Author Archive

Alexis C. Madrigal

Alexis C. Madrigal
Alexis C. Madrigal is a staff writer at The Atlantic and the author of "Powering the Dream: The History and Promise of Green Technology."
Management

The Worst-Case Scenario Is Happening—Hospitals Are Overwhelmed

A new statistic shows that health-care workers are running out of space to treat Covid-19 patients.

Management

The Worst Day of the Pandemic Since May

Covid-19 hospitalizations are now at an all-time high.

Management

A New Era of Coronavirus Testing Is About to Begin

A newly authorized test promises to double America’s monthly testing capacity, thanks in part to a huge purchase by the Trump administration. Can the test deliver?

Infrastructure

The Plan That Could Give Us Our Lives Back

The U.S. has never had enough coronavirus tests. Now a group of epidemiologists, economists, and dreamers is plotting a new strategy to defeat the virus, even before a vaccine is found.

Management

America Is Giving Up on the Pandemic

Businesses are reopening. Protests are erupting nationwide. But the virus isn’t done with us.

Management

‘How Could the CDC Make That Mistake?’

The government’s disease-fighting agency is conflating viral and antibody tests, compromising a few crucial metrics that governors depend on to reopen their economies. Pennsylvania, Georgia, Texas, and other states are doing the same.

Management

How to Understand Your State’s Coronavirus Numbers

As the outbreak spreads, state websites are still some of the best sources of information on how many people have been tested.

Management

The Official Coronavirus Numbers Are Wrong, and Everyone Knows It

Because the U.S. data on coronavirus infections are so deeply flawed, the quantification of the outbreak obscures more than it illuminates.

Infrastructure

5G Technology Isn't Quite Here Yet

The next wave of wireless technology might take a while.

Management

Local News Is Dying, and Americans Have No Idea

While the industry nose-dives, a large majority of the country thinks it is doing great.

Management

How a Feel-Good AI Story Went Wrong in Flint

A machine-learning model showed promising results in finding lead pipes, but city officials and their engineering contractor abandoned it.

Emerging Tech

A Long-Term Solution for Scooter Sharing

San Francisco’s scooters are back, and newly regulated. But is regulation enough to make them work in the long term?

Digital Government

Civic Tech in a Time of Technopessimism

Since 2016, the technology industry has been looking for answers. Code for America might have one.

Emerging Tech

The Most Important Self-Driving Car Announcement Yet

Autonomous vehicles will transform urban life by 2020, if Waymo’s timeline is correct.

Emerging Tech

The Perfect Selfishness of Mapping Apps

Apps like Waze, Google Maps, and Apple Maps may make traffic conditions worse in some areas, new research suggests.

Digital Government

Could Self-Driving Trucks Be Good for Truckers?

That’s what a new study from Uber’s self-driving-truck team says, and a variety of trucking experts think they might be right.

Emerging Tech

Waymo Maintains Lead in Self-Driving Car Race

The California DMV just released hard numbers that confirm Google’s lead in the race to develop self-driving cars.