Self-Motivation
David Goggins
Former Navy Seal
Career Development
Bryan Cranston
Actor
Critical Thinking
Liv Boeree
International Poker Champion
Emotional Intelligence
Amaryllis Fox
Former CIA Clandestine Operative
Management
Chris Hadfield
Retired Canadian Astronaut & Author
Learn
from the world's big
thinkers
Start Learningfrom the world's big
thinkers
Subscribe to our Surprising Science newsletter
Here's an exciting first which hopefully indicates a promising trend: This year women outnumber men in UC Berkeley's introductory computer science course. The fieldĀ is vastly dominated by men, and the Berkeley course seems to be an exception, according to Tech Crunch. The difference is small--106 women to 104 men; yet the potential reasons why there is this rare lead provides invaluable insight into how to attract more women to computer science.
Overall, the number of women in the STEM world has been down since 1991. What is Berkeley doing right? Professor Dan Garcia, who taught the class last spring, attributes the increase to significantly more team-based project learning and increased opportunities for students to become teaching assistants. Tech Crunch provides interesting data on computer science's gender gap overall. And Maria Konnikova for Big Think breaks down different approaches for understanding the gender gap in education and the workplace.
Image credit: Seattle Municipal Archives/Flickr
Popular
Neom, Saudi Arabia's $500 billion megacity, reaches its next phase
Construction of the $500 billion dollar tech city-state of the future is moving ahead.
28 July, 2019
Credit: Neom
Technology & Innovation
- The futuristic megacity Neom is being built in Saudi Arabia.
- The city will be fully automated, leading in health, education and quality of life.
- It will feature an artificial moon, cloud seeding, robotic gladiators and flying taxis.
<p><br></p></div>
<p>Humanity has been developing new technologies at a breakneck speed but have they delivered enough clear benefits to how long and well we live? Much of the tech seems to be adding even more stress, designed to both help us cope and entrap us further in the hectic demands of modern life. But what if you could start from scratch and create the kind of society where the best of technology would utilize the best ideas in robotics, healthcare, energy generation and government? Such is the utopian promise of the $500 billion futuristic city-state <strong>Neom</strong>, being built in Saudi Arabia.</p><p style="margin-left: 20px;">"This is the blank page you need to write humanity's next chapter," promises the commercial for the city on the <a href="https://www.neom.com/" target="_blank">Neom homepage. </a></p><p>The American consultants, hired by the city's developers came up with a 2,300 page proposal that wants to make Neom largely run by robots, with eye-catchy features based in part on tech that doesn't yet exist. Some of the fun things the city would have are flying taxis, glow-in-the-dark sand, cloud seeding to make it rain in the desert, robotic maids, MMA-style robot cage fights, and, of course, a Jurassic-Park-like island, replete with robot dinosaurs.</p>
<p>Perhaps, most curious of all, Neom would have a gigantic artificial moon, made from a fleet of drones, which would not only light up every night, but could live-stream images straight from outer space. </p><p>Run on wind and solar energy, the city would also be a state-of-the-art center for technological and medical innovation, spearheading genetic engineering efforts to improve the human body.</p><p>Being a beacon of progress, where many citizens would work in startups while being educated in innovative ways like <em>holographic faculties</em>, would make the economy of Neom robust. In fact, it would have "the highest GDP per capita," according to the proposal.</p>
The Red Sea area where Neom will be built:
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMDM0Nzg2MS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTU5NjEzMzk0Nn0.iIobzkR0VgaVg0_KyQAds34fFUgOA5OfpsB3aoj4H6Y/img.jpg?width=980" id="d6b0d" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="c45f591e98c9d5696f0e4933b1dea863" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
<p>Neom is the shortened version of the Latin-Arabic term <strong>"Neo-Mustaqbal", </strong>which means "new future." How far in the future? The project's first phase is already complete and the second phase will be announced by the year's end, recently promised Neom's CEO <strong>Nadhmi Al-Nasr </strong>at the site of the city's first commercial airport Gayal.</p><p>The first phase involved the conceptualizing of the economic, funding and development plans for Neom. Actual construction also began on the airport and a resort. Phase two should result in fleshing out further details of "what Neom is going to be," Al-Nasr <a href="https://www.arabianbusiness.com/construction/424565-first-phase-of-saudi-arabias-8bn-giga-project-neom-complete" target="_blank">stated to Arab News.</a></p><blockquote>"Neom is all about things that are necessarily future-oriented and visionary," Al-Nasr <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/a-princes-500-billion-desert-dream-flying-cars-robot-dinosaurs-and-a-giant-artificial-moon-11564097568" target="_blank">wrote</a>. "So we are talking about technology that is cutting edge and beyondāand in some cases still in development and maybe theoretical."</blockquote>
Saudi Arabia Plans Futuristic City, "Neom" (Full Promotional Video)
<span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="c646d528d230c1bf66c75422bc4ccf6f"><iframe type="lazy-iframe" data-runner-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/N53DzL3_BHA?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span><p>The project was introduced in 2017 by <strong>Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.</strong> It is planned to include <strong>450km </strong>of Red Sea coastline, which would make it a major vacation destination ā 8 hours away flying from anywhere in the world, as calculated the consultants. Neom will span a total area of <strong>26,500 square km</strong> across three countries, including territory from North-Western Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Jordan. </p><p>The city itself will be "the world's first independent international zone," presents its <a href="https://www.neom.com/content/pdfs/NEOM-Faqs-en.pdf" target="_blank">marketing literature.</a> How independent it will actually be remains to be seen. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia set up a "special authority," chaired by the Crown Prince himself, to supervise the development of the project. Once its built, the zone will be managed via a "regulatory framework that will adopt world-class investment laws to support residents and targeted economic sectors," declares its <a href="https://www.neom.com/content/pdfs/NEOM-Faqs-en.pdf" target="_blank">presentation</a>, which also purports the city-state will have an "autonomous judicial system." Its laws, enforced by city-wide automation and tracking of its citizens, would be independent of Saudi Arabia's, created by a slate of both local and foreign investors "in accordance with international best practice."</p>
<p>If you're still wondering if the megacity would be subject to the Muslim Kingdom's societal practices, Neom <a href="https://www.neom.com/content/pdfs/NEOM-Faqs-en.pdf" target="_blank">claims</a> it will utilize the best practices from around the world that can improve the lives of its residents. </p><p>The reality may be quite different, however, as the Wall Street Journal's <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/a-princes-500-billion-desert-dream-flying-cars-robot-dinosaurs-and-a-giant-artificial-moon-11564097568" target="_blank">review</a> of the documents from the consultants found that the judges of Neom would be reporting directly to the king, while Sharia law would still be the law of the land. The one big exception might be alcohol, which supposedly would be allowed.</p><p>How long will the project take? The overall timeline estimates 7-10 years from now. The plan certainly has its detractors and possible human-rights issues, like the plan for the forced relocation of more than 20,000 people indigenous to the area.</p>
Keep reading
Show less
Why do people believe in conspiracy theories?
Are we genetically inclined for superstition or just fearful of the truth?
10 July, 2020
Videos
- From secret societies to faked moon landings, one thing that humanity seems to have an endless supply of is conspiracy theories. In this compilation, physicist Michio Kaku, science communicator Bill Nye, psychologist Sarah Rose Cavanagh, skeptic Michael Shermer, and actor and playwright John Cameron Mitchell consider the nature of truth and why some groups believe the things they do.
- "I think there's a gene for superstition, a gene for hearsay, a gene for magic, a gene for magical thinking," argues Kaku. The theoretical physicist says that science goes against "natural thinking," and that the superstition gene persists because, one out of ten times, it actually worked and saved us.
- Other theories shared include the idea of cognitive dissonance, the dangerous power of fear to inhibit critical thinking, and Hollywood's romanticization of conspiracies. Because conspiracy theories are so diverse and multifaceted, combating them has not been an easy task for science.
COVID-19 brain study to explore long-term effects of the virus
A growing body of research suggests COVID-19 can cause serious neurological problems.
09 July, 2020
Brain images of a patient with acute demyelinating encephalomyelitis.
- The new study seeks to track the health of 50,000 people who have tested positive for COVID-19.
- The study aims to explore whether the disease causes cognitive impairment and other conditions.
- Recent research suggests that COVID-19 can, directly or indirectly, cause brain dysfunction, strokes, nerve damage and other neurological problems.
<p>As the coronavirus pandemic enters its fifth month, many questions remain unanswered over how the virus damages the body. Now, a group of researchers are planning a large-scale study that aims to shed light on how COVID-19 affects the brain. </p><p>The <a href="https://www.cambridgebrainsciences.com/studies/covid-brain-study" target="_blank">COVID-19 Brain Study</a> plans to monitor the long-term health of 50,000 participants who have tested positive for COVID-19. The research could help answer questions like: Does COVID-19 cause cognitive impairment? And, if so, how do age, race, and sex factor into the equation?</p><p>Considering recent studies that suggest COVID-19 may cause neurological damage, the researchers say it's important to start tracking patients' health as early as possible.</p><p style="margin-left: 20px;">"The problem is a bit like when governments were deciding to enter lockdown ā timing is everything," Adrian Owen, a Cognitive Neuroscience and Imaging professor at the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, told <a href="https://news.westernu.ca/2020/06/study-explores-long-term-brain-impact-of-covid-19/" target="_blank">Western University of Health Sciences News</a>. "We need to start collecting this data now. We can't start looking at this issue in a year's time because if there are cognitive impairments, and we know there will be, it's going to be too late."</p>
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzQ0NTg2Ni9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1NjcxNTg5Mn0.dinNRn3OCcl_lTjX3FS879ZRiX14zWrb9Ibqy_mRsxQ/img.png?width=980" id="d4b5d" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="6e65d6b5bd46af5add092e8c63c80553" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="COVID-19 effects on the brain." />
Brain images of a patient with acute demyelinating encephalomyelitis.
<p>The researchers also want to find out whether there are significant differences between patients who recovered from the disease in intensive care units and those who got better at home. After all, studies have revealed that some patients may suffer a constellation of long-lasting physical, emotional, and mental problems after staying in an ICU, a condition dubbed <a href="https://www.sccm.org/MyICUCare/THRIVE/Post-intensive-Care-Syndrome#:~:text=Post%2Dintensive%20care%20syndrome%2C%20or%20PICS%2C%20is%20made%20up,and%20may%20affect%20the%20family." target="_blank">post-intensive care syndrome</a>.</p><p style="margin-left: 20px;">"A year from now, we will have more than eight million people worldwide recovering from COVID-19," Owen said. "So, we may also have eight million people with short- and long-term cognitive problems."</p>COVID-19 and the brain
<p>A growing body of research reveals alarming neurological complications among COVID-19 patients. On Wednesday, for example, researchers from University College London published a <a href="https://academic.oup.com/brain/article/doi/10.1093/brain/awaa240/5868408" target="_blank">study</a> in the journal Brain that describes how some patients have suffered temporary brain dysfunction, strokes, nerve damage, and other neurological problems concurrent with COVID-19.</p><p>Some patients suffered brain inflammation as a result of a rare disease called acute disseminated encephalomyelitis, which can cause numbness, seizures, and confusion. One patient in the study even hallucinated monkeys and lions in her home.</p><img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzQ0NTg4Ny9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyNjQyODM3MH0.nW1_EykXQyKoamADL0uPHnDKwgQ0pCQxjt5mIpaHcAI/img.jpg?width=980" id="6ac2f" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="b4ae84584bb17c263f3daf9ddcfa9223" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="medical staff standing around patient in bed" />San Diego-Area Hospitals Treat Coronavirus Patients During COVID-19 Pandemic
<p class=""><br></p>Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images
<p>A separate study published in the <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7198407/" target="_blank">Journal of Clinical Neuroscience</a> notes that some COVID-19 patients have also suffered neurological complications like impaired consciousness and acute cerebrovascular disease. The study notes that past viruses like MERS and SARS also seemed to cause neurological problems.</p><p>A troubling finding among this growing body of research is that some patients seem to suffer neurological damage even when respiratory symptoms aren't obvious. Additionally, scientists aren't sure whether damage from the disease will be permanent.</p><p style="margin-left: 20px;">"Given that the disease has only been around for a matter of months, we might not yet know what long-term damage COVID-19 can cause," Dr. Ross Paterson, joint first author of the University College London study, said in a <a href="https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020-07/ucl-iid070620.php" target="_blank">press release</a>. "Doctors needs to be aware of possible neurological effects, as early diagnosis can improve patient outcomes."</p><p>If you've been diagnosed with COVID-19 and want to enroll in the study, visit <a href="https://www.cambridgebrainsciences.com/studies/covid-brain-study" target="_blank">cambridgebrainsciences.com/studies/covid-brain-study</a>.</p>
Keep reading
Show less
Sponsored by Charles Koch Foundation
Better reskilling can future-proof jobs in the age of automation. Enter SkillUp's new coalition.
Coronavirus layoffs are a glimpse into our automated future. We need to build better education opportunities now so Americans can find work in the economy of tomorrow.
Scroll down to load more…
