Petter Törnberg's new research shows that social media's polarization is structurally embedded in its architecture—not its algorithms—and that filter bubbles might paradoxically be the cure. Meanwhile, half the humans have left and the bots moved in. The AI that's replacing them would like a word.

Week 13 delivered six articles, thirteen sci-fi franchises, and a new column record for Douglas Adams at five appearances—one for every invisible thing running beneath the surface of the week's arguments about water, surveillance, credit, protection, and a Lego set in near-space.

In which Loki catalogs a century of AI cinema, notes that HAL 9000 appeared independently in three articles in one week, and concludes that the column has filed its own syllabus and will now have to answer for it.

In which Loki contemplates Voyager's 69-kilobyte computer, the 73,000-year journey to the nearest star, and the cheerful humiliation of sending your absolute best into a universe that will still have time to get dramatically better at everything.

Six articles, thirteen franchises, one bracket that went 42-for-96, two April Fools pieces published on April Fools Day by accident, and the week Asimov showed up with a plan that basketball immediately destroyed.