Bookmarks (10) clear filters

Sooner or later a technology capable of wiping out human civilisation might be invented. How far would we go to stop it?By Nick Bostrom & Matthew van der MerweRead at Aeon

Sitting in a videoconference is a uniformly crap experience. Instead of corroding our humanity, let’s design tools to enhance itBy Robert O’TooleRead at Aeon

Superlative things were done in the past century by marshalling thousands of people in the service of a vision of the futureBy Martin ParkerRead at Aeon

In discussions about facial-recognition software, phrenology analogies seem like a no-brainer. In fact, they’re a dead-endBy Catherine StinsonRead at Aeon

At the level of the tiny, biology is all about engineering. That’s why nanotechnology can rebuild medicine from withinBy Sonia ConteraRead at Aeon

Our world is a system, in which physical and social technologies co-evolve. How can we shape a process we don't control?By J Doyne Farmer, Fotini Markopoulou, Eric Beinhocker and othersRead at Aeon

The myth of King Midas tells one of the world’s first stories about alchemy. The greedy Midas was granted one wish by the Greek god Dionysus, and he chose the ability to transmute anything he touched into gold. Unfortunately, the king quickly realised that this gift was more of a curse as he coul...By Wendy Lee Queen & Mirko BischofbergerRead at Aeon

Ask anyone what image comes to mind when you say the word ‘robot’, and there’s no doubt you’ll receive responses inspired by popular culture. For example, the liquid metal, shape-shifting T-1000 from the movie Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991); or Optimus Prime, leader of the Autobots and the mai...By Jamie PaikRead at Aeon

Don’t just give away your privacy to the likes of Google and Facebook – protect it, or you disempower us allBy Carissa VélizRead at Aeon

Market booms and busts might be irrational, but we can understand why they happen – and what to do to mitigate the damageBy Brent Goldfarb & David A KirschRead at Aeon