Technology

People Are Increasingly Worried A.I. Will Make Daily Life Worse

Source: Wired

Like it or not, artificial intelligence is here to stay–and it is making its way into every part of our lives. With self-driving cars using A.I. to make split-second steering decisions, A.I. helping to sort job and college applications, and companies using A.I, to sway customer behavior, a lot of people are growing fearful of the technology. People used to fear monsters in the darkness, but in modern times, some of our scariest monsters are lines of code in a machine.

These Chemists Cracked the Code to Long-Lasting Roman Concrete

Source: ScienceNews

Its formula long forgotten, the mystery of why Roman concrete remained strong over several millennia when more modern versions crumbled much faster has long baffled scientists and engineers. But now the secret of “self-healing” concrete has been rediscovered and it could lead to a construction revolution more than 2,000 years after it was first discovered.

10 Offbeat Things Humans Have Launched into Space

Source: How Stuff Works

Did you know that Buzz Lightyear has really been to space? Most of the more than 100 space trips have included an odd item or two on board. Read to find out more about the interesting, and sometimes wacky, items that have traveled to space.

Harnessing the Military Power of Animal Intelligence

Source: CNN U.S.

In the 1990s, the U.S. Navy revealed that sea lions and dolphins were being used to find and retrieve valuable equipment from the sea floor. These animals are also being trained to help clear mines and to protect our harbors. Read to learn about the secret uses of marine mammals!

‘We Are All Accumulating Mountains of Things’

Source: The Atlantic

Online shopping can be a convenience. Yet the ease of buying online might also contribute to hoarding disorder and overspending. Review the research in this article to find out more.

Hollywood Writers Reached an A.I. Deal That Will Rewrite History

Source: Wired

The Writer’s Guild of America (WGA) went on strike for 148 days this summer, demanding that studios put guardrails around AI’s encroachment on their work. The effects of their new contract will echo in industries far beyond Hollywood.

What is the Future of Communication?

Source: How Stuff Works

There was a time when there was no written language and almost all communication was spoken. Even when language evolved, it was often written on stone and not very portable until the invention of paper. History is full of such advances. Even the now ubiquitous smartphone was thought to be science fiction just a couple of decades ago. But have you ever asked yourself what advances may come next?

Harvard Professor Believes He’s Found Fragments of Alien Technology

Source: CBS Boston

Small objects sometimes lead to big discoveries. Learn how tiny, metallic spheres might point to alien technology in this short video clip.

Online social change: Easy to organize, hard to win

Source: TED

Author Zeynep Tufekci looks around the world at how social media can both power freedom movements and weaken them.

Dark patterns, the tricks websites use to make you say yes, explained

Source: Vox

With the advent of more “personalized” ad experiences and the increasing value of personal data, companies have dirty tricks up their sleeves to manipulate users.