COP31 Talks and the Race for Cognitive Immortality
Thousands of delegates, lobbyists, and journalists have converged on Antalya, Turkey, for COP31, the annual United Nations climate negotiations. This year’s talks unfold against a tense geopolitical backdrop, as the world continues to fall further behind the goals set by the Paris Agreement. Soaring energy prices have raised pressing questions about how nations will confront […]
Nvidia Privately Said It Could Track Smuggled Chips
Nvidia representatives told Illinois Representative Bill Foster that implementing the anti-smuggling measures in the proposed Chip Security Act would be technically possible, Foster told MIT Technology Review. The disclosure stands in contrast to the public position of the Semiconductor Industry Association, of which Nvidia is a member, which in March 2026 called the bill’s chip-tracking […]
Inside COP31: What to Expect From the Antalya Climate Talks
Delegates, lobbyists, and journalists have gathered in Antalya, Turkey, for this year’s UN climate negotiations. COP31 kicked off on November 8 and is scheduled to conclude on November 20, with Turkey and Australia serving as cohosts. Known as the “Conference of the Parties,” the annual summit is often a barometer for how the world is […]
Preserving Minds and Weighing Open AI Risks
Our memories fade as we age, yet something stubbornly persists: at 30, 50, or 70, we still feel like ourselves. Driven by that puzzle of personal continuity, a group of forward-thinking technologists is exploring ways to keep the mind functioning beyond death. Proposals range from freezing brains in liquid nitrogen to augmenting living brains and […]
Rethinking Metal Extraction for a Critical Future
For more than a century, many metal extraction processes have relied on scientific foundations that would be familiar to metallurgists from earlier generations. Furnaces have grown larger and control systems smarter, yet the fundamental chemistry of separating metals from ores has evolved far less than most people realize. Today’s materials challenges, however, differ sharply from […]
Pelosi’s Successor Eyes AI Rules; Data Centers Face Power Strain
Scott Wiener, the California state senator who authored legislation aimed at curbing the risks of advanced AI, has won a tight congressional race to succeed Nancy Pelosi in San Francisco. Shortly after his victory was declared, he spoke about the dangers he sees in rapidly advancing AI, using the phrase “recursive self-improvement” repeatedly. “We need […]
Pelosi’s Successor Eyes Federal AI Regulation
Scott Wiener, the California state senator who recently won a tight congressional race to succeed Nancy Pelosi in San Francisco, may soon be positioned to shape federal artificial intelligence policy. Wiener previously authored state legislation aimed at reducing the risks of advanced AI, and he has made the concerns of the AI safety movement central […]
Data Center Backlash Is About Electricity, Not Culture
Across the United States, opposition to data centers is growing, and the epicenter of that resistance is Ashburn, Virginia, home to the world’s largest data center hub, known as Data Center Alley. Concrete buildings line the major roads there, and the sheer scale of the facilities is hard to miss. Technology executives have increasingly framed […]
The Climate Case for AI Remains Unproven
As countries gather in Antalya, Turkey for the United Nations climate conference, artificial intelligence is expected to be a central topic. The host has urged nations to commit to designing, powering, and deploying AI in ways that support climate action. Yet despite optimistic claims from AI leaders, industries worldwide are doing little to use the […]
AI Accelerates Innovation at Lubrizol
As companies race to apply artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and advanced modeling, the central challenge is linking these technologies to reliable data, scientific expertise, and the practical demands of bringing products to market. For specialty chemicals manufacturer Lubrizol, digital transformation centers on equipping researchers with tools to test ideas faster, make better-informed decisions, and develop […]