Machines that perform calculations with complex algorithms, based on large amounts of data and extract smart-looking answers, are not only fed by the fragmented knowledge of their creators, but also …
What would Vladimir say?
They are viruses. They are called (and are) bacteriophages: they feed exclusively on bacteria. Given that many infections (in the human body), some particularly serious, are caused by bacteria, bacteriophages …
Big Bang: the farewell of a theory; (how sacred is science?)
The Big Bang theory will soon close a century of life – perhaps its obituary will coincide with the moment it retires into the history of human scientific conceptions. Its …
The empire of illusions
Is it perhaps the “dark side” of constantly evolving digital representation techniques, which will be controlled by some untouchable “public authorities”? Or is it simply a constituent, structural element of …
A very peppy poplar
A biotechnology company in California that aims to create fast-growing trees that can quickly absorb atmospheric carbon dioxide announced its first experimental results: the company’s genetically enhanced poplars grew more …
Big tricks (and expensive)
When it was announced, it was hailed as the greatest collaborative scientific undertaking in the history of humanity! The International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor / ITER, based in southern France, was …
Geoengineering: the most controversial solutions explained
Depending on whom you ask, geoengineering is either a threat to serious climate action, a distant backup plan, or a necessary part of today’s climate policy. Everyone would agree that …
Attention to competitors
While in Western capitalist societies “artificial intelligence” appeared in the sphere of consumption (e.g. chatGPT…) with the immediate aim of looting personal data and, in the near future, applications in …
Mechanical, very mechanical: comments on artificial general intelligence
Will smart machines produce value? Despite the plethora of related analyses, the entire discussion (at least in mainstream media) around artificial intelligence seems to have reached a dead end, trapped …
The ice
The uproar occurred when the British bank Coutts “froze” the account of fascist-mouth Nigel Farage, without notice and without explanations. However, the practice is at least 10 years old (in …
Transgenesis
They have been on this rotating rock called “Earth” long before us. They don’t bother anyone. They have the cute name “water bears” but at least 1,000 different species have …
robot wars: the empire of the USA and geopolitics in the robotic age
Robots fascinate humans. Whether it is dystopian stories of cyborg warriors or growing concerns about mass unemployment, the robot is a science fiction archetype that haunts our cultural unconscious. But …