Topics

Follow the subjects shaping intelligence, science, culture, and the future of technology.

Browse topics

Find a subject, then follow its latest reporting and ideas.

Across Mindplex

Explore current ideas across intelligence, science, culture, and emerging technology.

AI-generated fun with vibe coding, math and physics (part 2)
Article Nov 18, 2025

AI-generated fun with vibe coding, math and physics (part 2)

I’ve been experimenting with vibe coding, math and physics with the artificial intelligence (AI) assistance from Grok. I find the topics that we're exploring very interesting, but that alone wouldn't make me dedicate too much time and effort to this project (I'm not detail-oriented). Rather, I want to test the performance of today's AI on things that I know well enough.
Giulio Prisco 8 min read
So has a fruit fly been uploaded? Or not yet?
Article Mar 16, 2026

So has a fruit fly been uploaded? Or not yet?

The very fact that this experiment has been tried and even produced some very preliminary but essentially encouraging results seems significant and worth celebrating.
Giulio Prisco 7 min read
What Would Happen if Earth's Rotation Stopped for Just One Second?
Community Dec 2, 2025

What Would Happen if Earth's Rotation Stopped for Just One Second?

One second. Earth freezes. You don’t. At 1,000 mph you’re airborne, cities vaporize under supersonic winds, oceans leap ashore. Then spin slams back apocalypse, twice in a heartbeat.

Emrakeb Ermias 4 min read
Magnetically Tunable Elastomers Could Give Soft Robots More Adaptable Mechanics
Mindbytes Oct 9, 2026

Magnetically Tunable Elastomers Could Give Soft Robots More Adaptable Mechanics

A standardized dataset maps how magnetic fillers reshape the stiffness, stretchability and magnetic response of materials designed for soft robotics.
Linsey Smith 1 min read
Musk's companies pursue sweeping AI and robotics projects
News Sep 28, 2026

Musk's companies pursue sweeping AI and robotics projects

Elon Musk's companies are advancing an unusually broad slate of technology initiatives in 2026, spanning brain-computer interfaces, humanoid robots, autonomous vehicles, semiconductor manufacturing, and AI infrastructure.
Giulio Prisco 2 min read
Conscious AI: Conflations and Comparisons
Article Dec 25, 2025

Conscious AI: Conflations and Comparisons

Consciousness, like intelligence, is multi-faceted. This makes the future of AI more unpredictable and potentially even more hazardous.

David Wood 21 min read
Chaos in AI governance?
Community Jun 11, 2026

Chaos in AI governance?

Three moments, three continents, one shared problem: no one really knows how to govern AI technology.

Eduardo Martínez de la Fe 2 min read
The Big One
Article Apr 3, 2026

The Big One

Opposition to the precautionary principle has become a kind of fad. But if we really understand risks such as “The Big One”, we’ll see that opposition is a major mistake.

David Wood 34 min read
Are animals and AI conscious? We’ve devised new theories for how to test this
Article Dec 1, 2025

Are animals and AI conscious? We’ve devised new theories for how to test this

Recent scientific research has been considering the possibility that animals and AI might be conscious. A way of studying consciousness is to watch how en entity acts.
Republished from The Conversation 4 min read
AI doesn’t ‘see’ the way that you do, and that could be a problem when it categorizes objects and scenes
Article Mar 18, 2026

AI doesn’t ‘see’ the way that you do, and that could be a problem when it categorizes objects and scenes

AI doesn’t necessarily need to process information exactly the way people think, but AI can be trained using principles drawn from human perception and cognition.
Republished from The Conversation 5 min read