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Computers

Abigail Previlon, 13, takes part in online learning at home on October 28, 2020 in Stamford, Connecticut. At the time, Stamford Public Schools was using a hybrid educational model due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

What the Covid-19 Pandemic Revealed About Remote School

The unplanned experiment provided clear lessons on the value—and limitations—of online learning. Are educators listening?

The titular "Dial of Destiny" in the new Indiana Jones film is based on the Antikythera mechanism, an ancient device used to chart the cosmos.

Based on a True Story

The Real History Behind the Archimedes Dial in ‘Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny’

A device called the Antikythera mechanism is the true-life basis for the object at the center of the franchise’s latest installment

By recording activity of specific neurons in the brain, researchers aim to pick up signals of intended speech.

The Brain-Computer Interfaces That Could Give Locked-In Patients a Voice

Implanted devices record the brain waves associated with speech and then use computer algorithms to translate the intended messages

Computer scientist Geoffrey Hinton in 2015

The ‘Godfather of A.I.’ Now Warns of Its Dangers

Geoffrey Hinton quit Google this week to speak his mind on artificial intelligence, which he says may soon grow smarter than—and even manipulate—humans

Google Bard is currently limited to some users ages 18 and up.

Google Launches A.I. Chatbot—How Does it Compare to ChatGPT and Bing?

Bard might give incorrect answers, but it “doesn’t go off the rails”

Onlookers attending the touring exhibition Save Ukr(AI)ne, which featured A.I.-generated images based on stories of children displaced by the war in Ukraine, in September 2022

Art Meets Science

Are A.I. Image Generators Violating Copyright Laws?

Two new lawsuits argue that tools like Midjourney and Stable Diffusion are infringing on artists’ rights

Teachers have cited concerns about students trying to pass off AI-written essays as their own work.

Student Creates App to Detect Essays Written by AI

In response to the text-generating bot ChatGPT, the new tool measures sentence complexity and variation to predict whether an author was human

After scraping artists' work across the internet, the app can generate artistic renditions of users' selfies.

Art Meets Science

Is Popular A.I. Photo App Lensa Stealing From Artists?

The tool went viral first for generating flattering portraits—and then for igniting ethical concerns

Untitled by Suhail Doshi

Art Meets Science

These A.I.-Generated Images Hang in a Gallery—but Are They Art?

At “Artificial Imagination,” a new Bay Area exhibition, artworks created by DALL-E 2 go on display

A cluster of galaxies that Slayton created in Minecraft

This 18-Year-Old Recreated the ‘Entire Universe’ in Minecraft

From the video game’s blocks, he built galaxies, a nebula, a black hole and the solar system

Chess world champion Magnus Carlsen, seen here competing in 2021, has accused 19-year-old Hans Niemann of cheating in recent games.

The Cheating Scandal Rocking the Chess World

Will the evidence back up world chess champion Magnus Carlsen’s allegations against Hans Niemann, a young grandmaster?

One of the iterations of Loab

Who Is the Woman Haunting A.I.-Generated Art?

Now known as “Loab,” she pops up repeatedly in a series of creepy images

Théâtre D’opéra Spatial by Jason Allen

Art Made With Artificial Intelligence Wins at State Fair

Artist Jason Allen placed first in a Colorado contest, generating debate about A.I.’s role in art

A scene from "Light and Magic"

Art Meets Science

This Visual Effects Studio Transformed Movies Forever

A new documentary tells the story of Industrial Light and Magic, the pioneering team that brought films like “Star Wars” and “Jurassic Park” to life

Macintosh computers—and the company that created them—changed the PC world.

New Polish Museum Bytes Into the History of Apple Products

Over 1,000 artifacts get to the core of the iconic brand’s popularity

The cyanobacteria system runs using sunlight and water.

Innovation for Good: Game Changers

Researchers Use Algae to Power a Computer for Months

The experiment suggests that cyanobacteria ‘batteries’ could run small devices

AIM users could log on and instantly ping messages back and forth, remotely chatting with friends, colleagues and loved ones.

In the 25 Years Since Its Launch, AOL Instant Messenger Has Never Been ‘Away’

While some aspects of AIM seem like relics of a different version of the internet, others remain deeply embedded in the social media landscape

The metal gallium becomes a liquid at slightly above room temperature, one of its many remarkable properties that researchers are investigating.

This Liquid Metal Could Transform Soft Electronics

Bend it. Stretch it. Use it to conduct electricity. Researchers are exploring a range of applications that harness gallium’s unusual properties

A patient uses the gameChange virtual reality program.

The Future of Mental Health

Inside the Effort to Expand Virtual Reality Treatments for Mental Health

Medical professionals are embracing the technology to help patients deal with PTSD, anxiety disorders and more

Still from Black Mirror: Bandersnatch (2018). 

The Surprisingly Long History of ‘Choose-Your-Own-Adventure’ Stories

From the ‘I Ching’ to an upcoming Netflix rom-com, interactive fiction dares us to decide what happens next

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