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Updated 2024-05-01 22:30
Congress wants to protect you from biased algorithms, deepfakes, and other bad AI
Only a few legislators really know what they’re talking about, but it’s a start.
The first study of a twin in space looks like good news for a trip to Mars
Thanks to twin astronauts, we now have our first solid evidence of how the human body responds to long-term spaceflight—and it’s thrown up some mysteries.
A robot has figured out how to use tools
In a startling demonstration, the machine drew on experimentation, data, and observation of humans to learn how simple implements could help it achieve a task.
This is the first ever photo of a black hole
The scientists behind it spent a decade using a virtual telescope the size of Earth to create this historic image.
This may be the Apple II of AI-driven robot arms
A new low-cost robot arm that can be controlled using a virtual-reality headset will make it easier to experiment with AI and robotics.
Why two wheels are better than four in India’s electric vehicle push
EVs represent a tiny share of the nation’s auto market, but efforts to electrify scooters and rickshaws may begin to change that.
Hey Google, sorry you lost your ethics council, so we made one for you
We asked experts for practical suggestions on why Google’s AI ethics council bombed and what the company should do next.
Facebook’s ad-serving algorithm discriminates by gender and race
Even if an advertiser is well-intentioned, the algorithm still prefers certain groups of people over others.
Crowdsourced reports could save lives when the next earthquake hits
Combining app check-ins and tweets with traditional detection data could give rescue teams and residents a vital head start.
Machine learning is making pesto even more delicious
Researchers at MIT have used AI to improve the flavor of basil. It’s part of a trend that is seeing artificial intelligence revolutionize farming.
Meet the man who helped double-check the sums to keep Apollo 11 safe
The Apollo stories: Dennis Sager was one of the last employees of the human-led backstop for the computation that made the mission possible.
Venture capitalists are still throwing hundreds of millions at blockchains
A look at the data shows that despite the crypto market’s long downturn, VCs are still betting big.
The Animal-AI Olympics is going to treat AI like a lab rat
The $10,000 competition will test AI with challenges that were originally designed to test animal cognition—to see how close we are to machines that have common sense.
Why satellite mega-constellations are a threat to the future of space
A recent Indian anti-satellite test was hazardous, but plans for mass satellite launches by SpaceX and OneWeb could pose even greater risks in orbit.
The two key reasons the world can’t reverse climate emissions
New figures show we’re using more energy and still pumping out more emissions—so why aren’t we moving the dial?
The space mission to buy us vital extra hours before a solar storm strikes
The sun’s violent activity can shut down the power grid and knock out satellites. ESA’s Lagrange mission will be our early warning system.
Europe’s copyright dispute shows just how hard it is to fix the internet’s problems
The EU has just passed the Copyright Directive: now small sites and tech giants alike will have to deal with the fallout and recriminations.
Google appoints an “AI council” to head off controversy, but it proves controversial
A team that includes philosophers, engineers, and policy experts will determine how ethical Google’s AI projects are—but some have already criticized its makeup.
Blockchain-powered marketplaces will be like steroids for crowd investing
Creators of a new breed of fully regulated digital assets have their eyes on remaking how money is raised—and putting the era of sketchy ICOs behind them.
Genome engineers made more than 13,000 CRISPR edits in a single cell
A team at George Church’s Harvard lab wants to redesign species with large-scale DNA changes.
It’s still 2017 for one crypto exchange
Binance is doing million-dollar ICOs when everyone else has given up. But there’s a catch.
Russia wants to cut itself off from the global internet. Here’s what that really means.
The plan is going to be tricky to pull off, both technically and politically, but the Kremlin has set its sights on self-sufficiency.
Meet the veteran astronaut who’ll be on the first launch of Boeing’s Starliner
The newest addition to the commercial crew explains how he is preparing for space again, eight years after his last trip.
One of crypto’s buzziest stablecoins might be heading for trouble
The SEC’s “crypto czar” has implied that Dai and other stablecoins may be securities—and that would be bad news for its fans.
Ryugu is a heap of space rubble that might unlock the mysteries of water on Earth
Early results from the Japanese Hayabusa2 mission are not just giving us insights into space rocks—they can tell us about our own planet’s history, too.
The man who helped invent virtual assistants thinks they’re doomed without a new AI approach
Boris Katz has spent his career trying to help machines master language. He believes that current AI techniques aren’t enough to make Siri or Alexa truly smart.
A second 737 Max crash raises questions about airplane automation
Regulators, airlines, and Boeing need to grapple with how much information pilots are given as systems become more complex.
The out-there AI ideas designed to keep the US ahead of China
China is developing artificial intelligence on an unparalleled scale, but the US aims to beat it by inventing the next big ideas.
China’s Huawei has big ambitions to weaken the US grip on AI leadership
In spite of tensions with the US and its allies, Huawei is rapidly building a suite of AI offerings unmatched by any other company on the planet.
Ten big global challenges technology could solve
None is easy, but all are incredibly important.
The new, safer nuclear reactors that might help stop climate change
From sodium-cooled fission to advanced fusion, a fresh generation of projects hopes to rekindle trust in nuclear energy.
The 10 worst technologies of the 21st century
We all make mistakes sometimes.
The race to make a lab-grown steak
Meat production spews tons of greenhouse gas and uses up too much land and water. Is there an alternative that won’t make us do without?
Wristwatch heart monitors might save your life—and change medicine, too
Making complex heart tests available at the push of a button has far-reaching consequences.
One man’s two-decade quest to suck greenhouse gas out of the sky
Klaus Lackner’s once wacky idea increasingly looks like an essential part of solving climate change.
A simple blood test to predict premature births could save babies’ lives
Complications from preterm birth are the leading cause of death worldwide in children under five.
Bill Gates explains why we should all be optimists
We sat down to talk about breakthrough technologies, China, and reasons to be cheerful with this issue’s guest editor.
10 Breakthrough Technologies 2019, curated by Bill Gates
We asked Gates to choose this year’s list of inventions that will change the world for the better.
Why AI is a threat to democracy—and what we can do to stop it
Futurist and NYU professor Amy Webb on an impending artificial intelligence catastrophe—and why there’s still hope it can be averted.
Doctors plan to test a gene therapy that could prevent Alzheimer’s disease
A novel dementia treatment will flood people’s brains with a low-risk version of a key gene.
China’s CRISPR twins might have had their brains inadvertently enhanced
New research suggests that a controversial gene-editing experiment to make children resistant to HIV may also have enhanced their ability to learn and form memories.
A philosopher argues that an AI can’t be an artist
Creativity is, and always will be, a human endeavor.
The first privately funded trip to the moon is about to launch
After failing to claim the Lunar X Prize (which, to be fair, everyone did), the Israeli firm SpaceIL could have a rover on lunar soil in a little over a month.
In China, some parents seek an edge with genetic testing for tots
Questionable DNA “talent” tests find a market in up-and-coming Shenzhen.
What if you could diagnose endometriosis with a tampon?
Women’s health care is often treated as all about reproduction. Some “femtech” startups are exploring the innovations that get overlooked as a result.
The technology behind OpenAI’s fiction-writing, fake-news-spewing AI, explained
The language model can write like a human, but it doesn’t have a clue what it’s saying.
AI is reinventing the way we invent
The biggest impact of artificial intelligence will be to help humans make discoveries we couldn’t make on our own.
An AI that writes convincing prose risks mass-producing fake news
Fed with billions of words, this algorithm creates convincing articles and shows how AI could be used to fool people on a mass scale.
Why the future of satellite internet might be decided in rural Alaska
Service in the rural areas of the state is abysmal, which makes it the perfect place to test next-generation satellite internet.
This is why AI has yet to reshape most businesses
For many companies, deploying AI is slower and more expensive than it might seem.
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