Something Green
The Human Error Darwin Inspired
How the demotion of Homo sapiens led to environmental destruction.
Build Your Own Artificial Neural Network. It’s Easy!
The first artificial neural networks weren’t abstractions inside a computer, but actual physical systems made of whirring motors and big bundles of wire. Here I’ll describe how you can build one for yourself using SnapCircuits, a kid’s electronics kit. I’ll also muse about how to build a network that works optically using a webcam. And […]
The Importance of Face Masks and the Tragedy of Downplaying Them
An infectious disease expert brings us up to date on the science of wearing a face mask.
The Fungal Evangelist Who Would Save the Bees
How mushrooms could solve colony collapse disorder.
People Are Discovering the Joy of Actually Talking on a Phone
Researchers predicted that people would consistently underrate how much they might benefit from talking on the phone.Photograph by Stokkete / Shutterstock I’m one of the lucky ones. The onset of this pandemic has put a strain on the sanity of many people forced to isolate themselves from friends and family. If you live alone, or […]
At the Math Olympiad, Computers Prepare to Go for the Gold
Reprinted with permission from Quanta Magazine‘s Abstractions blog. The 61st International Mathematical Olympiad, or IMO, began yesterday. It may go down in history for at least two reasons: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic it’s the first time the event has been held remotely, and it may also be the last time that artificial intelligence doesn’t compete. […]
The Environmental Headache in Your Shampoo
Palm oil is an environmental scourge. Plant biology has a solution.
Dawn of the Heliocene
Why the next geological epoch should be named for when we tapped the sun’s energy.
What the Meadow Teaches Us
Feeling is the physics of the organic world.
Junk Food Is Bad For Plants, Too
How a steady diet of fertilizers has turned crops into couch potatoes.
