Science and Technology

It is 62 years since a historic human feat: Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin’s journey to become the first human being to see the Earth from space with his own eyes. It was on 12 April 1961 and it was a…

Would anyone ask a talented actor not only to act and talk like a skilled surgeon in a convincing manner, but then allow him to take a scalpel and operate on him? It would seem stupid, wouldn’t it? Well, that…

An interview with Professor Chris Stringer, one of the leading experts on human evolution. By Jan Ritch-Frel There’s a paradigm shift underway in our understanding of the past 4 million years of human evolution: ours is a story that includes…

The unprecedented popularity of ChatGPT has turbocharged the AI hype machine. We are being bombarded daily by news articles announcing humankind’s greatest invention—Artificial Intelligence (AI). AI is “qualitatively different,” “transformational,” “revolutionary,” “will change everything,”—they say. OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT,…

Recent alarming reports state that the UK is prepared to supply Ukraine with depleted uranium ammunition in the ongoing slaughter in Ukraine. These lethally toxic carcinogens are known to cause illness and death, not only for the victims of war…

Costa Rica will be the first Central American nation to use artificial intelligence to combat hate speech and discrimination. The National Artificial Intelligence Strategy was developed with the support of the United Nations country team, according to the United Nations…

Part I: Articles of Faith Part II: Follow the Money Part III: The Nuclear Ban Treaty What does the nuclear weapons industry talk about when they’re together? I spent three days with 530 government officials, politicians, and corporate contractors in…

Even before the attack on the homeland of the weather balloons, the Havana Syndrome tested America’s mettle. The Havana Syndrome was first reported in Cuba in 2016. The mysterious malady initially afflicted US embassy staff in Havana, especially those attached…

What does the nuclear weapons industry talk about when they’re together? I spent three days with 530 government officials, politicians, and corporate contractors in a hotel basement to find out. Part I of this piece, “Articles of Faith,” described some…

The first steam locomotives travelled at a maximum speed of eight kilometres per hour; today’s locomotives exceed 300 kilometres per hour. By Alberto Vázquez-Figueroa Rail transport has improved a lot in less than two hundred years, but unfortunately, there is…