Tina Amirtha

I write about science and technology in the global marketplace, with a bent towards women in STEM.

My work has appeared elsewhere in Quartz, Fortune, and Science, among others.

I'm based in Amsterdam. Follow me on Twitter @tinamirtha.

Computers Are Learning To “Think” By Listening To MIDI Music

Scientists at Google and elsewhere are turning to the 30-year-old digital music standard MIDI to teach neural networks how to write music.

Computers Are Learning To “Think” By Listening To MIDI Music

Welcome To Brain Science’s Next Frontier: Virtual Reality

Amy Robinson, executive director at the startup EyeWire, is making neuroscience into a playground for the hot tech du jour.

Welcome To Brain Science’s Next Frontier: Virtual Reality

Most Creative People

New Balance Pushes Ahead In Design Race To Bring 3-D Printed Shoes To Consumers

Look for them in Boston in April.

New Balance Pushes Ahead In Design Race To Bring 3-D Printed Shoes To Consumers

Why Your Company’s UX Director Should Be A Beer, Cheese, And Cocktail Expert

Orr Shtuhl of design agency Blenderbox teaches classes on pairing cheese and beer. Company morale: Meet your master.

Why Your Company’s UX Director Should Be A Beer, Cheese, And Cocktail Expert

Most Creative People

How Parsons Paris Reinvented Itself

Benjamin Gaulon, a veteran digital artist, used his connections to cultivate the teaching faculty at the New School’s Parisian campus.

How Parsons Paris Reinvented Itself

How Lingerie Brands Are Fighting Back Against Online Body Shaming

Model Ashley Graham is turning her lingerie line into a cause. This is good news for Lena Dunham, Serena Williams, and women everywhere.

How Lingerie Brands Are Fighting Back Against Online Body Shaming

The Dinner Parties That Transformed One Curious Foodie Into A Mobile App Master

Will Turnage is SVP of technology at the R/GA agency. And cocreator of the algorithm-powered cooking app, My Robotic Kitchen.

The Dinner Parties That Transformed One Curious Foodie Into A Mobile App Master

What 3-D Printing Can’t Do

Rapid prototyping has graduated to on-demand production. Here’s what that means for the future of manufacturing.

What 3-D Printing Can’t Do

Live Streaming’s Next Lucrative Frontier: Yoga

A yoga startup increases its reach and looks to grab hold of the $60 billion digital health market. Is the concept a stretch?

Live Streaming’s Next Lucrative Frontier: Yoga

Most Creative People

The Trouble With Digitizing History

The Netherlands spent seven years and $202 million to digitize huge swaths of AV archives that most people will never see. Was it worth it?

The Trouble With Digitizing History

3-D Printing’s Napster Moment

The technology promises a new legal battleground for rights holders, printer developers, and hobbyist figurine makers.

3-D Printing’s Napster Moment

Meet Ether, The Bitcoin-Like Cryptocurrency That Could Power The Internet Of Things

Plus, the devices will make money on their own.

Meet Ether, The Bitcoin-Like Cryptocurrency That Could Power The Internet Of Things

Heineken Saved $84 Million By Using Less Water And Energy–And Wants The World To Know

You listening, California?

Heineken Saved $84 Million By Using Less Water And Energy–And Wants The World To Know

The Paris Vacation That Evolved Into A Career

When grad student Erica Berman visited Paris in 1992, the Internet was barely a thing. Now she runs a growing online lifestyle brand.

The Paris Vacation That Evolved Into A Career

How A Minecraft Habit Turned Into A Multinational Business

After a series of missteps in video game development, this duo now hosts multi-player servers for the popular game Minecraft.

How A Minecraft Habit Turned Into A Multinational Business

The Open Publishing Revolution, Now Behind A Billion-Dollar Paywall

How the rebels behind scholarly publishing app Mendeley—once labeled sellouts—are growing their company after being acquired by Elsevier.

The Open Publishing Revolution, Now Behind A Billion-Dollar Paywall

Most Creative People

The Design Technology Behind Bombsheller’s Badass Graphic Leggings

The Seattle-based company has automated almost everything that goes into making its leggings (well, except for the sewing).

The Design Technology Behind Bombsheller’s Badass Graphic Leggings

For Digital Art, Watermarks Aim To Bring More Aura—And A Hotter Market

Anti-piracy technology lets media industries trace movies, music, and books across the Internet. Can it help the digital art market?

For Digital Art, Watermarks Aim To Bring More Aura—And A Hotter Market

Tech’s Actual Gender Numbers Are Vague And Grim. A Small Tweak Could Change That

The company database CrunchBase has added gender to its profile pages, a precious bit of open data in the effort to diversify the industry.

Tech’s Actual Gender Numbers Are Vague And Grim. A Small Tweak Could Change That

How One Startup Is Elevating Camping With A Tree House You Carry With You

After a design theft in China and amid a growing market, how the tree-tent company Tentsile is making waves in camping and ecotourism.

How One Startup Is Elevating Camping With A Tree House You Carry With You

Impact

What if you rented your next laptop?

The lenses in these sunglasses are made from captured CO2

All McDonald’s Happy Meal toys will be made of sustainable materials by 2025

News

Starburst berries and cream: Here’s what your brand can learn from the viral TikTok trend

Here’s why Instacart gig workers want you to delete the app

Anxiety researchers have a high-tech way to help you conquer your fear of spiders

Co.Design

Innovation By Design

What it’s like to drive one of the most exciting EVs on the planet (hint: it’s not a Tesla)

Innovation By Design

Nike’s hands-free shoe proves that universal design leads to better products for everyone

Innovation By Design

Local Projects is the 2021 Design Company of the Year

Work Life

This one creative exercise can bring diversity of thought to your work

How to make a career change without leaving your current company

Try this ancient framework to make you more innovative today