Something interesting happened in Swedish finance last quarter. The only big bank that managed to cut costs also happens to be behind one of the industry’s boldest plans to replace humans with automation. Nordea Bank AB, whose Chief Executive Officer Casper von Koskull says his industry might only have half its current human workforce a... Continue Reading →

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Pq-S557XQU Most of the economy doesn't exist to fulfill our basic needs, yet so many people are unable to meet them. “Earn a living.” “Be practical.” “Get a job.” Odds are that you have heard these statements before. As an adult, we don’t need anyone to tell us these things. We tell ourselves. But there... Continue Reading →

AI researchers have demonstrated a self-teaching algorithm that gives a robot hand remarkable new dexterity. Their creation taught itself to manipulate a cube with uncanny skill by practicing for the equivalent of a hundred years inside a computer simulation (though only a few days in real time). The robotic hand is still nowhere near as agile... Continue Reading →

The case for an ambitious new particle accelerator to be built in the United States has just gotten a major boost. Today, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine have endorsed the development of the Electron Ion Collider, or EIC. The proposed facility, consisting of two intersecting accelerators, would smash together beams of protons... Continue Reading →

We are sacrificing our oceans and filling our landfills in the name of convenience. It's time to pay the bill. According to the Wall Street Journal, “The U.S. recycling industry is breaking down.” Bob Tita writes: Prices for scrap paper and plastic have collapsed, leading local officials across the country to charge residents more to... Continue Reading →

Can you catch a falling star and put it in your pocket? Chinese scientists believe this is not impossible, as they plan to capture an asteroid and bring it down to Earth. A group of astrophysicists has proposed an ambitious plan to take over a small near-Earth asteroid and transport it to Earth. It may... Continue Reading →

Recent discoveries have revealed that much of the traditional understanding of the human origin story is wrong. Until the past few years, most anthropologists and archaeologists believed that the first members of our species — Homo sapiens — evolved in East Africa approximately 200,000 years ago . As that story goes, humanity mostly remained in... Continue Reading →

In the age of Donald Trump, women's voices are needed more than ever in Congress. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's historic upset primary proves that young, progressive women deserve to have a voice that people would value in our government. Check out these other progressive millennial women running for government office and their inspiring campaigns for the 2018... Continue Reading →

Just 80 miles east of Silicon Valley, one of the wealthiest regions in the country, is Stockton, California — once known as America's foreclosure capital. Soon, the former bankrupt city will become the first in the country to participate in a test of Universal Basic Income, also known as UBI. Stockton will give 100 residents... Continue Reading →

Businesses around the world are cottoning on to the value of transferring labour from human workers to machines. Automation can increase efficiency and decrease labour costs. It helps employers to avoid complex challenges like wage increase demands, labour protests and strikes. Consumers also benefit from automation when products and services become cheaper because of reduced... Continue Reading →