Math
Scientists Say: Correlation and Causation
There is a correlation between countries where people eat more chocolate and those that produce more Nobel Prize winners. But beware assuming that one variable causes the other.
Science & Society
More Stories in Science & Society
- Math
Cake-cutting math offers lessons that go far beyond dessert plates
As a way to study how to fairly share a limited resource, cake-cutting can inform splitting up chores, drawing fair voting districts and more.
- Artificial Intelligence
Here’s why AI like ChatGPT probably won’t reach humanlike understanding
Unlike people, this type of artificial intelligence isn’t good at learning concepts that it can apply to new situations.
- Animals
Dancing spiders inspired this biologist to teach others
Inspired by his research in animal communication, Echeverri began exploring ways to teach others about science while finishing his Ph.D. Today, he shares his passion for spiders as a science communicator.
- Humans
Let’s learn about fingerprints
Researchers are still making new discoveries about how our fingerprints form — and how to use them to solve crimes.
- Tech
Scientists Say: Digital Footprint
Your digital footprint contains both what you post online — and information about your online activity collected by others.
- Artificial Intelligence
How to design artificial intelligence that acts nice — and only nice
Today’s bots can’t turn against us, but they can cause harm. “AI safety” aims to train this tech so it will always be honest, harmless and helpful.
- Artificial Intelligence
‘Jailbreaks’ bring out the evil side of chatbots
Researchers break chatbots in order to fix them. This so-called red-teaming is an important way to improve AI’s behavior.
- Artificial Intelligence
AI learned how to influence humans by watching a video game
New research used the game Overcooked to show how AI can learn to collaborate with — or manipulate — us.
- Psychology
You’re too distracted. Here’s why that matters and what to do about it
Science reveals the many reasons we are so distracted, from poor sleep and social media to diet and exercise. It also shows us how to take back our focus.
