Nick Things

Interview: Nick Bostrom

Flo Read | Unherd | 12th November 2023

Philosopher of existential risk argues that AI, if it does not kill us, will make us stronger. "I would like AI [to arrive] before some radical biotech revolution. We could go extinct through synthetic biology without even getting to roll the die with AI. Whereas if we get AI first, maybe that will kill us, but if not, if we get through that, then I think [AI] will handle the biotech, the nanotech, risks" (2,600 words)

52 Things I Learned In 2023

Tom Whitwell | Magnetic Notes | 1st December 2023

Is it that time of year already? The claims in Tom Whitwell's annual assemblage of offbeat eyebrow-raisers range, as always, from the counterintuitive to the scarcely credible. “A group of domesticated birds were taught to call one another on tablets and smartphones.” "Scientists in Singapore have developed a tiny flexible battery, powered by the salt in human tears, for smart contact lenses" (1,500 words)