by Grant Griesman When our bodies shut down at night, our brains transport us into strange, convoluted alternate realities. Dreams range from the mundane to the fantastical, from classrooms to castles. Despite the sheer absurdity of many dreams, they always feel real. But where do dreams even come from, and why do we have them? […]
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Chemistry and Biochemistry
Toxin Therapy
While the growth of mold on fruits and vegetables forgotten in the fridge is not an atypical occurrence, lethal spores slowly sprouting in improperly preserved or fermented foods lead to more than a smelly fridge. The Clostridium botulinum bacterium produces deadly botulinum toxins (BoNT) that destroy proteins critical for the release of acetylcholine, the neurotransmitter […]
Computer Science and Tech
What is more urgent for AI research: long-term or short-term concerns? Experts disagree
In a 2015 TED Talk, philosopher and Founding Director of the Oxford Future of Humanity Institute Nick Bostrom discusses the prospect of machine superintelligence: AI that would supersede human-level general intelligence. He begins by noting that with the advent of machine-learning models, we have shifted into a new paradigm of algorithms that learn—often from raw […]
Environmental Science
Living in Beaverland: The Ecology and Biogeochemistry of Beavers
Next time you’re flying up to the Portland Jetport and the third rerun of Endgame just isn’t cutting it, look out the window. Much of the northern half of the continent is a sprawling landscape dotted with kettle lakes, winding rivers, and other vestigial scars of a world once drowned in ice. Certainly, of the […]
When We Fall Asleep
by Grant Griesman When our bodies shut down at night, our brains transport us into strange, convoluted alternate realities. Dreams range from the mundane to the fantastical, from classrooms to castles. Despite the sheer absurdity of many dreams, they always … Read Full Article about When We Fall Asleep
What is more urgent for AI research: long-term or short-term concerns? Experts disagree
In a 2015 TED Talk, philosopher and Founding Director of the Oxford Future of Humanity Institute Nick Bostrom discusses the prospect of machine superintelligence: AI that would supersede human-level general intelligence. He begins by noting that with the … Read Full Article about What is more urgent for AI research: long-term or short-term concerns? Experts disagree
Living in Beaverland: The Ecology and Biogeochemistry of Beavers
Next time you’re flying up to the Portland Jetport and the third rerun of Endgame just isn’t cutting it, look out the window. Much of the northern half of the continent is a sprawling landscape dotted with kettle lakes, winding rivers, and other vestigial … Read Full Article about Living in Beaverland: The Ecology and Biogeochemistry of Beavers