12 unexpected ways algorithms control your life

Mashable’s series Algorithms explores the mysterious lines of code that increasingly control our lives — and our futures.

Blame the algorithm. 

That's become the go-to refrain for why your Instagram feed keeps surfacing the same five people or why YouTube is feeding you questionable "up next" video recommendations. But you should blame the algorithm — those ubiquitous instructions that tell computer programs what to do — for more than messing with your social media feed. 

Algorithms are behind many mundane, but still consequential, decisions in your life. The code often replaces humans, but that doesn't mean the results are foolproof. An algorithm can be just as flawed as their human creators. Read more...