Does AI actually boost productivity? The evidence is murky
There’s been much talk recently – especially among politicians – about productivity. And for good…
Guests at a feast in Iran’s Zagros Mountains 11,000 years ago brought wild boars from all across the land
Have you ever stopped by the grocery store on your way to a dinner party…
This tropical plant builds isolated ‘apartments’ to prevent battles among the aggressive ant tenants it relies on for survival
In the middle of the South Pacific, a group of Fijian plants have solved a…
EU people turn to internet for cultural purposes – News articles
In 2024, people in the EU widely used the internet for cultural purposes. The most…
Why real ‘de-extinction’ is unlikely to fly
The announcement that New Zealand’s moa nunui (giant moa) is the next “de-extinction” target for…
I’m a statistics professor who became embroiled in the world of online chess drama
As a mild-mannered statistics professor, it’s not often that I get contacted directly by the…
Social media can support or undermine democracy – it comes down to how it’s designed
Every design choice that social media platforms make nudges users toward certain actions, values and…
Teeth record the hidden history of your childhood climate and diet
The climate we live in affects our lives in profound ways: hot summers, cold winters,…
Your data privacy is slipping away – here’s why, and what you can do about it
Cybersecurity and data privacy are constantly in the news. Governments are passing new cybersecurity laws.…
Scientific norms shape the behavior of researchers working for the greater good
Over the past 400 years or so, a set of mostly unwritten guidelines has evolved…