This same relentless optimisation process is underway in every domain. Behind the innocent user interface of your favourite app, game, or online streaming service, every last pixel has been A/B tested to capture your attention. Google tested 41 different shades of blue to figure out which would attract the most clicks, Facebook’s algorithm knows your preferences better than your best friends do, and tech companies borrow design principles from slot machines to dispense hits of dopamine to their users at perfectly-timed intervals. The finest minds of a generation are using their formidable
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