science

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – Afro-textured hair has been a frequent object of racist denigration. In April 2007 radio shock jock Don Imus got himself fired for referring to the Rutgers women’s basketball team as “nappy-headed ho’s.” Those formidable women, both scholars and athletes performing at a level Imus could never hope to, did not […]

Artificial Intelligence

AI vs. AI: And Human Extinction as Collateral Damage

Michael T. Klare

( Tomdispatch.com) – A world in which machines governed by artificial intelligence (AI) systematically replace human beings in most business, industrial, and professional functions is horrifying to imagine. After all, as prominent computer scientists have been warning us, AI-governed systems are prone to critical errors and inexplicable “hallucinations,” resulting in potentially catastrophic outcomes. But there’s […]

Artificial Intelligence

Palestinian Forum Highlights Threats of Autonomous Weapons

Human Rights Watch

Susan Aboeid Associate, Arms Division @aboeidsusan ( Human Rights Watch) – In late May, I addressed a panel on the militarization of digital spaces – specifically on how Israeli authorities use surveillance technologies to deepen systemic discrimination against Palestinians. I warned that the use of autonomy in weapons systems was a dangerous part […]

Elections

Pro-Islam Turkish President Erdoğan Campaigned on Space Flight and New EV, but he Hasn’t Beaten Inflation

The Conversation

By Merve Sancak, Loughborough University | – President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has ruled Turkey for the last 21 years. In the first few terms of his rule, Turkey experienced significant economic growth and a reduction in inequality. This was widely believed to be a reason for Erdoğan’s long-term popularity. However, inflation hit a 24-year high […]

Artificial Intelligence

Who will Inherit the Earth? The Rise of AI and the Human Future (?)

Tom Engelhardt

( Tomdispatch.com ) – After almost 79 years on this beleaguered planet, let me say one thing: this can’t end well. Really, it can’t. And no, I’m not talking about the most obvious issues ranging from the war in Ukraine to the climate disaster. What I have in mind is that latest, greatest human invention: […]

Climate Crisis

Perovskite: new Type of Solar Technology paves the Way for abundant, cheap and printable Cells

The Conversation

By David Beynon, Swansea University | – Silicon solar cells are an established technology for the generation of electricity from the sun. But they take a lot of energy to produce, are rigid and can be fragile. However, a new class of solar cell is matching their performance. And what’s more, it can now be […]

Artificial Intelligence

Weaponizing ChatGPT? The Pentagon Girds for Mid-Century Wars

Michael T. Klare

( Tomdispatch.com )- Why is the Pentagon budget so high? On March 13th, the Biden administration unveiled its $842 billion military budget request for 2024, the largest ask (in today’s dollars) since the peaks of the Afghan and Iraq wars. And mind you, that’s before the hawks in Congress get their hands on it. Last […]

Reproductive Choice

Texas Plaintiffs targeting Abortion Pill want Judge to Overrule FDA: Why that might not even be Possible

Florida Phoenix

By: Sofia Resnick ( Florida Phoenix) – At the center of the federal anti-abortion lawsuit against the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is the abortion drug mifepristone and the regimen that reportedly accounts for the majority of abortions in post-Roe America. That’s why the whole country is bracing itself for a ruling from a notoriously anti-abortion judge in Amarillo, Texas. The […]

astronomy and outer space

Earthquake in Turkey and Syria: how Satellites can help rescue Efforts

The Conversation

By Emilie Bronner, Centre national d’études spatiales (CNES) | – In disasters like the 7.8 magnitude earthquake and 7.5-magnitude aftershock that struck Syria and Turkey on February 6, 2023, international cooperation on satellite imaging plays a crucial role in the rescue and recovery efforts. Such data enables humanitarian aid to better deliver water and food […]