What Lit the Lamps That Let Humanity Measure the Universe

Every year, around 1,000 Type Ia supernovas erupt in the sky. These stellar explosions brighten and then fade away in a pattern so repeatable that they’re used as “standard candles”—objects so uniformly bright that astronomers can deduce the distance to one of them by its appearance. Our understanding of the cosmos is based on these […]

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Humanity Is Doing Its Best Impression of a Black Hole

The one thing that all human civilizations have in common is that they end. For 10,000 years or so, that’s been the common factor.  You can make an argument that civilizations tend not to last very long once they get to a certain level of tech. When they get to the point where they would […]

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The Toll Facial Recognition Systems Might Take on Our Privacy and Humanity

Artificial intelligence really is everywhere in our day-to-day lives, and one area that’s drawn a lot of attention is its use in facial recognition systems (FRS). This controversial collection of technology is one of the most hotly-debated among data privacy activists, government officials, and proponents of tougher measures on crime. Enough ink has been spilled […]

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