Humans

Sam Harris: What Happens When Humans Develop Super Intelligent AI?

10:00am September 15, 2017

by NPR/TED Staff

Does superhuman artificial intelligence sound like science fiction? Not for Sam Harris. He says it's not a question of if but when — with potentially destructive consequences.

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We're at this break point where we can read life code. We can copy life code. We can edit life code. - Juan Enriquez

Juan Enriquez: What Can Happen If Humans Control The Future Of Evolution?

10:00am September 15, 2017

by NPR/TED Staff

From genetically modified animals and crops, we can already manipulate DNA. But futurist Juan Enriquez argues soon we can take full control of human evolution to create a better life for all of us.

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Paul Knoepfler: What Are The Unintended Consequences Of Human Gene Editing?

10:00am September 15, 2017

by NPR/TED Staff

New gene editing tools hold a great deal of promise, but biologist Paul Knoepfler says we should be cautious. He warns altering DNA can have dire consequences, including a new form of eugenics.

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President Trump gives a speech aboard the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford at its commissioning at Naval Station Norfolk in Virginia in July.

What Should We Make Of Trump's Speech Patterns — And Our Responses To Them?

12:26pm September 14, 2017

by Barbara J. King

Yes, President Trump's words tend to be simple and oft-repeated. The real question, says anthropologist Barbara J. King, may be what happens when we adopt them.

The perception that everyone's more connected than you is pretty common.

If You Think Everyone Else Has More Friends, You're Not Alone

12:11pm September 14, 2017

by April Fulton

Many first-year college students think their peers have more friends than they do, a study finds. But that can actually help motivate students to make new connections.

Adult Eastern hellbenders can grow up to 2 feet long and weigh around 5 pounds. They are currently endangered in several states.

VIDEO: Snot Otters Get A Second Chance In Ohio

9:06am September 14, 2017

by Madeline K. Sofia

North America's largest amphibian, the Hellbender salamander, is in trouble. They are endangered in several states. A team in Ohio is trying to save them before it's too late.

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A smokestack rises in the background over the East Houston community of Manchester, Texas, where the air was heavy with what smelled like gasoline after Hurricane Harvey in late August. The neighborhood is ringed by industrial sites.

Air Pollution From Industry Plagues Houston In Harvey's Wake

5:05am September 14, 2017

Flooding in Houston and utility outages led to belches of fumes from refineries and other industrial sites. Residents of a region already struggling with air pollution wonder: Is it safe to breathe?

Screen shot from The Sign, a documentary in which biblical literalists claim the end is coming on Sept. 23 with a specific planetary alignment.

Is The Apocalypse Coming? No, It Isn't!

2:24pm September 13, 2017

by Marcelo Gleiser

Biblical literalists affirm in The Sign that Sept. 23 is the day the end comes as prophesied in Revelation. Fortunately, the film doesn't only present this version of the story, says Marcelo Gleiser.

An artist's rendering of what a Class V planet might look like under this new planetary classification system.

Lessons From The Stars: How To Live On A Climate-Changed World

11:17am September 13, 2017

by Adam Frank

Classification of planets offers a way to see how Anthropocenes — and a successful route through them — might be part of a continuum of planetary evolution, says astrophysicist Adam Frank.

A study of chemotherapy medicines produced by 10 companies found that, on average, each drug produced seven times as much revenue for its manufacturer as it cost in research and development.

R&D Costs For Cancer Drugs Are Likely Much Less Than Industry Claims, Study Finds

4:33pm September 11, 2017

by Richard Harris

Industry says it costs about $2.7 billion to bring a cancer drug to market. But oncologists who ran the numbers put the average closer to $650 million. Drugs are priced way too high, the doctors say.