Thousands of unidentified flying objects have been recorded since the 1940s. And while UFO research has largely been dismissed as conspiracy theories, governments around the world take it very seriously. What have they learned? Alien Tech In 1946 alone, Sweden reported more than 2,000 sightings of “ghost rockets” that could not be explained. Building on […]
The science of awe
When was the last time you experienced a real sense of wonder or awe? Psychology professor Dacher Keltner believes that awe is the key to living a fulfilling, happy life. Even simple experiences like looking at the stars can increase your sense of wellbeing as well as reduce chronic inflammation and diseases. Here’s an easy idea […]
How to survive AI
There have been a lot of scary headlines about artificial intelligence. But underneath the drama, AI has been quietly become part of our lives, embedded in the products, services, and devices we use daily. So which is it? Is AI our worst nightmare, or could it just be…helpful? Managing Risk In The Coming Wave, AI expert […]
Are robots going to be evil or not?
Here’s a sobering statistic: artificial intelligence is expected to surpass the most intelligent human by a billion times by 2049. To put this in perspective, your IQ, compared to AI, will be analogous to the IQ of a fly and Albert Einstein. The future gets shaky to forecasters at that point because by then, technological […]
The truth about climate change
Climate change is real, theoretical physicist Steven E. Koonin concedes. But the public discussion around the topic is alarmist and divorced from real science. Why are we missing so much crucial context, and what can we do about it? Too Much Drama At its core, news is a business, and today’s headlines are engineered to […]
Alternate Realities
Even on a quick walk around your neighborhood, you’re surrounded by creatures who perceive the world in strange and amazing ways. Bees have blurry vision, but they see colors that humans can barely conceptualize. Spiders can “fly” using air currents that we can’t sense without special equipment. And dogs can divine the past, present, and […]
This Guy Is NOT Worried For The Polar Bears
Bjorn Lomborg has a rather unusual position on climate change: he thinks it’s real, but not that bad. In False Alarm, the Danish author and think tank leader explains his position as a “skeptical environmentalist,” which is exactly what it sounds like. He once referred to polar bears as “the global pin-up ‘victim’ of global warming.” […]
Why Tiny Tech Runs The World
As China and the United States compete for world supremacy, both countries are fixated on controlling the computing industry’s future. Semiconductors are shaping international politics, impacting the global economy, and affecting the balance of military power. What should we expect? Our Instaread on Chip War looks at the past, present, and future of this critical technology. Risky […]
Spiders from Mars?
Humanity’s biggest problems seem very small from space. Astronauts orbit Earth at about 250 miles above sea level, a view from which our civilization becomes unrecognizable. Borders, ethnicities, and religions aren’t visible from space—which makes us wonder how much they matter, in the great scheme of things. Cosmic Perspective In Starry Messenger, celebrity astrophysicist Neil deGrasse […]
Invisible Enemies
Automating the modern world has made our lives infinitely easier. But it has also introduced new threats into society, including state-sponsored hacking. In our latest Instaread, technology journalist Andy Greenberg shares the story of the Russian hacking group Sandworm. A Rising ThreatCyberspies used to be a bigger problem. Now, the issue has escalated to cyberwar. When […]