Some sky watchers this month will witness Betelgeuse, one of the brightest and best-known stars in the sky, nearly disappear. Mere seconds later—despite astronomers’ hopes that the star will meet its explosive end someday soon—it will return, shining just as brightly as ever. Betelgeuse’s brief blip of obscurity will mark a cosmic coincidence: an asteroid… Continue reading Betelgeuse Will Briefly Disappear in Once-in-a-Lifetime Coincidence
Tag: Quantum Stuff
OpenAI’s Soap Opera Collapse Bodes Ill for AI Benefiting Humanity
December 11, 2023 4 min read Whatever fantasies we may have had about the nonprofit structure of OpenAI have been eviscerated. While it remains a nonprofit, it’s proven entirely beholden to ruthless capitalism By Ed Zitron Sam Altman, seen here at APEC Leader’s Week in San Francisco, California, was fired briefly as CEO of OpenAI… Continue reading OpenAI’s Soap Opera Collapse Bodes Ill for AI Benefiting Humanity
Why Some People Choose Not to Know
In the Charles Dickens story A Christmas Carol, the wealthy miser Ebenezer Scrooge has a magical, life-changing epiphany. Thanks to visits from a series of ghosts, his eyes are opened as to how his behavior affects other people—and he goes from a selfish grump to a generous benefactor overnight. Scrooge’s transformation comes down to knowledge.… Continue reading Why Some People Choose Not to Know
Christmas Tree Economics, Explained
December 11, 2023 4 min read Economists dive into the financial impact of Christmas trees—real and artificial alike—on the U.S. By Jay L. Zagorsky, Patrick Abouchalache & The Conversation US Peace, joy and profit margins: Retailers sell Christmas trees at a markup of up to 500%. The following essay is reprinted with permission from The… Continue reading Christmas Tree Economics, Explained
A New Type of Heart Disease is on the Rise
Tanya Lewis: Hi, this is Your Health, Quickly, a Scientific American podcast series! Josh Fischman: We bring you the latest vital health news: Discoveries that affect your body and your mind. Lewis: And we break down the medical research to help you stay healthy. I’m Tanya Lewis. Fischman: I’m Josh Fischman. Lewis: We’re Scientific American’s senior… Continue reading A New Type of Heart Disease is on the Rise
Millions of U.S. Homes Risk Disaster because of Outdated Building Codes
December 11, 2023 3 min read Building codes that don’t fully account for climate change are “one of the most significant factors” in increasing disaster risk, a federal report says By Thomas Frank & E&E News Neighborhoods are seen submerged in flood water from the Meremac River on December 31, 2015 in Pacific, Missouri. CLIMATEWIRE… Continue reading Millions of U.S. Homes Risk Disaster because of Outdated Building Codes
New Clues for What Will Happen When the Sun Eats the Earth
Earth’s fate rests on a coin flip. In 5 billion years, our sun will balloon into a red giant star. Whether Earth survives is an “open question,” said Melinda Soares-Furtado, an astrophysicist at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Sure, Earth could be swallowed by the sun and destroyed. But in some scenarios, Earth escapes and… Continue reading New Clues for What Will Happen When the Sun Eats the Earth
World Leaders Agree to a Climate Deal on Food for the First Time
Last week at the start of the COP28 climate conference in Dubai, 134 countries signed a declaration pledging to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from processes related to producing and consuming food. It’s the first time in nearly three decades of climate summits, which were established to set the world’s direction in tackling climate change, that… Continue reading World Leaders Agree to a Climate Deal on Food for the First Time
Why Do We Dream? Maybe to Ensure We Can Literally ‘See’ the World upon Awakening
Dreams have fascinated people for millennia, yet we struggle to understand their purpose. Some theories suggest dreams help us deal with emotions, solve problems or manage hidden desires. Others postulate that they clean up brain waste, make memories stronger or deduce the meaning of random brain activity. A more recent theory suggests nighttime dreams protect… Continue reading Why Do We Dream? Maybe to Ensure We Can Literally ‘See’ the World upon Awakening
The Biggest Discoveries in Computer Science in 2023
Quanta Magazine > 0; if (typeof predicate !== ‘function’) { throw new TypeError(‘predicate must be a function’); } var thisArg = arguments[1]; var k = 0; while (k We care about your data, and we’d like to use cookies to give you a smooth browsing experience. Please agree and read more about our privacy policy.Agree… Continue reading The Biggest Discoveries in Computer Science in 2023