Today marks the 25th anniversary of September 11th — a moment to pause, reflect and honor the lives lost and changed forever. We've collected coverage, retrospective reporting and personal stories looking back on the tragedy in this playlist on the NPR app.
J.C. HOWARD PRODUCER, HOW I BUILT THIS
I kinda hate math.
Not the everyday stuff, like scaling a recipe or figuring out what a 45% discount is (though… just make it half off). It’s the letters and weird symbols that are just simply not for me. Like, I have never once used a Σ, and I don’t plan on starting. But I know one day my kid will come home from school asking for help with algebra and my palms will get sweaty.
It’s a good thing I have plenty of time to brush up on parabolas, slopes and WHy = mx + b. (Get it?) Thankfully math doesn’t tend to change that much over time. But today’s classrooms are a different story. I honestly didn’t even realize how different things were for today’s students until I heard an episode of WNYC’s On The Media called How AI Chatbots are Infiltrating Classrooms. Some kids are talking with a chatbot or getting a Chromebook in their hands as early as kindergarten. For perspective, I already had a driver’s license by the time Google released the first Chromebook (I know, AARP here I come).
On the one hand, with public and private companies throwing so much money at developing and integrating AI, it’s hard to imagine a future without it (and I certainly want my children to be prepared). But on the other hand, a future full of AI comes with untold risks and dangers. From harmful deepfakes to cognitive and creative atrophy, the list goes on and on. So forget math, how the heck do we talk to kids about AI? One of the most interesting ideas from that On The Media episode was from writer Jessica Winter who suggests approaching education about AI the same way we approach sex education.
When I heard that, I thought… that’s perfect. I mean, with sex ed, we talk about the purpose, risks, consent and staying safe — all in an age-appropriate way. This seems like a reasonable approach to AI as well, especially given how little we know about the long-term effects. And look, I’m no prude; I’m sure parents will have a spectrum of approaches. Some will embrace AI enthusiastically, while others may prefer an abstinence-only policy. Personally, I think it’s a good idea to approach it carefully and with some sense of seriousness.
After that episode I feel a bit more prepared to talk about AI with my kid. But math?! Wait a minute… “Hey Siri, remind me how to do long division…”
🤖 J.C.
The week’s best episodes
…to share with your chatbot group chat
🧮 Back to Cool
New shoes, blank notebook and more gel pens than the law should allow? There is nothing quite like that first day of school feeling. It’s been over a decade since I felt that rush myself, but Life Kit wants to help restore that buzz. From meal prep to making new friends, they’ve got a game plan to help you break old habits, start new ones and reclaim the excitement of a fresh start.
🐚 Beaches be Crazy
Growing up in the Bay Area, I remember learning about Indigenous tribes who built massive structures from seashells. Makes you look at the conch on the mantel a bit differently. But also, according to this episode of Short Wave, shells can also tell us a lot about the health of our oceans. In this episode, host Emily Kwong talks about the science of seashells, their impact on humankind and the scientist behind a very famous tongue twister.
🧩 Ready Player One
Listen, I’m a regular guy; I play my Wordle five letters at a time, like anyone else! But… I have a bunch of other puzzles I also play every day (Minute Cryptic, anyone?) which is why it was so cool to hear this episode of Pop Culture Happy Hour where hosts Linda Holmes and Glen Weldon talk about their favorite daily games from outside of the NYT Games-iverse! I for one cannot wait to try out this one they mentioned called The Loop.
🔍 Suit Yourself
As presidential scandals go, I think we can all agree that the biggest one — at least in the last 60 years — is, say it with me… Obama’s tan suit. Never has a press secretary faced such an ethical dilemma, a public been as shaken, a legacy more tarnished than the tan suit. The question is… where is that infamous suit NOW? Many expected it to be in the Obama Presidential Library that opened earlier this year, but it was nowhere to be found. Consider This is on the case and I hope they blow this thing wide open.
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One to Watch
I decided a few years ago to read more fiction, and I found that I really enjoy young adult novels. Which is a fact I used to feel embarrassed about, but no longer. In a conversation with Brittany Luse on It’s Been a Minute author Jason Reynolds argues that more men and boys should read fiction of all kinds to inspire empathy, love and friendship.
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