Today's Trending Digest

Scared of superintelligent AI? You should be, says neuroscientist and philosopher Sam Harris -- and not just in some theoretical way. We're going to build superhuman machines, says Harris, but we haven't yet grappled with the politics and ethics of how best to contain and manage them.

We're building an artificial intelligence-powered dystopia, one click at a time, says techno-sociologist Zeynep Tufekci. In an eye-opening talk, Tufekci explains how the same algorithms companies like Facebook, Google and Amazon use to get you to click on ads are also used to organize your access to political and social information.

There's a lot of talk about the need to regulate AI, but physicist Max Tegmark says we need to think bigger: what if we could design AI to make our lives better in every way? Tegmark explores the exciting possibilities of life with superintelligent machines -- and how we can ensure that the benefits of AI are shared fairly.

Organizational psychologist Adam Grant shares insights on overcoming languishing, a common feeling in the post-pandemic era, and finding flow for better mental health.

Clinical psychologist Luana Marques discusses how the pandemic has amplified anxiety and offers science-backed strategies to build resilience in the post-pandemic world.

Digital anthropologist Rahaf Harfoush explores the rise of burnout during and after the pandemic, providing ways to reclaim balance for mental well-being.

How do you talk to someone who doesn't believe in climate change? Not by rehashing the same data and facts we've been discussing for years, says climate scientist Katharine Hayhoe. In this inspiring, pragmatic talk, Hayhoe shows how the key to having a real discussion is to connect over shared values like family, community and religion -- and to prompt people to realize that they already care about a changing climate.

Allan Savory has devoted his life to stopping desertification. He now believes -- and his work so far shows -- that a surprising factor can protect grasslands and even reclaim degraded land that was once desert.

Ron Finley plants vegetable gardens in South Central LA — in abandoned lots, traffic medians, along the curbs — to offer a healthy, accessible, and affordable alternative to fast food.