Guest Thinkers — February 16, 2011

Videos – Two CEOs talk about innovation and the global economy

Scott McLeod

A weekly newsletter featuring the biggest ideas from the smartest people

Google CEO Eric Schmidt on American innovation (“that’s an example of fighting the last war”)

Alcoa CEO Klaus Kleinfeld on doing more with less (“yes, yes, and yes”)

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.

Health

How BioNTech’s “revolutionary” lung cancer vaccine actually works

The promising new treatment builds on research that went into developing COVID vaccines.

Two scientists in lab coats and gloves examine a small transparent plate with colorful dots, held by tweezers, in a laboratory setting.

The Future

The big problems driving nanotech development

It’s been 65 years since Richard Feynman saw “plenty of room” in the nano-world. Are we finally getting down there?

An open book with abstract designs: the left page displays a horizontal row of color blocks, while the right page features a hand touching a network of connected circles, highlighting strong connections.

Business

Why our “weak-tie” connections are actually super-strong

Sure, “who you know” matters — but your best contacts will be the ones you don’t know very well.

The Present

Microplastic overload: Is cutting production the only realistic way to curb pollution?

On November 25, U.N. members will meet in South Korea to cap off a series of meetings aiming to reduce global plastic pollution.

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