Science (Page 5)

Google DeepMind / Unsplash, Author provided There are lots of proposed ways to try to place limits on artificial intelligence (AI), because of its potential to cause harm in society, as well as its benefits. For example, the EU’s AI Act places greater restrictions on systems based on whether they fall into the category of general purpose and generative AI or are considered to pose limited risk, high risk or an unacceptable risk. This is a novel and bold approach to mitigating any ill effects. But what if we could adapt some tools that already exist? Software licensing is one well-known model that could be tailored so that they could meet the challenges posed by advanced AI systems. Open responsibleContinue Reading

Pungu X / Shutterstock Artificial intelligence (AI) tools aimed at the general public, such as ChatGPT, Bard, CoPilot and Dall-E have incredible potential to be used for good. The benefits range from an enhanced ability by doctors to diagnose disease, to expanding access to professional and academic expertise. But those with criminal intentions could also exploit and subvert these technologies, posing a threat to ordinary citizens. Criminals are even creating their own AI chatbots, to support hacking and scams. AI’s potential for wide-ranging risks and threats is underlined by the publication of the UK government’s Generative AI Framework and the National Cyber Security Centre’s guidance on the potential impacts of AI on online threats. There are an increasing variety ofContinue Reading

In the middle of 2023, a study conducted by the HuthLab at the University of Texas sent shockwaves through the realms of neuroscience and technology. For the first time, the thoughts and impressions of people unable to communicate with the outside world were translated into continuous natural language, using a combination of artificial intelligence (AI) and brain imaging technology. This is the closest science has yet come to reading someone’s mind. While advances in neuroimaging over the past two decades have enabled non-responsive and minimally conscious patients to control a computer cursor with their brain, HuthLab’s research is a significant step closer towards accessing people’s actual thoughts. As Alexander Huth, the neuroscientist who co-led the research, told the New YorkContinue Reading

Metamorworks / Shutterstock Science and faith are often kept in two distinct boxes that hardly ever intersect. However, I believe that as AI becomes more mainstream, it will fundamentally alter our engagement with faith and spirituality. Let’s start by looking at what is already happening. Most ancient faith-related texts were documented in papyrus and palm leaves, many of which are difficult to access in the modern world due to two challenges. First, a lot of those ancient texts that are still available are in fragments, some of which could crumble at any time. Second, for texts that have been digitised already, the language used in them is known only to a few people today and therefore the texts remain inaccessibleContinue Reading

shurkin_son/Shutterstock These days it’s hard to miss the body positivity movement. But love and respect for the body isn’t new and wasn’t invented by the west. Indeed, global research I’ve collaborated on has found that body appreciation is understood and experienced the same way all over the world – even if we did find large differences in levels of body appreciation between different countries. But first, it’s important to understand what body image and body appreciation mean in psychology. Body image is the “inside view” that you have of yourself. Historically, body image research was focused on negative aspects, such as appearance anxiety or clinical conditions including body dysmorphic disorder. Over the past two decades, however, the study of positiveContinue Reading

Survival curves for eight pure breeds. Border collie (dark blue), border terrier (light blue), bulldog (green), French bulldog (red), labrador retriever (orange), mastiff (purple), miniature dachshund (pink) and pug (brown). All purebreds vary significantly from crossbreds (light purple). Liliya Kulianionak/Shutterstock The UK has long been considered to have some of the strongest animal welfare laws in the world. Beginning with Martin’s act on the cruel treatment of cattle, through to the Animal Welfare Act 2006 and then Finn’s law to protect service animals, UK animal welfare laws have sought to reduce harm and cruelty to animals. But what happens when companion animals suffer or live shorter lives simply because of their genetic make-up? On average, dogs live for 10-13 years,Continue Reading

If your computer crashed, would you be able to access your data? Nebojsa Tatomirov/Shutterstock If you have grown up with social media, chances are you have taken more photos in the last couple of decades than you will ever remember. When mobile phones suddenly became cameras too, social media turned into a community photo album, with memories kept online forever and ever. Or so we thought. In 2019, MySpace lost 12 years’ worth of music and photos, affecting over 14 million artists and 50 million tracks. If Instagram or the entire internet suddenly disappeared, would you be able to access your precious memories? We are living in a “digital dark age”, a term popularised by information and communication specialist TerryContinue Reading

Witsawat.S/Shutterstock Wildlife tourism thrives on our fascination with animals and primates are particularly attractive animals to tourists. With their human-like faces, complex family dynamics and acrobatic antics, they are a joy to behold. But recent stories have emerged that portray monkeys in a more sinister light. Reports of “monkey attacks”, “devil monkeys”, or even “face-ripping, bone-biting monkeys” have become common in the media. Have our primate cousins turned on us? The recent monkey attacks involve a variety of species in different countries. They include the long-tailed macaque and the pig-tailed macaque in Thailand, Japanese macaques in Japan, and Hanuman langurs in India. Most of these species are macaques, which are a diverse group of monkeys. But all macaques are sociable,Continue Reading

The Ingenuity helicopter on Mars. NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU/MSSS It is difficult to emphasise the significance of the milestone surpassed by Nasa’s Mars helicopter, Ingenuity. The little (1.8kg) helicopter touched down with the Perseverance rover in 2021. On 25 January, Nasa announced that the flying vehicle had to perform an emergency landing which damaged one of its rotors and ended its mission. This reminds us that space exploration is still difficult to do. But Ingenuity’s three years on Mars proved that powered, controlled flight on Mars was possible. The little helicopter lasted for far longer than had been planned and flew higher and further than many had envisaged. Beyond this Martian experiment, the rotorcraft’s success paves the way for other missions using flyingContinue Reading

Alexandru Nika/Shutterstock Many countries face general elections this year. Political campaigning will include misleading and even false information. Just days ago, it was reported that a robocall impersonating US president Joe Biden had told recipients not to vote in the presidential primary. But can disinformation significantly influence voting? There are two typical styles of election campaigning. One is positive, presenting favourable attributes of politicians and their policies, and the other is negative – disparaging the opposition. The latter can backfire, though, or lead to voters disengaging with the entire democratic process. Voters are already fairly savvy – they know that campaigning tactics often include distortions and untruths. Both types of tactics, positive and negative, can feature misinformation, which loosely refersContinue Reading