Guest Thinkers — July 17, 2009

“Free” Transportation

What if there was free transportation based on the elimination of BIG OIL?

Imagine that a new technology was invented that eliminated the use of conventional fuels for vehicles, and instead uses a resource that’s free or low cost (e.g. non-potable water), allowing everyone to be able to move around freely without regard to cost. What would happen to our society and our economy? Discuss the pros and cons.

Two men standing on top of a mountain with a torch.

The Well

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein can illuminate the debate over generative AI

Humanity is never fully in control of its creations. This lesson from Mary Shelley has remained relevant for over 200 years.

A group of people sitting around a desk signing papers during a Kinsey study.

The Past

Kinsey at 75: How the sexologist enlightened — then scandalized — American society

There are issues with Kinsey's data, but his books revolutionized Americans' thinking about sex and sexuality.

A black and white drawing of a skull with speech bubbles depicting death.

Business

How to avoid “death by LLM”

Generative AI — driven by large language models — has the potential to destroy or supercharge most businesses. Now is the time to pivot.

A man in a suit is pointing his finger at a yellow background, referencing string theory.

Einstein failed to solve the Universe. Here’s what it would take to succeed. | Michio Kaku

If Einstein couldn’t solve the theory of everything, could anyone? Physicist Michio Kaku explains what it would take.

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6 min

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with

Michio Kaku

Starts With A Bang

Ask Ethan: What were the “dark ages” of the Universe?

The hot Big Bang was an energetic, brilliantly luminous event. Today's Universe is alight with stars. But in between, the dark ages ruled.

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