science

Marrakech Artisans – who have helped rebuild the Moroccan City before – are among those hit hard in the Earthquake’s Devastation

By Abbey Stockstill, Southern Methodist University | – A powerful earthquake that hit close to the medieval city of Marrakech in Morocco on Sept. 8, 2023, has killed thousands and injured many more. It has also put at risk buildings and monuments of major historic importance, among them the minaret of the Kutubiyya mosque, a […]

China

A Perfect Storm: Does China’s EV Dominance Threaten European Auto Makers on their Home Turf?

Clean Energy Wire

By Sören Amelang | – On the way from China to Europe: BYD electric car. Image by BYD ( Clean Energy Wire ) – Europe’s carmakers have little to celebrate at this year’s IAA mobility show. Chinese firms’ widening lead in the global shift to electric vehicles is on open display at the biennial fair […]

Africa

Hey Jason Aldean: All Humans owe their Big Brains and Survival as a Species to Afro-Textured Hair

Juan Cole

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 […]