Elon Musk – Opinions

April 29, Jared Schroeder, associate professor of journalism at SMU Dallas and a specialist in Frist Amendment issues, for a commentary explaining how social media regulations passed in Europe often are adopted world-wide — including in the U.S. where crafting internet law has been difficult in the partisan atmosphere. Published in The Hill under the heading A new EU law will influence US free speech more than Elon Musk : https://bit.ly/3knjqys

Elon Musk reached an agreement on Monday to purchase Twitter after criticizing the platform for failing to reach its free speech potential. If the deal holds, he has promised to take the company private, which means he and those he hires will control what free speech looks like on the site. But Musk’s $44 billion purchase ultimately might not be the biggest news when it comes to free speech on the internet.

On April 23, European lawmakers passed the Digital Services Act (DSA), the European Union’s most recent attempt to rein in big tech firms such as Apple, Google and Meta. The law, which is expected to take effect in 2024, essentially enforces European values regarding free expression, corporate responsibility and fostering a pluralistic society.

Continue reading “A new EU law will influence U.S. free speech more than Elon Musk”

Feb. 27, Krista Lynne Smith, an observational astrophysicist and assistant professor at SMU Dallas specializing in star formation in distant galaxies, for a commentary explaining how the proliferation of satellites in space threatens our ability to stargaze or conduct research. Published in the Dallas Morning News under the heading What if we couldn’t see the stars anymore?: https://bit.ly/3tdWnKx

If you live in the heart of North Texas or any large metropolitan area, you are probably familiar with a light-polluted sky. Even at midnight, the sky glows a dark blue, fading to dusky yellow near the horizon. At most, you can see a handful of the brightest stars reduced to dim pinpricks.

However, if you drive just a few hours outside of town, you can experience a breathtaking sight: a night sky filled with glittering stars, the shimmering swath of the Milky Way arcing overhead, and if you’re lucky, a few bright planets like steady jewels among them.

Such a sight is viscerally awe-inspiring in its natural wonder, hearkening back to our ancestors looking up and asking the kind of questions that led to all of human endeavor. Our species has since learned to read the secrets of the universe in the light we receive from the heavens. We have built technological marvels: observatories with instruments sensitive enough to collect the photons, little individual packets of light, sent to us from distant stars, galaxies and planets around other suns.

Continue reading “What if we couldn’t see the stars anymore?”