Guest Thinkers — December 21, 2010

Waq al-waq Fix

A weekly newsletter featuring the biggest ideas from the smartest people

Both Brian and I have taken a couple of steps back over the past couple of days (for different reasons) but also to contemplate potential changes to Waq al-waq and its future. Thus, the lack of postings.

But for those who just can’t get enough.

Brian did a Bloggingheads segment, available here.

And I did an interview for Big Think, available here (where apparently my posture is for crap).

A weekly newsletter featuring the biggest ideas from the smartest people

The letters "AI" appear with a glitch effect in multicolored pixels against a black background.

The Present

AI skeptic Gary Marcus on AI’s moral and technical shortcomings

The cognitive scientist argues the current AI environment is failing us as consumers and a society. But it’s not too late to change course.

A digital illustration of a human brain with blue veins and a glowing light at the top, set against a black background.

The Future

How Neuralink’s chief competitor is tapping into the brain without surgery

“Neurotech is not just about the brain,” says Synchron CTO Riki Banerjee, explaining how their tech can help with paralysis, brain diseases, and beyond.

Starts With A Bang

Ask Ethan: Do gravitons need to exist?

Electromagnetism, both nuclear forces, and even the Higgs force are mediated by known bosons. What about gravity? Does it require gravitons?

A metal ladder of misinference stretches into a round sky view, its rungs disappearing among the clouds against a dark backdrop.

The Learning Curve

How to disrupt misinformation with the “ladder of misinference”

Alex Edmans, professor of finance at the London Business School, warns us to be mindful of the incentives surrounding misinformation — including our desire to believe it.

Starts With A Bang

The 16 stories that shaped physics and astronomy in 2024

There was a lot of hype and a lot of nonsense, but also some profoundly major advances. Here are the biggest ones you may have missed.

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