In a future with more ‘mind reading,’ thanks to neurotech, we may need to rethink freedom of thought

In a future with more ‘mind reading,’ thanks to neurotech, we may need to rethink freedom of thought

Our minds are buffeted by all kinds of influences, though some seem more menacing than others. wenjin chen/DigitalVision Vectoria via Getty Images Parker Crutchfield, Western Michigan University Socrates, the ancient Greek philosopher, never wrote things down. He warned that writing undermines memory – that it is nothing but a reminder of some previous thought. Compared to people who discuss and debate, readers “will be hearers of many things and will […]

April 10, 2024 17

Science & Technology

We saw one of the most powerful magnets in the Universe come to life – and our theories can’t quite explain it

Artist’s impression of a magnetar. Carl Knox, OzGrav/Swinburne University of Technology Marcus Lower, CSIRO; Gregory Desvignes, Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy, and Patrick Weltevrede, University of Manchester After a decade of silence, one of the most powerful magnets in the universe suddenly burst back to life in late 2018. The reawakening of this “magnetar”, a city-sized star named XTE J1810-197 born from a supernova explosion, was an incredibly violent […]

April 9, 2024 21

Science & Technology

Nato marks 75th anniversary

Today (Thursday) marks the 75th anniversary of the foundation of NATO. To mark the occasion, a ceremony was held in Brussels, before foreign ministers resumed day 2 of their talks. From the NATO headquarters, Abby Throndson has more.

April 4, 2024 43

Science & Technology

Denmark to host AI supercomputer for drug research

The owner of Novo Nordisk, the drugmaker that gave the world Ozempic and Wegovy, is funding a new supercomputer powered by Nvidia’s artificial intelligence technology with a key aim of discovering new medicines and treatments. CNN reports that the supercomputer, named Gefion, is expected to be ready for pilot projects before the end of the year and will be housed in Denmark’s National Center for AI Innovation.

March 27, 2024 22

Science & Technology

UN adopts first global AI resolution

The United Nations General Assembly has adopted the first global resolution on artificial intelligence which aims to encourage the protection of personal data, monitoring AI for risks, and safeguarding human rights. While it is a nonbinding resolution, according to Linda Thomas Greenfield, the US' Ambassador to the UN, it is just the first step in ensuring AI technology is used and developed responsibly.

March 22, 2024 29

Environment

76% of Africa’s energy could come from renewable sources by 2040: here’s how

By Christiane Zarfl, University of Tübingen and Rebecca Peters, University of Tübingen Over half of Africa’s people – about 600 million – lack access to even the bare minimum of electricity. The tough question to answer is how access can be extended without adding to global warming by relying on fossil fuels. We – a team from Rwanda and Germany who work in the field of renewable […]

March 19, 2024 46

Business / Economics

How do airplanes fly? An aerospace engineer explains the physics of flight

U.S. airlines carry more than 800 million passengers per year. Lasha Kilasonia/iStock via Getty Images Plus By Craig Merrett, Clarkson University Curious Kids is a series for children of all ages. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, send it to curiouskidsus@theconversation.com. How do airplanes fly? – Benson, age 10, Rockford, Michigan Airplane flight is one of the most significant technological achievements of the 20th […]

March 19, 2024 29

Science & Technology

Is TikTok’s parent company an agent of the Chinese state? In China Inc., it’s a little more complicated

Some U.S. lawmakers have grown concerned about TikTok. Greg Baker/AFP via Getty Images. By Shaomin Li, Old Dominion University Does the Chinese government have officials inside TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, pulling the strings? And does the storing of data from the popular social media app outside of China protect Americans? These questions appear to dominate the current thinking in the U.S. over whether to ban TikTok if its […]

March 18, 2024 15

Business / Economics

Social media influence audiences worldwide

By Bank Windhoek’s Digital Marketing Specialist, Julian Mentzel Social media is present in almost every part of our everyday lives. It is a universal platform for entertainment, communication, and information sharing. With billions of users globally, social media sites like WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), Threads, TikTok, YouTube and LinkedIn provide various features to appeal to different audiences in the rapidly changing digital communication landscape. The […]

March 14, 2024 43