Digest for 11/16/2025

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.'

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.

Lawyer Vicki Arroyo uses environmental scholarship to show how to prepare for a future where extreme weather is more and more likely.

Imagine the hottest day you've ever experienced. Now imagine it's six, 10 or 12 degrees hotter. According to climate researcher Alice Bows-Larkin, that's the type of future in store for us if we don't significantly cut our greenhouse gas emissions now.

Climate action is picking up speed -- and it could accelerate even faster with an injection of stubborn optimism, says climate champion Christiana Figueres.

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.

In a moving talk, journalist Johann Hari shares fresh insights on the causes of depression and anxiety from experts around the world -- as well as some exciting emerging solutions.

The pandemic has changed how we work and live. Former Netflix chief talent officer Patty McCord shares four key insights about navigating this new landscape, from embracing flexibility to prioritizing well-being.

Bill Gates discusses how the COVID-19 pandemic will influence innovation, work, and global health in the years to come.

Matt Mullenweg, founder of WordPress, explores how remote work, accelerated by the pandemic, is transforming the traditional office and global collaboration.

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.

In this passionate call to action, 16-year-old climate activist Greta Thunberg explains why, in August 2018, she walked out of school and organized a strike to raise awareness of global warming, protesting outside Sweden's parliament and grabbing the world's attention.

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.