Observations
Masks and Emasculation: Why Some Men Refuse to Take Safety Precautions
They think it makes them look weak, and avoiding that is evidently more important to them than demonstrating responsible behavior
Blogs
Observations
How a Landmark Physics Paper from the 1970s Uncannily Describes the COVID-19 Pandemic
Phil Anderson’s article “More Is Different” describes how different levels of complexity require new ways of thinking. And as the virus multiplies and spreads, that’s just what the human race desperately needs...
Observations
The Fight against COVID-19 Threatens to Cause Collateral Health Damage
The pandemic is no excuse to abandon chronic disease management and prevention
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Observations
On the iPhone's 10th Anniversary, Think about How Much Your Smartphone Knows about You
Your phone itself is extremely secure, but that alone can't protect your data
Plugged In
Wind Energy Is One of the Cheapest Sources of Electricity, and It's Getting Cheaper
A comprehensive survey of the wind industry shows wind energy is routinely purchased in bulk for just two cents per kilowatt-hour—and turbines are only getting cheaper, bigger, and better...
Budding Scientist
Storming Castles and Forming Friendships with Catapults, Robotics and Code
Five days, 18 kids, nine robots and a whole lot of plastic bricks
Observations
Will AI Enable the Third Stage of Life on Earth?
In an excerpt from his new book, an MIT physicist explores the next stage of human evolution
Observations
It’s Crucial to Upgrade America’s Water Infrastructure
Dams, reservoirs, canals and safe drinking water matter for absolutely everyone
Observations
Forecasting Outbreaks—1 Image at a Time
Using satellites to better understand how diseases spread
Observations
Brave New World? Not Even Close
Scientists have edited a human embryo, but we’re not in scary scifi territory by a long shot
Observations
Robots with Their Heads in the Clouds
Rather than each carrying its own “brain,” they could share a single, remote one
Observations
Scientists Need to Move Fast and Break Things
Research labs should take a page from the tech companies
Cross-Check
Profile of Claude Shannon, Inventor of Information Theory
Shannon, a pioneer of artificial intelligence, thought machines can think but doubted they "would take over”
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A Blog About the Weird Wonderfulness of Life on Earth
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