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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
the great leap: immunity as capital, morbidity as investment
The term “natural capital” was first used in 1973 by E.F. Schumacher in his book “Small Is Beautiful” and was further developed by Herman Daly, Robert Costanza and other founders …
the parrot’s question: how far does thought fly?
A man considered the godfather of artificial intelligence (AI) resigned from his job, warning about the increasing risks due to developments in this field.Geoffrey Hinton, 75 years old, announced his …
do machines feel remorse?
In the 1990s, shortly after the successful cloning of the famous (or infamous) Dolly, one of the dominant themes of the discussions of the time regarding new technologies was that …
a discussion about artificial intelligence (somewhere far away…)
The following text is a transcript of a discussion that took place between certain academics in a distant country, prompted by the emergence of ChatGPT a few months ago. First …
non-compliance is the disease… (behaviorism as a lancet…)
“You are not healthy… you should behave like sick people”. Greek (and not only) state and experts – 2020 “The new model that is person-centered, behavior-oriented and not disease-oriented – …
15 minutes: instructions for the creative destruction of cities
It is presented as one of the ambitious (often monstrous) “solutions to the climate crisis”… But its advocates talk about anything else except the “climate crisis” and how this plan …