Digest for 4/27/2026

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.

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.

AI is massively transforming our world, but what should we do about the jobs it displaces? AI investor Kai-Fu Lee shares a blueprint for rethinking work in the age of intelligent machines.

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.

Exploring how quantum computers could solve problems beyond classical computing.

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

Hannah Bürckstümmer introduces a breakthrough in solar technology: printable, flexible organic solar cells that could revolutionize renewable energy.

Green-minded architect and designer William McDonough asks what our buildings and products would look like if designers took into account all children, all species, for all time.