Why the Mystery of Consciousness Is Deeper Than We Thought
Despite great progress, we lack even the beginning of an explanation of how the brain produces our inner world of colors, sounds, smells and tastes. A thought experiment with “pain-pleasure” zombies illustrates that the mystery is deeper than we thought
In the Race to Artificial General Intelligence, Where’s the Finish Line?
Claims of artificial general intelligence are increasingly common. But can anyone agree on what it is?
Elephants Call Each Other by Name Across the Savanna
Female elephants address one another with individualized rumbles
Do Plants ‘Think’? We Might Not Know Enough about Consciousness to Be Certain
Zoë Schlanger’s new book The Light Eaters explores the surprising science of plant intelligence.
Meeting Developmental Milestones Early Doesn’t Always Predict Success
Developmental milestones help us understand when a child needs help, but meeting them early doesn’t necessarily predict long-term success
A Camera-Wearing Baby Taught an AI to Learn Words
Most machine-learning models rely on mountains of data to replicate human text, but new research suggests the recipe for learning language might be simpler
New Training Method Helps AI Generalize like People Do
To improve machine learning, the answer might be taking a different approach to robot education rather than just feeding models more data
Reading for Pleasure Helps Kids’ Brain Development
The simple and fun act of reading for pleasure in early childhood produces better cognition, mental health and educational attainment in adolescence
School’s Out. Should You Worry about the ‘Summer Slide’?
Kids don’t typically advance academically during the summer, but the research isn’t clear on whether they forget what they’ve already learned
How Smart Were Dinosaurs? New Studies Fuel the Debate
Discussions of dinosaur brainpower spark larger questions around the nature of intelligence
The Dunning-Kruger Effect Isn’t What You Think It Is
The least skilled people know how much they don't know, but everyone thinks they are better than average
Neurons in a Dish Learn to Play Pong
A cellular version of the computer game challenges assumptions about intelligence