Pop the hood on a 1970s sedan, and you'd see the engine, belts, and maybe some hoses you could actually identify by name and function. Open a modern car's hood, and you're left staring at a plastic ...

If you drive a newer car, chances are it's controlled to a surprising extent by computers. Slate's technology columnist Farhad Manjoo says don't be afraid of the computers under the hood — they're far ...