Once a backwater filled with speculation, artificial intelligence is now a burning, “hair on fire” conflagration of both hopes and fears about the revolutionary technological transformation. A profound uncertainty surrounds these intelligent systems—which already surpass human capabilities in some domains—and their regulation. Making the right choices for how to protect or control the technology is… Continue reading We Need Smart Intellectual Property Laws for Artificial Intelligence
New ‘Physics-Inspired’ Generative AI Exceeds Expectations
The tools of artificial intelligence — neural networks in particular — have been good to physicists. For years, this technology has helped researchers reconstruct particle trajectories in accelerator experiments, search for evidence of new particles, and detect gravitational waves and exoplanets. While AI tools can clearly do a lot for physicists, the question now, according… Continue reading New ‘Physics-Inspired’ Generative AI Exceeds Expectations
Truth and Science: A Nobel Laureate’s Advice to Students
Dr. John Clauser is an experimental physicist of the highest order. His 2022 Nobel Prize in physics is enough to make him one of the preeminent scientists of our times. His work confirmed the existence of quantum entanglement—that two particles once linked remain linked no matter how far apart they are pulled. A change in… Continue reading Truth and Science: A Nobel Laureate’s Advice to Students
The Fungi Economy, Part 2: Here’s How Plants and Fungi Trade beneath Our Feet
Meg Duff: For Science, Quickly, I’m Meg Duff. As the world heats up, many of the consequences of burning fossil fuels are now painfully obvious. But there’s also this less intuitive consequence: under our feet, the economy responsible for the growth of trees and forests is experiencing inflation. In case you aren’t familiar, atmospheric carbon… Continue reading The Fungi Economy, Part 2: Here’s How Plants and Fungi Trade beneath Our Feet
Alien Popes and More Weird Questions!
Podcast: Download MYS278: It’s time for another set of weird questions posed by Cy Kellet of Catholic Answers to Jimmy Akin, including this time: Could an alien be pope; the Omicron variant; could Bigfoot be an alien; conjoined twins and marriage; evolution and morality; ball lightning; and more. Get all new episodes automatically and for… Continue reading Alien Popes and More Weird Questions!
15 Million People Are at Risk from Bursting Glacial Lakes
Editor’s Note (8/7/23): This story is being republished after unprecedented levels of flooding from Mendenhall Glacier caused major damage in Juneau, Alaska, over the weekend. At least 15 million people worldwide live in the flood paths of dangerous glacial lakes that can abruptly burst their banks and rush down mountainsides. A study published Tuesday in the journal Nature… Continue reading 15 Million People Are at Risk from Bursting Glacial Lakes
Timeline: What Did the Feds Not Do About Alleged Biden Family Corruption and When Did They Not Do It?
A timeline of events focusing on federal authorities’ pursuit of alleged Biden family corruption. This resource will be updated as warranted. Summary (Click links just below to jump to desired section.) Nov. 2018-June 2020: Hunter Biden Probe Begins; President Trump Impeached While Pursuing Biden-Ukraine Information; Alleged Justice Department Undermining of Probe Begins June 2020-Dec. 2021:… Continue reading Timeline: What Did the Feds Not Do About Alleged Biden Family Corruption and When Did They Not Do It?
DeSantis’s Florida Approves Climate-Denial Videos in Schools
CLIMATEWIRE | Climate activists are like Nazis. Wind and solar power pollute the Earth and make life miserable. Recent global and local heat records reflect natural temperature cycles. These are some of the themes of children’s videos produced by an influential conservative advocacy group. Now, the videos could soon be used in Florida’s classrooms. Florida’s Department… Continue reading DeSantis’s Florida Approves Climate-Denial Videos in Schools
Just the Facts on ‘Geofencing,’ the Intrusive, App-Based ‘Dragnet’ That Sgt. Joe Friday Never Dreamed Of
Don’t “geofence” them in, say worshippers in Silicon Valley. This map is from nearby Mountain View-based Google, recently penalized over its location tech. Google Maps “We are in the space between the emergence of this technological practice and courts having ruled on its constitutionality,” said Alex Marthews, national chair for Restore the 4th, a nonprofit… Continue reading Just the Facts on ‘Geofencing,’ the Intrusive, App-Based ‘Dragnet’ That Sgt. Joe Friday Never Dreamed Of
First Pill for Postpartum Depression Approved
Last Friday the Food and Drug Administration approved the first oral pill specifically targeted to treat postpartum depression—the most common complication of childbirth. The new medication, known as zuranolone, works more quickly than existing antidepressant treatments for postpartum depression and is given once a day for just two weeks. One in seven people who have… Continue reading First Pill for Postpartum Depression Approved