May 10, 2013

The Red Planet in Blue

False coloring is used in this image to reveal greater detail. The image here depicts mystery martian morphology.

A weekly newsletter featuring the biggest ideas from the smartest people

False coloring is used in this image to reveal greater detail. The image here depicts mystery martian morphology. It captured by the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera aboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.

The image is courtesy of NASA/JPL/University of Arizona

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A weekly newsletter featuring the biggest ideas from the smartest people

An illustration showing a side view of a human brain with colored dots representing neurons and text excerpts in three languages in circular insets.

Neuropsych

Scientists find neurons that process language on different timescales

In the brain’s language-processing centers, some cells respond to one word, while others respond to strings of words together.

A person stands in front of a large, circular particle detector in a brightly lit, high-tech facility.

Hard Science

CERN experiment unlocks new insights into the W boson

CERN scientists achieved record-breaking accuracy in mapping the mass of a key particle in the Standard Model.

Image of a product label for "Product of AI" with details about transparency, biased material, data information, algorithm training, source transparency, environmental impact, labor transparency, corporate transparency—an approach endorsed by experts like Gary Marcus in the field of AI.

The Present

Big tech fails transparency test: Gary Marcus on what we should demand of AI

AI has become a black box in more ways than one.

A collage featuring a sleeping person, a 3D-rendered hand, and various graphs with dates and "gpt-4" labels, overlaid by the text "The Nightcrawler," subtly highlights themes of the attention economy.

Business

The essential skill to master across life and business

Welcome to The Nightcrawler — a weekly newsletter from Eric Markowitz covering tech, innovation, and long-term thinking.

Starts With A Bang

Hidden variable alternative to quantum spookiness fails

Do we actually live in a deterministic Universe, despite quantum physics? An alternative, non-spooky interpretation has now been ruled out.

Up Next

Surprising Science

Changing Video Game Progress Based On Player Sweat

The people behind the “Half-Life” series and the Steam platform are now looking at biometrics — specifically, the acidity of a player’s perspiration — to help create more vivid game experiences.