AI can now attend a meeting and write code for you – here's why you should be cautious

Microsoft Copilot can summarise meetings and even formulate arguments. But as good as that sounds, we shouldn’t blindly trust its accuracy.

Simon Thorne, Senior Lecturer in Computing and ​Information Systems, Cardiff Metropolitan University • conversation
Jan. 2, 2024 ~6 min

A new supercomputer aims to closely mimic the human brain — it could help unlock the secrets of the mind and advance AI

Neuromorphic computers aim to one day replicate the amazing efficiency of the brain.

Domenico Vicinanza, Associate Professor of Intelligent Systems and Data Science, Anglia Ruskin University • conversation
Dec. 18, 2023 ~7 min


What is quantum advantage? A quantum computing scientist explains an approaching milestone marking the arrival of extremely powerful computers

Several companies have made quantum computers, but these early models have yet to demonstrate quantum advantage: the ability to outstrip ordinary supercomputers.

Daniel Lidar, Professor of Electrical Engineering, Chemistry, and Physics & Astronomy, University of Southern California • conversation
Nov. 17, 2023 ~9 min

Does AI have a right to free speech? Only if it supports our right to free thought

If we decide that AI helps us think freely, we may need to give it rights too.

Simon McCarthy-Jones, Associate Professor in Clinical Psychology and Neuropsychology, Trinity College Dublin • conversation
Sept. 27, 2023 ~8 min

Computer science can help farmers explore alternative crops and sustainable farming methods

Conventional agriculture offers farmers few choices about which crops to grow or how to raise them. A new approach uses computing to construct better strategies with lower environmental impacts.

Michael Kantar, Associate Professor of Tropical Plants & Soil Sciences, University of Hawaii • conversation
Aug. 7, 2023 ~10 min

What exactly is the internet? A computer scientist explains what it is and how it came to be

Almost everybody uses the internet just about every day. But do you really know what the internet is?

Fred Martin, Professor of Computer Science, UMass Lowell • conversation
March 13, 2023 ~8 min

Limits to computing: A computer scientist explains why even in the age of AI, some problems are just too difficult

In the age of AI, people might wonder if there’s anything computers can’t do. The answer is yes. In fact, there are numerous problems that are beyond the reach of even the most powerful computers.

Jie Wang, Professor of Computer Science, UMass Lowell • conversation
Jan. 30, 2023 ~8 min

Ada Lovelace's skills with language, music and needlepoint contributed to her pioneering work in computing

Lovelace was a prodigious math talent who learned from the giants of her time, but her linguistic and creative abilities were also important in her invention of computer programming.

Corinna Schlombs, Associate Professor of History, Rochester Institute of Technology • conversation
Dec. 8, 2022 ~8 min


When will I be able to upload my brain to a computer?

To capture the information that a brain contains, you need to cut it into billions and billions of slices.

Guillaume Thierry, Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience, Bangor University • conversation
June 9, 2022 ~17 min

What are digital twins? A pair of computer modeling experts explain

A digital twin is to a computer model as live video is to a still photo. These virtual replicas can be used to understand and make predictions about a wide range of complex systems, including people.

Nalini Venkatasubramanian, Professor of Computer Science, University of California, Irvine • conversation
June 1, 2022 ~4 min

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