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AI isn’t what we should be worried about – it’s the humans controlling it

  • Written by Billy J. Stratton, Professor of English and Literary Arts, University of Denver
imageIn William Gibson's 'Neuromancer,' the AI seeks sanctuary from humanity's corrupting influence.Alessandra Benedetti/Corbis via Getty Images

In 2014, Stephen Hawking voiced grave warnings about the threats of artificial intelligence.

His concerns were not based on any anticipated evil intent, though. Instead, it was from the idea of AI achieving...

Read more: AI isn’t what we should be worried about – it’s the humans controlling it

What is reinforcement learning? An AI researcher explains a key method of teaching machines – and how it relates to training your dog

  • Written by Ambuj Tewari, Professor of Statistics, University of Michigan
imageTraining an AI system and training a dog have a basic principle in common.Westend61 via Getty Images

Understanding intelligence and creating intelligent machines are grand scientific challenges of our times. The ability to learn from experience is a cornerstone of intelligence for machines and living beings alike.

In a remarkably prescient 1948...

Read more: What is reinforcement learning? An AI researcher explains a key method of teaching machines – and...

American liberators of Nazi camps got ‘a lifelong vaccine against extremism’ − their wartime experiences are a warning for today

  • Written by Sara J. Brenneis, Andrew W. Mellon Professor of Spanish, Amherst College
imageA staged recreation of Mauthausen's liberation, May 6, 1945. Spanish prisoners documented the camp's actual liberation the day prior using Nazi cameras. National Archives and Records, Cpl. Donald R. Ornitz, US Signal Corps/Administration, III-SC-206395

When American soldiers liberated the Mauthausen Nazi concentration camp in Austria 80 years ago...

Read more: American liberators of Nazi camps got ‘a lifelong vaccine against extremism’ − their wartime...

EPA must use the best available science − by law − but what does that mean?

  • Written by H. Christopher Frey, Glenn E. Futrell Distinguished University Professor of Environmental Engineering, North Carolina State University

Science is essential as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency carries out its mission to protect human health and the environment.

In fact, laws passed by Congress require the EPA to use the “best available science” in many decisions about regulations, permits, cleaning up contaminated sites and responding to emergencies.

For...

Read more: EPA must use the best available science − by law − but what does that mean?

The trade deficit isn’t an emergency – it’s a sign of America’s strength

  • Written by Tarek Alexander Hassan, Professor of Economics, Boston University

When U.S. President Donald Trump imposed sweeping new tariffs on imported goods on April 2, 2025 – upending global trade and sending markets into a tailspin – he presented the move as a response to a crisis. In an executive order released the same day, the White House said the move was necessary to address “the national emergency...

Read more: The trade deficit isn’t an emergency – it’s a sign of America’s strength

Alcohol causes cancer, and less than 1 drink can increase your risk − a cancer biologist explains how

  • Written by Pranoti Mandrekar, Professor of Medicine, UMass Chan Medical School
imageAny amount of alcohol poses health risks.Krit of Studio OMG/Moment via Getty Images

Alcohol, whether consumed regularly or only on special occasions, takes a toll on your body. From your brain and heart, to your lungs and muscles, to your gastrointestinal and immune systems, alcohol has broad harmful effects on your health – including causing...

Read more: Alcohol causes cancer, and less than 1 drink can increase your risk − a cancer biologist explains...

Animal tranquilizers found in illegal opioids may suppress the lifesaving medication naloxone − and cause more overdose deaths

  • Written by C. Michael White, Distinguished Professor of Pharmacy Practice, University of Connecticut
imageIn March 2023, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved naloxone as a nonprescription nasal spray to reverse the effects of an opioid overdose.Michael Siluk/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

The animal tranquilizers xylazine and medetomidine are in approximately one-third of the illegal opioids available in the U.S., including fentan...

Read more: Animal tranquilizers found in illegal opioids may suppress the lifesaving medication naloxone −...

Housing instability complicates end-of-life care for aging unhoused populations

  • Written by Pilar Ingle, Postdoctoral Researcher in Social Work, University of Denver
imagePeople who are unhoused use emergency rooms for medical care. Halfpoint Images/GettyImages

Research estimates that one-third or more of the unhoused population in the U.S. is age 50 or older.

Unhoused people of all ages face high rates of chronic and serious illness. They also die at younger ages compared with people who are not unhoused.

Yet, there...

Read more: Housing instability complicates end-of-life care for aging unhoused populations

How the small autonomous region of Puntland found success in battling Islamic State in Somalia

  • Written by Ido Levy, PhD Candidate, School of International Service, American University
imageSoldiers with the Puntland Defense Forces.Photo by Carolyn Van Houten/The Washington Post via Getty Images

On Feb. 24, 2025, members of the Puntland Defense Forces posed next to a sign in Arabic that proclaimed the mountain town of Sheebaab as a “province” of the Islamic State group. The town, located in Somalia’s autonomous...

Read more: How the small autonomous region of Puntland found success in battling Islamic State in Somalia

What ancient animal fables from India teach about political wisdom

  • Written by John Nemec, Professor of Indian Religions and South Asian Studies, University of Virginia
imageAn illustration from an Arabic translation of a story in the 'Pañcatantra,' a collection of animal fables.Photo12/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

In today’s volatile world, where wars can be fought over territory, commerce can be abruptly subjected to tariffs, and friendly nations can turn hostile after a single election,...

Read more: What ancient animal fables from India teach about political wisdom

More Articles ...

  1. Hip-hop can document life in America more reliably than history books
  2. The hidden power of marathon Senate speeches: What history tells us about Cory Booker’s 25-hour oration
  3. More than just chips: Chinese threats and Trump tariffs could disrupt lots of ‘made in Taiwan’ imports − disappointing US builders, cyclists and golfers alike
  4. Being alone has its benefits − a psychologist flips the script on the ‘loneliness epidemic’
  5. Abolition wasn’t fueled by just moral or economic concerns – the booming whaling industry also helped sink slavery
  6. Florida is home to about 341,000 immigrants from Venezuela and Haiti who may soon lose residency, work permits
  7. The Trump administration says Tren de Aragua is a terrorist group – but it’s really a transnational criminal organization. Here’s why the label matters.
  8. The problem with Trump’s takeover of the Kennedy Center isn’t the possibility of ‘Cats’
  9. Hormone therapy may cut cardiovascular risk in younger menopausal women
  10. Hard work feels worth it, but only after it’s done – new research on how people value effort
  11. Insects are everywhere in farming and research − but insect welfare is just catching up
  12. Myanmar military’s ‘ceasefire’ follows a pattern of ruling generals exploiting disasters to shore up control
  13. How a lone judge can block a Trump order nationwide – and why, from DACA to DOGE, this judicial check on presidents’ power is shaping how the government works
  14. Trump’s ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs are the highest in decades − an economist explains how that could hurt the US
  15. Why tattoos are such an unreliable marker of gang membership
  16. Lessons from El Salvador for US university leaders facing attacks from Trump
  17. Lowering the cost of insurance in Colorado – a new analysis of the Peak Health Alliance
  18. Medicare Advantage is covering more and more Americans − some because they don’t get to choose
  19. Susan Monarez, Trump’s nominee for CDC director, faces an unprecedented and tumultuous era at the agency
  20. Vitamin D builds your bones and keeps your gut sealed, among many other essential functions − but many children are deficient
  21. From business exports to veteran care − here’s what some of the 35,000 federal workers in the Philadelphia region do
  22. Supreme Court considers whether states may prevent people covered by Medicaid from choosing Planned Parenthood as their health care provider
  23. Chinese barges and Taiwan Strait drills are about global power projection − not just a potential invasion
  24. Feeling FOMO for something that’s not even fun? It’s not the event you’re missing, it’s the bonding
  25. 23andMe is potentially selling more than just genetic data – the personal survey info it collected is just as much a privacy problem
  26. Research shows that a majority of Christian religious leaders accept the reality of climate change but have never mentioned it to their congregations
  27. The never-ending sentence: How parole and probation fuel mass incarceration
  28. In Israel, calls for genocide have migrated from the margins to the mainstream
  29. With its executive order targeting the Smithsonian, the Trump administration opens up a new front in the history wars
  30. Christian Zionism hasn’t always been a conservative evangelical creed – churches’ views of Israel have evolved over decades
  31. Schools and communities can help children bounce back after distressing disasters like the LA wildfires
  32. Why a presidential term limit got written into the Constitution – the story of the 22nd Amendment
  33. America the secular? What a changing religious landscape means for US politics
  34. Land reparations are possible − and over 225 US communities are already working to make amends for slavery and colonization
  35. Planned blackouts are becoming more common − and not having cash on hand could cost you
  36. GOP lawmakers eye SNAP cuts, which would scale back benefits that help low-income people buy food at a time of high food prices
  37. US earthquake safety relies on federal employees’ expertise
  38. Stone tool discovery in China shows people in East Asia were innovating during the Middle Paleolithic, like in Europe and Middle East
  39. Trump’s use of the Alien Enemies Act to deport Venezuelans to El Salvador sparks legal questions likely to reach the Supreme Court
  40. Doctor shortages have hobbled health care for decades − and the trend could be worsening
  41. Bird flu could be on the cusp of transmitting between humans − but there are ways to slow down viral evolution
  42. Measles can ravage the immune system and brain, causing long-term damage – a virologist explains
  43. Massive cuts to Health and Human Services’ workforce signal a dramatic shift in US health policy
  44. Jets from powerful black holes can point astronomers toward where − and where not − to look for life in the universe
  45. Why do dogs love to play with trash?
  46. What is a ‘revisionist’ state, and what are they trying to revise?
  47. As ‘right to die’ gains more acceptance, a scholar of Catholicism explains the position of the Catholic Church
  48. The Panama Canal’s other conflict: Water security for the population and the global economy
  49. How is classified information typically shared and can officials declassify secrets whenever they want? A national security expert explains
  50. ‘Everyday discrimination’ linked to increased anxiety and depression across all groups of Americans