Precise measurement standards have revolutionized museum science, helping nail down where artifacts are from
Measurement standards underlie most fields of science – without them, researchers couldn’t compare the results of different studies.
Thomas Lam, Physical Scientist, Museum Conservation Institute, Smithsonian Institution •
conversation
June 17, 2025 • ~11 min
June 17, 2025 • ~11 min
AI ‘reanimations’: Making facsimiles of the dead raises ethical quandaries
AI avatars of dead people are teaching courses and testifying in court. Even with the best of intentions, the emerging practice of AI ‘reanimations’ is an ethical quagmire.
Daniel J. Feldman, Senior Research Fellow, Applied Ethics Center, UMass Boston
• conversation
June 17, 2025 • ~9 min
June 17, 2025 • ~9 min
Closing in on superconducting semiconductors
Plasma Science and Fusion Center researchers created a superconducting circuit that could one day replace semiconductor components in quantum and high-performance computing systems.
Julianna Mullen | Plasma Science and Fusion Center •
mit
June 17, 2025 • ~5 min
June 17, 2025 • ~5 min
Will AI take your job? The answer could hinge on the 4 S’s of the technology’s advantages over humans
AI’s advantage over humans comes down to 4 dimensions: speed, scale, scope and sophistication. Whether AI can replace you depends on how much one or more of the S’s matter in what you do.
Nathan Sanders, Affiliate, Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society, Harvard University •
conversation
June 16, 2025 • ~10 min
June 16, 2025 • ~10 min
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