Google launches global council to advise on AI and tech ethics

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SAN FRANCISCO — Alphabet Inc.’s Google said Tuesday it was launching a global advisory council to consider ethical issues around artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies.

The council, which is slated to publish a report at the end of 2019, includes technology experts, digital ethicists, and people with public policy backgrounds, Kent Walker, Google’s senior vice president for global affairs, said at a Massachusetts Institute of Technology conference.

The group is meant to provide recommendations for Google and other companies and researchers working in areas such as facial recognition software, a form of automation that has prompted concerns about racial bias and other limitations.

“We want to have the most informed and thoughtful conversations we can,” Walker said on stage at the MIT Technology Review event in San Francisco. “We want to sit down with the council and see what agenda they want to set.”

Google already has its own internal AI principles, which, among other provisions, bar the California-based tech firm from using AI to develop weapons.

The eight-member Advanced Technology External Advisory Council includes Joanna Bryson, an associate professor in computing at the University of Bath; William J. Burns, a former US deputy secretary of state, and Dyan Gibbens, chief executive of Houston-based drone startup Trumbull, according to a Google blog post.

The council will meet four times, beginning in April, the blog post said.

3 Things Lesbians Can Teach You About the Female Orgasm

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It turns out you could probably learn a thing or two from a woman who loves boobs just as much as you do: Lesbians have more frequent orgasms than straight women, according to a recent study from Chapman University.

When researchers surveyed straight and lesbian women about their sexual encounters for the past month, they found that 86 percent of lesbian women almost always reached orgasm compared to only 65 percent of straight women, as we reported. What’s more, only about a third of women routinely climaxed from vaginal intercourse alone.

The female orgasm is a tricky thing to master—but lesbians have somewhat of an advantage here. They understand exactly what sex feels like for a woman both physically and mentally, so they're in a better position to take their time with certain behaviors that build toward climax, says lead study author David Frederick, Ph.D., assistant professor in health psychology at Chapman University.

So before you get too discouraged, take a page from their playbook. Here are three things lesbians understand about the female orgasm—and how you can learn from them.

LESBIAN ORGASM TIP #1: IT TAKES TIME

The duration of sex—starting the clock at foreplay—is one of the strongest predictors of orgasm for women, second only to receiving oral sex, the researchers found. The problem is, men usually get turned on easier and faster than women, which can cut your session short. (Always finish too fast? Here’s how to last longer in bed.)

On the other hand, lesbian couples typically have no problem taking their time, Frederick explains. In fact, 74 percent of lesbian women reported having sex for 30 minutes or longer during their last sexual encounter. Less than half of straight women met the half-hour mark, the researchers found.

So aim for 30 minutes or longer in bed, including foreplay, suggests Frederick. Try these foreplay tips, or for a step-by-step guide on how to give her an orgasm, check out How to Pleasure a Woman from Men's Health.

Which brings us to our next point…

LESBIAN ORGASM TIP #2: ORAL SEX IS KEY

Oral sex is the single most important predictor of whether or not a woman will orgasm, says Frederick.

Lesbians are much less likely to focus on vaginal intercourse and rely on oral sex to get each other off, he explains.

Oral sex gives you direct access to her clitoris, which is important, since most women need some kind of clitoral stimulation to achieve orgasm, according to the Kinsey Institute. Try these oral sex moves next time you really want to impress her.

LESBIAN ORGASM TIP #3: PLEASURE IS A TWO-WAY STREET

When straight couples have sex, they tend to follow a script: Intercourse happens, you orgasm, sex ends, and you probably fall asleep, says Frederick.

So what do gay women do differently?

“With lesbian women, there might be more of a “turn-taking” norm,” says Frederick. “One person orgasms and then the other person is brought to orgasm. There isn’t necessarily that same ‘one-person-orgasms-and-sex-is-over’ type scenario that you see in heterosexual couples.”

Here’s what you can do if you fall into that rut: Bring her to orgasm before intercourse even starts (ahem, refer to tip #2), suggests Frederick. You can also try manually stimulating her clitoris during sex to increase the chances of both of you climaxing together.

Curiosity rover finds Earth-like pebbles on Mars

The "blueberries" captured by NASA's Mars rover. NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS

Most of the views of Mars we’ve seen have come from NASA’s trusty rovers and while they’ve shown us some pretty stunning stuff, you can almost always immediately tell that you’re looking at a photo of Mars when you see one. The sky is almost always a hazy orange and the landscape looks windswept and devoid of recognizable features.

One of the latest images sent back by the Curiosity rover does away with that by showing us a bed of pebbles that look like they could be sitting along a riverbed right here on Earth.

“NASA’s Mars rover Curiosity acquired this image using its Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI), located on the turret at the end of the rover’s robotic arm,” NASA explains. The image was captured on March 24.

There are a couple of interesting things to note about this photo. First, the tiny rocks are a pale off-white rather than a bold rusty orange like many other images we see of the planet’s surface. Mars’ terrain has a lot of variation in terms of color and we rarely get a chance to see that up close like we can here.

Secondly, you’ll notice smaller gray balls mixed in with the oblong pinkish pebbles. In the past, the strange, perfectly spherical shapes have led some to question whether we might be seeing leftovers of an ancient civilization — maybe even projectiles used in ancient conflicts.

NASA assures us that this isn’t the case and these “blueberries,” as they are sometimes called, are the result of a natural phenomenon called concretion. It’s what happens when minerals begin to gather in water-soaked rocks, eventually hardening. When the softer outer portion of the rock erodes due to wind or other natural processes, the harder spheres inside break free and erode at a much slower rate.

It’s a very cool image and it serves as a great reminder that despite being separated by an incredible distance, Mars and Earth are actually very similar.

3 Women Discuss Why They Prefer Loud Sex

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If you watch the average porn video, it seems like every woman is screaming her head off, even if the guy doesn't appear to be doing anything that could be perceived as sexual. But in real life, most people are relatively quiet in bed as a default setting, and may take their volume cue from their partner, or bring the noise only when someone has done something truly spectacular. Cosmopolitan.com spoke with three women about what it's like to prefer loud sex in a world that gives them mixed messages about what being loud in bed really means.

How old are you?

Woman A: Twenty-four.

Woman B: Twenty-five.

Woman C: Twenty-three.

What's your relationship status?

Woman A: I've been living with my boyfriend for about two years.

Woman B: Single, but actively dating.

Woman C: Single.

Did you always like to have loud sex?

Woman A: No, but not because I was embarrassed about it before. I first started having sex when I was in my teens, but I didn't have the freedom to be running around having sex wherever or whenever I wanted to, so it had to be as quiet as possible so no one found out.

Woman B: Not always. I had a tendency to stay quiet with my first sexual partner in my 20s. I think it was a combination of insecurity and not knowing exactly what I was doing. Now that I have more experience, I've gained confidence, and I'm not afraid to vocalize pleasure or be louder.

Woman C: No, it wasn't until I finally got a place of my own that I was able to be loud. I was always too worried about waking up my roommates or my parents. Once I was on my own in my own place, I was finally free to let out sounds of passion.

What was your journey from being quieter in bed to being louder in bed like?

Woman A: Once I turned 18, went to college, and really started exploring my sexuality, I discovered I really liked being vocal and loud during sex. I never decided specifically that I wanted to try being loud or anything; it just sort of happened. I was having fun and trying new things, I was feeling adventurous and open, and I wasn't afraid to be vocal about how good sex felt.

Woman B: I really think it was the confidence I gained that allowed me to be louder. I think I'm naturally loud, but it took me a while to be comfortable with moaning and dirty talk. Now being louder just enhances my sexual experience because it allows me to react the way I want to, while also making my partner more confident in his abilities.

Woman C: I was always quiet before because I didn't want my roommates to make fun of me or know what I was doing. Instead of being loud, I would hold it in by biting a pillow or my partner. Then, once I was finally on my own, I started to let loose, albeit slowly at first. I started by making a few quiet moans here and there, and then once I became more comfortable with myself, the moans and the things I'd say in bed became much louder.

How many partners/times did it take you before you were finally able to be loud in bed?

Woman A: I'd say it took a couple of times (two or three) of being with a partner before I really got comfortable with them and felt free to really express myself vocally during sex. However, sometimes I had a one-night stand with someone I'd just met that night and we were able to have a one-night stand where I was super loud and wild and passionate. It just depends on the chemistry I have with someone. Also, if they are being totally silent, then I feel a bit weird being loud.

Woman B: It took me about six months of consistent sex with one of my partners before I was able to be loud in bed. By my next sexual partner, I had a better idea of what I wanted.

Woman C: It took me about five times, and each time, I tested the waters a little more and found that the louder I got, the more the guy was into it.

What were your fears about being loud before you finally let yourself go for it?

Woman A: I don't think I really had any fears about being loud. I always thought men would be into my being loud anyway so I wasn't too self-conscious about it.

Woman B: My first partner was very sexually experienced and I was not, so I was afraid of him judging me for doing or saying the wrong thing. Once we broke up, I made the active decision that I was going to have sex for me and not just to please men. Now I do whatever feels natural and good for me.

Woman C: At first I worried that other people would hear me and know what I was doing, and I was also worried that guys would think I was some weirdo who gets too into sex.

What was the process of learning to let go and be as loud as you wanted like?

Woman A: Alcohol definitely helped to loosen me up, and allowed me to not focus so much on what kind of noises I was making or what I sounded like and just let it come naturally.

Woman B: Like I said, it was really just about having the active mindset of pleasing myself and doing what feels good for me.

Woman C: It was really just about experimenting with it a littler more each time. With each new partner, I always kind of test the waters at first, but once I'm comfortable in the situation, it just happens naturally.

Were your partners usually encouraging of your being loud/louder?

Woman A: Nine times out of 10, yes. Men think it is super sexy when a woman is enjoying herself in bed and being vocal about it, but there is always that one guy who just doesn't have the same style that you do in bed and it's kind of awkward. Or he's not making any noises at all. Those are the only cases when I tend to feel weird about being loud.

Woman B: I don't really get feedback on that during the act but I've had men tell me they like how loud I am afterward.

Woman C: Yes. My partners thought it made the experience more exciting, although once there was a guy that seemed to be embarrassed by it.

How long do you date someone before you're as loud as you want to be in bed?

Woman A: It depends on the person and the chemistry, but if I am going to date someone, I wouldn't wait too long before being loud because that's how I like to have sex. With my current boyfriend, we had loud, passionate sex the first night we met and we still do it to this day.

Woman B: I'm loud right away. I definitely don't try to put on an act to please men.

Woman C: The first time I'm trying to see if we mesh well so I might not be that loud, but the second time I don't hold anything back.

If you're currently in a relationship, does he accept how loud you get? Do you like how loud or quiet he gets?

Woman A: Letting yourself go and fully enjoying yourself with a person is a great feeling. I wouldn't say my boyfriend is necessarily "loud" in bed, but he is very vocal and lets me know what is feeling good and moans a lot so we are never completely silent. It adds to our pleasure a lot.

Woman B: I'm casually dating somebody right now and he definitely enjoys it. He's not loud though and I always try to find ways to get him to talk and/or moan. I'll ask him how it feels, if he's enjoying it, or tell him how much I'm enjoying it in order to elicit a reaction. It doesn't always work though, which, to be honest, is probably my one issue with him in bed.

Are there ever times you like to be quieter in bed?

Woman A: When we are having slow sex or making love or [having] morning sex, we're usually quieter. It really just depends on the moment and the mood.

Woman B: Yes. I think variety is good. It just depends on the situation and the sex position, etc.

Woman C: Yes, there are times when being quiet or sneaky is just as exciting as being loud.

Have you ever had neighbors complain about how loud you are? Did it bother or stop you?

Woman A: I have never had any neighbors complain about how loud we are during sex. Luckily, we have pretty thick walls in our apartment and we haven't heard anything from anyone yet. However, in college, my roommates and friends definitely heard me getting it on more than a few times but that's never stopped me from doing what I want when I am in the moment.

Woman B: No. I share a bedroom wall with my neighbor, but it has never been an issue.

Woman C: I haven't, but I know they can hear because I can hear them sneeze, so if I can hear them doing quiet activities, I know they can hear my loud ones. I haven't stopped being loud because of that but it can be an embarrassing ride down the elevator the next morning knowing that they know what I did last night.

Have you ever had any partners who had a problem with how loud you were?

Woman A: I have never had a man complain about me being loud in bed.

Woman B: No. If anything they comment on how much they like it, because they take it as a compliment on their sexual abilities.

Woman C: Not really, but there was one partner who seemed less excited and less into sex once I got louder, so I tried to reel it in.

Do you ever try to be quieter in bed because it's what your partner wants?

Woman A: No, I do not and I don't think anyone should. Having sex is a different experience for everyone and everyone requires different things. You should do what makes you feel good.

Woman B: No. I've never had somebody ask me to be quiet.

Woman C: Yes, because I want the experience to be pleasurable for everyone involved. However, if I'm not allowed to be myself in bed, the chances of me and that partner having sex again isn't likely.

Ideally, do you like your partners to be loud as well?

Woman A: I like it when my partner is loud and/or vocal during sex. For me, it is a confirmation that whatever I am doing is feeling good and I should continue doing it. It shows me that they are enjoying themselves just as much as I am.

How Deep Throating Exploded Into America's Bedrooms

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The year 1972 will be remembered for a lot of different things. It was then that Bobby Fisher won the World Chess Championship. It’s also when the Watergate scandal broke. But let 1972 also go down as the year that forever changed our relationship with oral sex. Because that was the year Deep Throat premiered in New York City.

The film, which introduced the late Linda Lovelace to the world, and the world to hardcore pornography, follows the struggle of a woman whose clitoris happened to live in her throat. Eventually, she realizes that the only way to stimulate the misplaced pleasure point is to pivot her oral sex technique—She must learn how to open wider and go deeper than ever before. Not before long, audiences began to adopt the same style of fellatio. And that’s how the “deep throat” method trickled off screen and into bedrooms across America.

Today, the phenomenon continues to pop up in popular culture. In 2013, Amanda Seyfried starred in a biographical drama about Linda Lovelace (born Linda Boreman). The season-one finale of the HBO series The Deuce was structured around the Deep Throat premiere. The Chicago-based rapper Cupcakke has even released a song titled after the sex act.

Meanwhile, in the wide world of porn, “deep-throating” remains as popular a search term as “college,” “big boobs” and “masturbation.” Porn veteran Sasha Grey has a “Vibrating Deep Throat Sucker” made in her likeness. Benzocaine-laced sprays designed to ease the act of deep throating have become so popular you can pick one up at your local Rite Aid.

Kimberly Smith is an owner and instructor over at StripXpertease, an instructional studio that offers a variety of classes related to sexuality. She’s recently added a blowjob class to the curriculum yhat covers a series of tips to help clients perform a perfect deep throat. “No one really teaches us these things growing up so we have to fumble along, trying to learn as we go,” she tells Men’sHealth.com. “We get clients who are 18 and up and clients who are over 60. We get virgins, newly divorced women, those who want to spice up their relationship, curious, single gals and everyone in between.” Each student is instructed to show up with a dildo with which they can practice the techniques Smith demonstrates for them throughout the two-and-a half-hour lesson.

What these students may not realize is that what they’re learning is an act that rests well within the realm of kink. According to the Kinsey Institute, just 1.8 percent of the sexually active population admits to having been involved in any BDSM scenarios within the previous year. But, according Dulcinea Pitagora, an New York City-based sex therapist and host of the web series talk show Kink Doctor, “Deep throating is a hardcore form of play,” she insists. So, if deep throating is really as common as porn, pop culture and bedroom anecdotes suggest, then it would seem as there are generations of kinksters out there who don’t even know they qualify for the title. And are likely not incorporating some of the safety elements built into the practice.

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For those who have a difficult time believing something as zeitgeisty as deep throating could actually extend into the sexual fringe, consider first that deep throating involves entering the trachea. That means whomever is on the receiving end of the act is going to have a hard time breathing, at least temporarily. One could argue that qualifies as “breath play,” a relatively common staple within the BDSM community. Deep throating also inspires the release of certain bodily fluids, something that’s often incorporated into the world of “wet and messy fetishism.” Spit, phlegm, and, sometimes (sorry) even vomit, may accompany the act. “Happens all the time on set,” says adult film actress Sofia Rose. “That’s why I don’t eat prior to a shoot.”

Attempting to casually incorporate hardcore acts into more vanilla contexts can backfire for reasons more substantial than embarrassing bodily expulsions. “Explicit consent tends to happen more frequently in BDSM interactions than in non-BDSM interactions,” explains Pitagora. “Deep throating isn’t always thought of as BDSM-related, therefore one can surmise that there may be less explicit consent being given for deep throating in ‘vanilla’ bedrooms.”

Those who want to experiment with kink have to remember they can’t just borrow the moves. They’ve got to adopt the ethos as well. There’s a popular acronym that exists within the BDSM community: SSC. It stands for safe, sane and consensual. According to Pitagora, it’s best if couples find ways to apply the principle before engaging in any kind of kink, including deep throating. “One reason explicit consent prior to engaging in this form of play relates to what makes deep-throating so hardcore,” she says. “Once someone has something filling their throat, they are no longer able to verbally communicate, and non-verbal communication can look different.”

“As with any sexual interaction, BDSM-related or not, the explicit exchange of consent before engaging is paramount,” she adds. “Ideally, consent for specific types of sexual interactions, particularly one that for some is a form of edge play, happens in a neutral setting before one is in a sexual situation, as well as immediately before engaging in it.”

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There is, of course, nothing wrong with dipping a toe in the kink pool. In fact, studies show that BDSM practitioners experience high levels of relationship satisfaction than members of other demographics. Modern sex research suggests that most Americans have participated in some kind of “deviant” sexual act. But how often do they realize that’s what they’re doing while doing it?

Deep throating has now been on the checklist of American bedrooms for more than 45 years. And still, it seems likely that some of its most dedicated practitioners opt to identify within the vanilla bubble. But if deep throating is in your repertoire with your partner, and you’re practicing it with proper consent, hey, wear your kind with pride.