Why artificial general intelligence may be impossible

Until robots understand jokes and sarcasm, artificial general intelligence will remain in the realm of science fiction. | Continue reading


@bigthink.com | 2 years ago

Javelin missiles: Thank DARPA for Ukraine’s success against Russian tanks

Javelin missiles have been an effective force multiplier, the latter-day equivalent of the slingshot that David used against Goliath. | Continue reading


@bigthink.com | 2 years ago

Welcome to Null Island, where lost data goes to die

Where the prime meridian meets the equator, the non-existent Null Island captures our imagination — and our non-geocoded data. | Continue reading


@bigthink.com | 2 years ago

What is the strongest material on Earth?

Diamonds, which for millennia were the hardest known material, only come in at #7 on the current list. Can you guess which material is #1? | Continue reading


@bigthink.com | 2 years ago

When we look out at the Universe, even with Hubble, we're only seeing the closest, biggest, brightest galaxies. Here's where the rest are. | Continue reading


@bigthink.com | 2 years ago

Nano diamond batteries could last thousands of years

Utilizing nuclear waste converted to diamonds, this company's batteries will reportedly last thousands of years in some cases. | Continue reading


@bigthink.com | 2 years ago

Resolving Zeno's Paradox

Travel half the distance to your destination, and there's always another half to go. Despite Zeno's Paradox, you always arrive right on time. | Continue reading


@bigthink.com | 2 years ago

Lasers could cut lifespan of nuclear waste from a million years to 30 minutes

Physicist plans to karate-chop them with super-fast blasts of light. | Continue reading


@bigthink.com | 2 years ago

Problems with no solution: From math to politics, some things humans cannot

The very concept of a "problem with no solution" goes against human nature. But we must accept this harsh reality to have peace in our lives. | Continue reading


@bigthink.com | 2 years ago

Why highly intelligent people suffer from more mental and physical disorders

Your brain's heightened sensitivity can make you perceptive and creative. But it's a double-edged sword, researchers find. | Continue reading


@bigthink.com | 2 years ago

Gravity is not uniform. It varies geographically

As this map of Bouguer's gravity anomaly shows, the pull of the earth varies considerably by region. | Continue reading


@bigthink.com | 2 years ago

Psychology of Wordle: Why are people addicted to this viral word game?

Wordle activates both the language and logic parts of our brain and give us a nice boost of dopamine, whether we win or lose. | Continue reading


@bigthink.com | 2 years ago

Lake Baikal holds nearly 1/4th of all Earth's fresh surface water, and is the most scientifically interesting lake on our planet. | Continue reading


@bigthink.com | 2 years ago

What will happen when a black hole hits Earth?

The odds are slim, but the consequences would be devastating. Here's what would happen, plus how to avoid it. | Continue reading


@bigthink.com | 2 years ago

Answers to 20 questions from the James Webb Space Telescope team

Once science operations begin for James Webb, we'll never look at the Universe the same way again. Here's what everyone should know. | Continue reading


@bigthink.com | 2 years ago

Scottish gritters and James Bond puns: a map for your ice only

To clear Scotland’s roads in winter, the local traffic agency employs heavy machinery (gritters) with punny names. Can you grit and bear it? | Continue reading


@bigthink.com | 2 years ago

“Squeaky curtain” divides Europe's eastern and western mice (2019)

Two house mouse subspecies meet again in a hybrid zone strangely reminiscent of the Iron Curtain | Continue reading


@bigthink.com | 2 years ago

Our Universe is normal Its biggest anomaly, the CMB cold spot, is now explained

The Universe is supposed to be the same everywhere and in all directions. So what's that giant "cold spot" doing out there? | Continue reading


@bigthink.com | 2 years ago

Technogical Optimism

Periods of mass flourishing are underpinned by technological revolutions. We are undergoing one the likes of which the world has never seen. | Continue reading


@bigthink.com | 2 years ago

Is a lack of creativity already ruining the Metaverse?

The metaverse could wind up replicating some of our old-world norms that have reliably led to inequality and a lack of creativity. | Continue reading


@bigthink.com | 2 years ago

Venus’ clouds may harbor ‘aerial’ aliens, MIT scientists say

Scientists have detected within the Venusian atmosphere a chemical known to be a byproduct of life. | Continue reading


@bigthink.com | 2 years ago

Chess Went Global

Fancy a game of Japanese chess? | Continue reading


@bigthink.com | 2 years ago

Not rocket science: SpinLaunch hurls payloads into orbit

Besides offering an incredibly cool way to get stuff into space, SpinLaunch promises to reduce the cost of a launch by 20-fold. | Continue reading


@bigthink.com | 2 years ago

Marketer created a 'Resume bot', got 30k views, 14 interviews, 11 job offers

A marketing professional decided to think creatively and create a resume-bot. It helped him land 14 interviews and 11 job offers. | Continue reading


@bigthink.com | 2 years ago

The red color of Mars is only inches deep

The surface and atmosphere is colored by ferric oxides. Beneath a very thin layer, mere millimeters deep in places, it's not red anymore. | Continue reading


@bigthink.com | 2 years ago

The gold given to baby Jesus was made in a neutron star collision

When three wise men gifted baby Jesus with gold, frankincense and myrrh, they had no idea one was made from colliding neutron stars. | Continue reading


@bigthink.com | 3 years ago

No, we didn’t accidentally create a warp bubble

The same (former) NASA engineer who previously claimed to violate Newton's laws is now claiming to have made a warp bubble. He didn't. | Continue reading


@bigthink.com | 3 years ago

Why “F = ma” is the most important equation in physics

From high school through the professional ranks, physicists never tire of Newton's second law. It encodes the science behind our reality. | Continue reading


@bigthink.com | 3 years ago

Crows are self-aware just like us, says new study (2020)

Crows have their own version of the human cerebral cortex. | Continue reading


@bigthink.com | 3 years ago

How to Regulate the Metaverse

The metaverse has the potential to be revolutionary, for both good and bad. Here is how we can maximize the former and prevent the latter. | Continue reading


@bigthink.com | 3 years ago

Augmented reality inventor warns it could be far worse than social media

If used improperly, the metaverse could be more divisive than social media and an insidious threat to society and even reality itself. | Continue reading


@bigthink.com | 3 years ago

Terraforming: Why the Moon is a better target than Mars

The first world that humans should inhabit beyond the Earth is the Moon, not Mars. Here's how to terraform our lunar neighbor. | Continue reading


@bigthink.com | 3 years ago

New AI-based theory explains your weird dreams

Dreams are weird. According to a new theory, that's what makes them useful. | Continue reading


@bigthink.com | 3 years ago

The universe may be conscious, say prominent scientists

A proto-consciousness field theory could replace the theory of dark matter, one physicist states.    | Continue reading


@bigthink.com | 3 years ago

Astronomers race to save the night sky, but will anyone listen?

An unprecedented number of new satellites, in the form of megaconstellations, threatens the night sky we know. Can we act in time to save it? | Continue reading


@bigthink.com | 3 years ago

AI inspired by honeybees helps humans make better decisions

By harnessing the decision-making power of bees, birds, and fish, humans can make better group decisions using swarm intelligence. | Continue reading


@bigthink.com | 3 years ago

Strange Maps

Continue reading


@bigthink.com | 3 years ago

Wild boar rescue demonstrates signs of empathy, prosocial behaviour

A female boar's intelligence, resolve, and empathy stun researchers. | Continue reading


@bigthink.com | 3 years ago

You don’t see objective reality objectively

Objective reality exists, but what can you know about it that isn't subjective. According to some neuroscientists, not much. | Continue reading


@bigthink.com | 3 years ago

Are we approaching quantum gravity all wrong?

quantum gravity | Continue reading


@bigthink.com | 3 years ago

Rare earth war – can the U.S. even compete with China?

China's dominance of the rare earth metal industry is part of its overall geopolitical strategy. | Continue reading


@bigthink.com | 3 years ago

Mary's Room: is a physical world all there is?

A strange philosophical thought experiment forces us to ask if the world can be completely described in physical terms. | Continue reading


@bigthink.com | 3 years ago

Map: Not everybody loves free speech

In some countries, people want more freedom of speech. In others, they feel that there is too much. | Continue reading


@bigthink.com | 3 years ago

Why Swiss Maps Are Full of Hidden Secrets

Cartography is serious business in Switzerland — but once in a while, the occasional map gag slips through. | Continue reading


@bigthink.com | 3 years ago

Opponents of 19th-century American imperialism were not above body-shaming the personification of the U.S. government. | Continue reading


@bigthink.com | 3 years ago

CT scans of shark intestines find one-way valve like that of Nikola Tesla

Evolution proves to be just about as ingenious as Nikola Tesla | Continue reading


@bigthink.com | 3 years ago

Should We Legalize Gangs?

An unconventional solution to the problem of violence. | Continue reading


@bigthink.com | 3 years ago

Android has won the phone world war

A global survey shows the majority of countries favor Android over iPhone. | Continue reading


@bigthink.com | 3 years ago