A video: “How Google Maps Mapped The World”

Key Insights by Merlin AI Google Maps Evolution - Google has been mapping the world for over 20 years, launching its Street View feature in 2007. - Initial camera systems were bulky, weighing up to 500 pounds, but have since evolved to lighter, more…

Ursula von der Leyen classified Türkiye along with China and Russia I believe she will regret this. After all those years of membership negotiations with the country, her rotten conscience cannot accept Türkiye as part of Europe. Maybe that's a good thing for Turks, I don't know. Like Biden, her outdated political standing cannot adapt to the changing geopolitics.  The biggest security crisis now comes from Israel, which she so hesitates to criticize.

Ursula von der Leyen classified Türkiye along with China and Russia

I believe she will regret this. After all those years of membership negotiations with the country, her rotten conscience cannot accept Türkiye as part of Europe. Maybe that's a good thing for Turks, I don't know. Like Biden, her…

You need Türkiye (!): EU population to fall by 12% by 2100 Here is a report from Euronews: EU population to fall by 12% by 2100: Which countries will decline the most? EU Population Decline to 2100 Overall Projection EU population falls from 452M to 399M (−11.7%) between 2025–2100 18 of 30 European countries will shrink; 12 will grow Countries with Largest Declines >30%: Latvia (−33.9%), Lithuania (−33.4%), Poland (−31.6%), Greece (−30.1%)

You need Türkiye (!): EU population to fall by 12% by 2100

Here is a report from Euronews: EU population to fall by 12% by 2100: Which countries will decline the most? EU Population Decline to 2100 Overall Projection EU population falls from 452M to 399M (−11.7%) between 2025–2100 18 of 30…

Palantir’s manifesto at X Palantir occupies a more extreme place in Silicon Valley but represents a new, growing ethos Big Tech is developing. We have seen the company's official X message today. A few early comments: This is the nationalist turn. Big Tech now explicitly acts as an agent of a nation-state, which in turn justifies its regulations worldwide. You cannot claim that a state is authoritarian just because it restricts or bans software.

Palantir’s manifesto at X

Palantir occupies a more extreme place in Silicon Valley but represents a new, growing ethos Big Tech is developing. We have seen the company's official X message today. A few early comments: This is the nationalist turn. Big Tech now explicitly acts as an agent of a…

Müzeverse in İstanbul - Erkan's Field Diary A first-hand analysis of Müzeverse in Istanbul, exploring VR museums, immersive storytelling, and the future of cultural experience.

Müzeverse in İstanbul erkansaka.net/2026/04/19/m...

Müzeverse in İstanbul I recently visited Müzeverse at Galataport, İstanbul. Müzeverse is a location‑based virtual reality (VR) museum in Istanbul that offers large‑scale, immersive historical experiences and markets itself as Türkiye’s first dedicated VR museum.[1][2][3] Although I believe in the potential of VR, I find it a bit impractical. However, in our 45-minute tour of ancient Egypt, I was happy to see that I did not feel any dizziness, and the whole experience went well.

Müzeverse in İstanbul

I recently visited Müzeverse at Galataport, İstanbul. Müzeverse is a location‑based virtual reality (VR) museum in Istanbul that offers large‑scale, immersive historical experiences and markets itself as Türkiye’s first dedicated VR museum.[1][2][3] Although I believe in the…

A video: “The History of the Music Video”

The history of music videos is not just an artistic evolution but a history of media infrastructures shaping how music is seen, circulated, and monetized. Origins of the Music Video The concept of combining film and music predates modern music videos, with…

Microsoft and other US tech firms lobbied the European Commission to hide data center emissions! I first saw the news at the Guardian and asked Perplexity to do a roundup. Here is the issue: What the investigation actually found An investigation by Investigate Europe, published with the Guardian and others, shows that Microsoft and the lobby group DigitalEurope (representing Microsoft, Google, Amazon, Meta, etc.) proposed language to classify all individual data‑centre key performance indicators as confidential commercial information.

Microsoft and other US tech firms lobbied the European Commission to hide data center emissions!

I first saw the news at the Guardian and asked Perplexity to do a roundup. Here is the issue: What the investigation actually found An investigation by Investigate Europe, published with the Guardian…

How Iran, the US, and Israel Fought for Narrative Control: The New Ecology of War Propaganda I wanted to collect propaganda content for all sides during the war for the record. Here is what ChatGPT's deep research found out. It looks like this is not just propaganda in the traditional sense, but a platform-native propaganda system, where states, semi-state actors, and meme producers operate within the same attention economy. How I am using “propaganda” here I am using the term broadly to mean…

How Iran, the US, and Israel Fought for Narrative Control: The New Ecology of War Propaganda

I wanted to collect propaganda content for all sides during the war for the record. Here is what ChatGPT's deep research found out. It looks like this is not just propaganda in the traditional sense, but a…

End of Orbán’s rule in Hungary Viktor Orbán’s landslide election loss in April 2026 marks the end of 16 years of illiberal rule in Hungary and is widely read as a major setback for the European far‑right and its allies, including Russian President Vladimir Putin and former U.S. President Donald Trump. At the same time, the unexpectedly strong victory of Péter Magyar’s center-right Tisza Party—heading toward a two‑thirds constitutional majority—has been framed as proof that even entrenched “hybrid‑authoritarian” systems can be overturned through popular mobilization and high turnout.

End of Orbán’s rule in Hungary

Viktor Orbán’s landslide election loss in April 2026 marks the end of 16 years of illiberal rule in Hungary and is widely read as a major setback for the European far‑right and its allies, including Russian President Vladimir Putin and former U.S. President Donald…

Thanks God, A ceasefire. Reactions to the Iran-US-Israel Two-Week Ceasefire (April 8, 2026) Of course, if only Israel allow it... Reactions to the Iran-US-Israel Two-Week Ceasefire (April 8, 2026) Overview On April 7–8, 2026, the United States and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire, announced just under two hours before President Donald Trump's deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz or face devastating attacks on its civilian infrastructure. The truce was mediated by Pakistan, with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif confirming the deal on X, stating that "the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States of America, along with their allies, have agreed to an immediate ceasefire everywhere including Lebanon and elsewhere, EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY".

Thanks God, A ceasefire. Reactions to the Iran-US-Israel Two-Week Ceasefire (April 8, 2026)

Of course, if only Israel allow it... Reactions to the Iran-US-Israel Two-Week Ceasefire (April 8, 2026) Overview On April 7–8, 2026, the United States and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire, announced…

A video: ” The Rise and Fall of OpenClaw”

OpenClaw, a viral open-source AI agent launched in 2026, promises to control your computer autonomously—but quickly exposed major security risks. Key Insights by Merlin AI Overview of OpenClaw - OpenClaw emerged in early 2026 as a highly anticipated AI…

Our new book project! Call for Chapters: Turkish Television Series in Transformation - Erkan's Field Diary Call for chapters on Turkish TV series exploring industry, narrative, power, and global circulation in the platform era.

Our new book project! Call for Chapters: Turkish Television Series in Transformation erkansaka.net/2026/04/04/c...

What Was Revealed with the Cloud Leak? Claude Code Source Code Leak: What Was Revealed Reactions have been a mix of fascination, alarm, and ridicule, while Anthropic has tried to frame it as an embarrassing but contained packaging error with no user-data impact. How Anthropic Responded Anthropic confirmed the incident, saying “some internal source code” for Claude Code was leaked in an npm release and blaming a…

What Was Revealed with the Cloud Leak?

Claude Code Source Code Leak: What Was Revealed Reactions have been a mix of fascination, alarm, and ridicule, while Anthropic has tried to frame it as an embarrassing but contained packaging error with no user-data impact. How Anthropic Responded Anthropic…

A video: “From Bankruptcy To Billions: The Rebirth Of HP”

HP’s decline under Carly Fiorina stemmed from cultural disruption, a troubled mega‑merger, and alienated employees, while its later “rebirth” under Mark Hurd shows how the same merger could succeed with disciplined execution and quieter…

CPJ: Israel kills more journalists than any nation on record CPJ’s 2025 record and the new wartime totals The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) reported in late February 2026 that 2025 was the deadliest year ever recorded for the press, with 129 journalists and media workers killed worldwide since CPJ began collecting data in 1992. According to the same report, Israel was responsible for about two‑thirds of these deaths…

CPJ: Israel kills more journalists than any nation on record

CPJ’s 2025 record and the new wartime totals The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) reported in late February 2026 that 2025 was the deadliest year ever recorded for the press, with 129 journalists and media workers killed worldwide…

A video: “The rise and fall of TED”

Key Insights  by Merlin AI HISTORY OF TED TED was co-founded in 1984 by Richard Saul Worman and Harry Markx, initially as a conference focused on technology, entertainment, and design. The first TED conference featured groundbreaking demonstrations, such as…

A few media appearances and activities this week (Bianet, Anadolu Agency, MESAM) Here I show up in Anadolu Agency's YouTube documentary on social media addictions. Well, you know me, I tried to be as objective as possible, and I am always distant from technological addiction rhetoric. Here I show in a short MESAM video on data security: I am a member of the scientific committee at this organization (Musical Work Owners' Society of Turkey). Finally, here at a BIANET workshop for young journalists:

A few media appearances and activities this week (Bianet, Anadolu Agency, MESAM)

Here I show up in Anadolu Agency's YouTube documentary on social media addictions. Well, you know me, I tried to be as objective as possible, and I am always distant from technological addiction rhetoric. Here I show…

A video: “The RAM Crisis is Worse Than You Think…”

Key Insights by Merlin AI RAM Price Surge and AI Demand - RAM prices have skyrocketed, with increases as high as 314%, primarily driven by the surging demand from AI applications. - The focus has shifted from traditional DRAM to HBM…

Disinformation and War Propaganda in the Iran-Israel-US War (As of 23 March 2026)

When I saw this A wave of posts claimed Benjamin Netanyahu was dead. Here’s how it spread. I realized it is time to update the disinformation patterns: Disinformation and War Propaganda in the Iran-Israel-US War (As…

Allegedly, the EU cuts Hungary out of sensitive talks

I saw this Politico news, EU cuts Hungary out of sensitive talks over leaking-to-Russia fears, diplomats say and I asked Perplexity to do more inquiries on this. Here is the report: The claim that “the EU is cutting Hungary out of sensitive…

A few days in Kaunas, Lithuania I have attended a workshop of a COST project, and now I am flying back to İstanbul. The workshop took place on 19-20 March 2026 at Vytautas Magnus University in Kaunas, Lithuania.  RELINK2 is one of the COST projects I could align my studies with. Glad to be part of it. By the way, Kaunas is a gem for modern architecture…

A few days in Kaunas, Lithuania

I have attended a workshop of a COST project, and now I am flying back to İstanbul. The workshop took place on 19-20 March 2026 at Vytautas Magnus University in Kaunas, Lithuania.  RELINK2 is one of the COST projects I could align my studies with. Glad to be part of…

Educational careers of American and Iranian leaders at war Below is a broad, data-style mapping of the educational careers of leading Iranian and U.S. political/military figures involved in the 2026 war, separated into living and killed leaders where relevant. Iranian leaders (living)

Educational careers of American and Iranian leaders at war

Below is a broad, data-style mapping of the educational careers of leading Iranian and U.S. political/military figures involved in the 2026 war, separated into living and killed leaders where relevant. Iranian leaders (living)

Recommended: "The Mechanical Atatürk: Cybernetics and State Violence in the Second Turkish Republic" - Erkan's Field Diary How cybernetics shaped visions of governance in 1960s–70s Turkey. Revisiting “Mechanical Atatürk” and technocratic state imaginaries.

Recommended: “The Mechanical Atatürk: Cybernetics and State Violence in the Second Turkish Republic” erkansaka.net/2026/03/20/c...

A video: “Why Even Harvard University is Getting Empty Nowadays”

Key Insights by ( Impact of AI on Employment Opportunities - The unemployment rate for recent college graduates (ages 22-27) has risen to 5.8%, nearly double the rate for older workers with degrees. - Industries like finance and…

Claude vs. Perplexity: How They Help Users with Computer Tasks - Erkan's Field Diary Claude and Perplexity are evolving into AI agents that can execute real computer tasks. A detailed comparison of their strengths, architecture, and workflows.

Claude vs. Perplexity: How They Help Users with Computer Tasks erkansaka.net/2026/03/16/c...

How Kürecik and İncirlik Tie Türkiye to the Iran War Kürecik and Incirlik bases in Türkiye together form a tightly linked “eyes and fists” system for the US and NATO against Iran: Kürecik is the early‑warning radar, Incirlik is the main operational hub that can act on that data.[1][2][3][4][5][6] Here is an interactive map I created via Perplexity.  What Kürecik actually does Function: Kürecik (Malatya) hosts a US AN/TPY‑2 X‑band radar, established for NATO in 2012 as a forward‑based early‑warning sensor against ballistic missiles, especially from Iran.

How Kürecik and İncirlik Tie Türkiye to the Iran War

Kürecik and Incirlik bases in Türkiye together form a tightly linked “eyes and fists” system for the US and NATO against Iran: Kürecik is the early‑warning radar, Incirlik is the main operational hub that can act on that data.[1][2][3][4][5][6]…

İlber Ortaylı (1947–2026): The Historian, the Media Celebrity, and the Ideologue I was once a trainer in an EU-funded project, and I spent a few hours with Prof. Ortaylı in 2015 in one of its workshops. I was really anxious about whether he would make fun of me, but he did not (!). According to the project page of RUMVADER (Cemaat Vakıfları Temsilciliği), it was the 3rd workshop of the “Sosyal Medya ve Azınlıklar” project was held in İzmir. 

İlber Ortaylı (1947–2026): The Historian, the Media Celebrity, and the Ideologue

I was once a trainer in an EU-funded project, and I spent a few hours with Prof. Ortaylı in 2015 in one of its workshops. I was really anxious about whether he would make fun of me, but he did not (!). According to…

AI Translation and Linguistic Colonialism: The New Role of the Translator When Algorithms Translate: Linguistic Colonialism, Data Sovereignty, and the New Role of the Translator This post is based on a talk I delivered at the panel "Translation and the Role of the Translator in Digital Communication," organized by the Translation Association of Turkey (Çeviri Derneği) at Istanbul Aydın University on March 13, 2026. In Turkish, the pronoun "o" is gender-neutral. "O bir doktor" — he or she is a doctor.

AI Translation and Linguistic Colonialism: The New Role of the Translator

When Algorithms Translate: Linguistic Colonialism, Data Sovereignty, and the New Role of the Translator This post is based on a talk I delivered at the panel "Translation and the Role of the Translator in Digital…

A video: AI in Warfare

AI in Military Operations - The Pentagon has begun employing Anthropic's AI model, Claude, for military operations, marking a significant shift in modern warfare tactics. - AI has been utilized in key operations, including the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro…