Digest for 11/19/2025

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.

Artificial intelligence is getting smarter by leaps and bounds -- within this century, research suggests, a computer AI could be as 'smart' as a human being. And then, says Nick Bostrom, it will overtake us: 'Machine intelligence is the last invention that humanity will ever need to make.'

How can we harness the power of superintelligent AI while also preventing the catastrophe of robotic overlords? Computer science professor Stuart Russell explains why we need new principles for AI design -- and how we can build them in.

Bill Gates unveils his vision for the world's energy future, describing the need for 'miracles' to avoid planetary catastrophe and explaining why he's backing a dramatically different type of nuclear reactor. The essential goal? Zero carbon emissions globally by 2050.

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.

Climate scientist Johan Rockström shares a new way of thinking about the human impact on the climate. The 'roadmap' for rapid decarbonization that he and a team of experts developed guides our way out of this mess: By halving global emissions every decade, we can limit global warming to below 2 degrees Celsius.

As we expect more from technology, do we expect less from each other? Sherry Turkle studies how our devices and online personas are redefining human connection and communication -- and asks us to think deeply about the new kinds of connection we want to have.

Adam Alter shares his research on how time spent looking at screens is increasing -- and how it's affecting our well-being and happiness.

Scrolling through our social media feeds feels like a harmless part of our daily lives. But is it actually as harmless at seems? According to social media expert Bailey Parnell, our growing and unchecked obsession with social media has unintended long term consequences on our mental health.

As the popularity of remote working continues to spread, workers today can collaborate across cities, countries and even multiple time zones. How do companies ensure that remote employees are productive and that a separation of space doesn't lead to a separation of company goals and vision? Matt Mullenweg, the founder of Automattic (the company behind WordPress), shares his secrets.

Harvard Business School professor Tsedal Neeley shares strategies for leading hybrid teams and making remote work effective in the post-pandemic era.

Economist Nicholas Bloom discusses research on remote and hybrid work models, their impact on productivity, and what the future holds for workplaces.

What's the key to using alternative energy, like solar and wind? Storage -- so we can have power on tap even when the sun's not out and the wind's not blowing. In this accessible talk, Donald Sadoway takes to the blackboard to show us the future of large-scale batteries.

Physicist Amory Lovins lays out a plan for weaning the US off oil and revitalizing the economy by focusing on energy efficiency and renewable sources.

Why is Al Gore optimistic about climate change? In this spirited talk, Gore asks three powerful questions about the man-made forces threatening to destroy our planet -- and the solutions we're designing to combat them.