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What can representations of war on stage, in film and in popular culture tell us about combat? Denis O'Hare, actor and co-writer of An Iliad, Jeanine Basinger, chair of the film studies department at Wesleyan University, and Clive Thompson, contributor to The New York Times Magazine and columnist for Wired discuss whether these representations can change the culture's view of war. 

Denis O'Hare, actor and co-writer of An Iliad, Jeanine Basinger, chair of the film studies department at Wesleyan University, and Clive Thompson, contributor to The New York Times Magazine and columnist for Wired discuss representations of war on stage, in film, and in pop culture--and whether these representations can change the culture's view of war.

Meet Watson, the newest contestant on Jeopardy! Starting Monday, February 14, he’ll compete against the greatest Jeopardy! players of our generation. Did we mention that Watson is a supercomputer?

A jury in Italy has ruled that three Google executives are guilty of invasion of privacy after a user uploaded a video depicting four Italian teenagers bullying a boy with Down syndrome to the company's video service. The prosecutors' argument as to why the executives are responsible says that "a company's rights cannot prevail over a person's dignity." But the ruling has many legal and tech experts wondering: should a hosting platform be held responsible for what people post while using the service? And when do attempts to uphold personal dignity impede on free speech?

Google anounced yesterday that the company might withdraw from operations in China, after a cyber attack from that country.    

As part our week-long look at how our lives have changed over the last decade, we turn to advances in technology. Joining us to weigh in on the most notable tech innovations during the last 10 years are Baratunde Thurston, host of “Popular Science’s Future Of” on the Science Channel, and Clive Thompson, a contributor to Wired magazine.

Turn off the computer and go outside and play! We've all heard the conventional wisdom that says video games will turn your brain to mush. But a host of new studies show that gaming might actually be good for your health. Researchers at Nottingham University found that playing certain video games could achieve in one hour what eye patches achieve in 400 hours, while researchers at the University of Rochester found that first-person shooter video games improve visual skills by increasing the brain’s capacity to spread attention over a wide range of events. But wait, there's more! The Mind Research Network in Albuquerque, N.M., found that Tetris players developed a thicker cortex than those who didn’t play.  And the Nintendo Wii has been helping Parkinson's patients improve balance. So, are video games good for you?

To help answer that question we turn to technology writer Clive Thompson, the blogger for Collision Detection and a frequent contributor to Wired and The New York Times, and The Takeaway's tech contributor Baratunde Thurston, host of "Popular Science's Future Of," a TV show on the Science Channel, to tell us how video gaming has more positive effects than you might think.

If you haven’t played a video game since Ms. Pac-Man, you probably have some catching up to do. Kurt has this quick guided tour of the state of the art. Produced by Curtis Fox.

Special Guest: Clive Thompson

Clive ...

Kurt Andersen and Slate journalist Clive Thompson discuss about how video games are taking over the world - from the front lines of the war in Iraq to the New York art scene.