Face it: we’re so overloaded with information that none of us can digest much of it. However, in this TED talk, Jean-Baptiste Michel and Erez Lieberman Aiden present ideas about what we can do—with the five million books and 500 billion words available online today. What do they reveal about who we were, are, and are becoming? Watch the video; then navigate to the site recommended by the speakers. Discover for yourself what five million books have to say!
Tag Archives: Technology
Can an iPhone App Help Save an Endangered Language?
Technology is being used to help preserve languages, such as Chickasaw, that have seen a drastic reduction in usage.
What turned the Wright brothers into pioneers of flight? Their library.
Gavin Weightman, author of Eureka: How Invention Happens, explains that like some other notable inventors, the Wright Brothers built a large library and taught themselves much of what they knew.
Greek Myths Have Scary Ideas About Robots and A.I.
While robots and artificial intelligence may seem like recent concepts, some argue that those ideas originated in ancient Greece.
Google Self-Driving Car Project
A self-driving car could well be a product of the not-so-distant future. How do you feel about a driverless car? What are the advantages? What do you think might concern people about such a vehicle?
Banks Warned That Crypto Could Replace Dollar Within Five Years
Is cryptocurrency a fad or here to stay? Read about recent survey results that say it’s not only here to stay, but dollars may become a thing of the past.
Teens around the world are lonelier than a decade ago. The reason may be smartphones.
Read about how smart phones and social media impact the social lives of teens.
Killer robots? Get real. It’ll be easier for AI to just erase our minds and steal our bodies
Have you ever stopped to think that the robot uprising could potentially be more terrifying than certain death? Read this op-ed to learn more about this writer’s thoughts about the future.
ICON 3D Prints the First Simulated Mars Surface Habitat for NASA
Explore the Mars Dune Alpha and consider whether you would ever live on another planet.
How Computer-Assisted Telepathy Helps Humans Communicate
Can computers allow people to telepathically communicate? Read this short article and view the accompanying video to learn more about research into computer-assisted human telepathic communication.
Pigs Can Learn to Play Video Games When Tempted by Treats
With the right incentive, pigs can be taught to play simple video games. Will this experiment pave the way for swine-filled gaming lobbies in your next online multiplayer experience?
14 jobs of the future: What degree should you consider?
It’s never too soon to start thinking about potential careers. Here are some growing fields you might consider.
Global Climate Change Interactive Features
Fly along NASA satellites, go backwards and forwards in time, and so much more using these climate change interactive features available from NASA.
Photography and the Civil War, 1861–1865
Read about the work of Civil War photographers, who mostly shot post-battle scenes and camp life, because the laborious process prohibited them from safely documenting the action of battle. Click the image at the top to view a slideshow of photos from the time.
10 Great Summer Jobs For Teens
Aside from providing a little extra pocket money, what are the benefits of a summer job? Forbes Magazine lists ten jobs that will provide an opportunity for gaining lifelong, transferable skills.
An A.I. Bot Named “Shelley” Is Generating Spooky Stories on Twitter
While “Shelley” won’t be winning any storytelling awards anytime soon with its quirky and at times nonsensical writing, the story-writing bot is a fun experiment.
The Global Cost of Electronic Waste
E-waste, used and frequently discarded computers, tablets, smartphones and other electronics, is the fastest-growing municipal waste stream in the United States. Read this opinion piece about the causes and possible solutions to this mounting environmental threat.
‘Zoom Dysmorphia’: How Video Conferencing Can Wreck Our Self-Image
How does frequent video conferencing affect the way we see ourselves?
Demolition, disease, and death: Building the Panama Canal
Watch this short video about how the Panama Canal was not-so-easily created.
Virtual reality tourism ready for takeoff as travellers remain grounded
Could virtual reality lead to a more sustainable version of tourism and a safe way to “travel” during the pandemic? Read to learn more about the possibilities.