witch Kiki as she leaves home for a year of independence, settles with a kindly baker and starts an airborne delivery service with her cat Jiji. Though the plot is deliberately loose, the film uses fantasy, everyday crises and vibrant animation to explore independence, insecurity, femininity and sexuality in an unusually bold but gentle coming-of-age story.

Stephen Valentine’s Timeship project aims to create a large, purpose‑built cryonics and life‑extension research facility capable of storing up to 10,000 preserved bodies along with DNA and transplant organs. Funded by Saul Kent and Bill Falloon of the Life Extension Foundation, the project follows advances in vitrification led by cryobiologist Greg Fahy. Valentine envisions the structure as both a scientific hub and symbolic architectural statement, with construction planned for a southern US location. Supporters promote it as a major step toward extending human lifespan, while critics raise ethical and practical concerns about inequality and overpopulation.