The Myth of a Superhuman AI – Backchannel

The Myth of a Superhuman AI – Backchannel
Why hyper-intelligent algorithms are not going to take over the world.

April 27, 2017 at 07:10AM
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Sloths Used To Be Ginormous And Without Them We Wouldn't Have Avocados

Sloths Used To Be Ginormous And Without Them We Wouldn't Have Avocados
Next time you're at a fancy brunch munching on avocado toast, pour one out for the humble sloth.

April 27, 2017 at 11:09PM
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Better Nuclear Power Through Ping Pong

Better Nuclear Power Through Ping Pong
TerraPower's design, called a Traveling Wave Reactor, unlocks about 30 times more energy, produces three to six times less waste, improves safety, and, TerraPower contends, will eventually eliminate the need to use enrichment.

April 26, 2017 at 09:48PM
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Controversial Fox News Host Jesse Watters Mimicks Ivanka Trump Sex Move, Takes Abrupt Vacation

Controversial Fox News Host Jesse Watters Mimicks Ivanka Trump Sex Move, Takes Abrupt Vacation
We'd say this is a new low, but he's been down there for awhile.

April 27, 2017 at 08:00PM
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Hey, Computer Scientists! Stop Hating on the Humanities

Hey, Computer Scientists! Stop Hating on the Humanities
"Computer science is wondrous. The problem is that many people in Silicon Valley believe that it is all that matters."

April 27, 2017 at 07:42PM
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Trump's Lawyer Shocks Supreme Court Justices With Deportation Standard, And Other Trump News From Today

Trump's Lawyer Shocks Supreme Court Justices With Deportation Standard, And Other Trump News From Today
All the Trump news you need to read from Thursday.

April 27, 2017 at 06:40PM
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Nintendo Switch sells 2.74 million units in first month

Nintendo Switch sells 2.74 million units in first month
Switch is beating expectations; Nintendo hopes for 10 million more sales in first year.

April 27, 2017 at 06:29PM
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When the Hell Will We Find Planet Nine?

When the Hell Will We Find Planet Nine?
The hunt for Planet 9 — a hypothetical, Neptune-sized object beyond Pluto — has stirred the scientific community since last year year, when a pair of Caltech astronomers argued in favor of the idea.

April 27, 2017 at 06:29PM
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Could history of humans in North America be rewritten by broken bones?

Could history of humans in North America be rewritten by broken bones?
The history of the people of America, a story that dates back to the last ice age, has been upended by the battered bones of a mastodon found under a freeway construction site in California.

April 27, 2017 at 04:31PM
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North Korea: US vows sanctions and will activate Thaad system 'within days'

North Korea: US vows sanctions and will activate Thaad system 'within days'
The US says it plans to activate a missile defense system in South Korea "within days" and tighten economic sanctions against North Korea.

April 27, 2017 at 04:31PM
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Could history of humans in North America be rewritten by broken bones?

Could history of humans in North America be rewritten by broken bones?
The history of the people of America, a story that dates back to the last ice age, has been upended by the battered bones of a mastodon found under a freeway construction site in California.

April 27, 2017 at 04:31PM
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There Is A Snake In This Picture, But Good Luck Finding It

There Is A Snake In This Picture, But Good Luck Finding It
Optical illusions are fun. Usually (who can forget the blurry ham or those non-cylindrical cylinders?). But this image is not so fun, because hidden in it is a venomous Copperhead snake.

April 27, 2017 at 03:49AM
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Man Fined $500 for Crime of Writing 'I Am An Engineer' in an Email to the Government

Man Fined $500 for Crime of Writing 'I Am An Engineer' in an Email to the Government
An electronics engineer says he found a flaw in traffic lights. The Oregon engineering board fined him for it.

April 26, 2017 at 07:48PM
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What Bullets Do to Bodies

What Bullets Do to Bodies
How would the gun debate change if Americans witnessed the horrors that trauma surgeons confront everyday?

April 26, 2017 at 09:48PM
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What Would Happen If You Never Got A Cavity Filled?

What Would Happen If You Never Got A Cavity Filled?
What if your mouth is riddled with cavities, and you just never went back to the dentist? The short answer: It would not be good.

April 27, 2017 at 03:36AM
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Quantum Theory Could Actually Be About Us

Quantum Theory Could Actually Be About Us
Does the quantum state ultimately represent some objective aspect of reality, or is it a way of characterizing something about us, namely, something about what some person knows about reality?

April 27, 2017 at 01:15AM
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Shooting A Prince Rupert's Drop Point Blank Does... Nothing

Shooting A Prince Rupert's Drop Point Blank Does... Nothing
The Prince Rupert's Drop, which is pretty much indestructible until its tail is snapped off, can survive a lot of things — including a bullet fired from inches away, apparently.

April 27, 2017 at 12:51AM
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Here's Why People Are Cancel From Unsubscription Unroll.me

Here's Why People Are Cancel From Unsubscription Unroll.me
Some background on Unroll.me, how its data collection practices came to light, and why no one is satisfied by its CEO's attempt to explain the mess.

April 26, 2017 at 01:35AM
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A Timeline Of Events Related To Ann Coulter's Speech At Berkeley (Which She Just Pulled Out Of)

A Timeline Of Events Related To Ann Coulter's Speech At Berkeley (Which She Just Pulled Out Of)
Here's a timeline of the violent clashes, lawsuits, and flip-flopping (on both sides) that have occurred since the Berkeley College Republicans announced Coulter's planned speech late last month.

April 27, 2017 at 12:15AM
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Immunotherapy Pioneer James Allison Has Unfinished Business with Cancer

Immunotherapy Pioneer James Allison Has Unfinished Business with Cancer
Why do most patients fail to respond to the newest cures?

April 27, 2017 at 12:07AM
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