Digest for 5/11/2026

Kevin Kelly talks about the history of AI and where it's headed, touching on the idea of machines becoming conscious or superintelligent.

What will a future with intuitive AI look like? Futurist Maurice Conti offers a look at technology that augments human creativity and intelligence, from generative design to augmented reality.

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.

A physicist explains the mind-bending world of quantum computing and how it could revolutionize problem-solving in fields like medicine and cryptography.

Shohini Ghose wants us to get excited about quantum computers, which operate using an entirely different logic than classical computing. She explains the basics and explores what makes quantum computing so powerful.

IBM's Director of Research discusses how quantum computing is poised to transform industries by unlocking infinite computational possibilities.

Boyan Slat shares his bold plan to clean up the Great Pacific Garbage Patch using innovative technology to harness ocean currents.

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.

How can architects build a new world of sustainable beauty? By learning from nature. Michael Pawlyn describes three habits of nature that could transform architecture and society: radical resource efficiency, closed loops, and drawing energy from the sun.