You probably haven’t thought about philosophers John Locke or Thomas Hobbes since high school, or that required college class. They died centuries before personal computing was invented, let alone the artificial intelligence technologies that now infuse many parts of our daily life. What could they possibly teach Americans about living in a world with AI?… Continue reading AI Is About to Change Our Lives Forever. Luckily We Have a User Manual for That.
How the Brain Balances Excitation and Inhibition
Inhibitory neurons have “often been ascribed support roles,” said Annabelle Singer, a neuroscientist and neuroengineer at the Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University. That’s likely because it’s simply easier to study excitatory neurons. For example, an excitatory place cell in the hippocampus can fire when an animal is in a particular location. When this… Continue reading How the Brain Balances Excitation and Inhibition
AI Won’t Outrun Bad Procurement
Artificial intelligence is widely recognized as a linchpin of modernization. Yet, as federal agencies increasingly look to integrate AI into their operations, the stumbling blocks are not technological. It’s failures in procurement practices that, if not avoided, undermine the potential of AI. Two high-profile government automation projects offer cautionary tales. Each reveal how even well-funded… Continue reading AI Won’t Outrun Bad Procurement
A Simple Way To Measure Knots Has Come Unraveled
The duo kept their program running in the background for over a decade. During that time, a couple of computers from their ragtag collection succumbed to overheating and even flames. “There was one that actually sent out sparks,” Brittenham said. “That was kind of fun.” (Those machines, he added, were “honorably retired.”) Then, in the… Continue reading A Simple Way To Measure Knots Has Come Unraveled
Requiem for a Visa
U.S. government data (PDF) show that in 2023 a newly approved H-1B visa worker with the most common qualification—a bachelor’s degree in computer science or engineering—earned a median salary of $99,000. By contrast, the cost of securing that visa was already high. The application fees in 2024 were between $3,500 and $6,000, and once lawyers… Continue reading Requiem for a Visa
AI Can Now Predict Your Risk of 1,000 Diseases—Decades Ahead
September 18, 2025 3 min read New AI Tool Predicts Which of 1,000 Diseases Someone May Develop in 20 Years A large language model called Delphi-2M analyzes a person’s medical records and lifestyle to provide risk estimates for more than 1,000 diseases By Gemma Conroy & Nature magazine Boris Zhitkov/Getty Images A new artificial intelligence… Continue reading AI Can Now Predict Your Risk of 1,000 Diseases—Decades Ahead
Aftershock Rocks Kamchatka after July’s Massive Earthquake
September 18, 2025 2 min read Strong Earthquake Hits Kamchatka. Tsunami Risk Waning A powerful magnitude 7.8 aftershock off Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula that arose from July’s magnitude 8.8 earthquake is raising concerns about possible tsunami impacts, although risk appears to be waning By Meghan Bartels edited by Lee Billings A seismic map shows the epicenter… Continue reading Aftershock Rocks Kamchatka after July’s Massive Earthquake
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia Mutual Defense Pact: Important to Whom?
The mutual defense pact signed this month between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia has largely been interpreted as Riyadh’s attempt to secure access to nuclear deterrence, hedging against the possibility of an Israeli strike. But who else is it important to? Western media attention has focused on Israel and the United States as involuntary stakeholders. For… Continue reading Pakistan and Saudi Arabia Mutual Defense Pact: Important to Whom?
‘Skibidi’ and ‘Brain Rot’ Are Part of Millennia-Old Patterns of Language Evolution
This episode was made possible by the support of Yakult and produced independently by Scientific American‘s board of editors. Rachel Feltman: For Scientific American’s Science Quickly, I’m Rachel Feltman. If you’ve ever heard a youth say “skibidi” and lamented the downfall of the English language, today’s episode might surprise you. Our guest is Adam Aleksic,… Continue reading ‘Skibidi’ and ‘Brain Rot’ Are Part of Millennia-Old Patterns of Language Evolution
Cracks in the Ice: Why Engaging China Can Check Russian Power in the Arctic
The Arctic is no longer a frozen frontier of scientific research and melting ice. Once viewed as a geostrategic backwater, the region has become central to the ambitions of the world’s most powerful states. From the United States’ push for dominance through icebreaker fleets and military outposts, to Russia’s aggressive remilitarisation and China’s quiet economic… Continue reading Cracks in the Ice: Why Engaging China Can Check Russian Power in the Arctic