2. Turning Computers Into Couch Potatoes

Your tax dollars made something odder than necessary possible. In a 2016 study, computers were allowed to “watch” television for several days in a row — as if you weren’t already paying for subscription services.

The program was meant to train computers to both predict and understand human behavior. Some would claim these initiatives are good and necessary for technological evolution, while others may see this program as a big waste of money.

The study was funded by a $460,000 grant from the National Science Foundation as well as other funds given by the Department of Defense’s Office of Naval Research. The results were found to be inconclusive. But at least the computers were all caught up on their favorite TV shows.