Collective Stupidity

When we come together in groups we can be so much more than the sum of the parts. But sometimes groups are just much more stupid. Collective stupidity is the flipside of collective intelligence, and we see it a lot on social media. Why are groups sometimes collectively stupid and sometimes not? What can we do to be more intelligent in groups? In this video I explain the most important points.



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Science News March 22

Today we’ll talk about a new comet, drone deliveries, how the hydrogen economy could actually make global warming worse, a better way to control spin qubits, modular robots that could work on the moon, soft crystals, how to turn a phone into a fluorescent microscope, and of course, the telephone will ring.

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The Race to Nuclear Fustion: Start-up Overview

In this video we survey the biggest and most interesting nuclear fusion startups which want to make nuclear fusion commercially relevant. What are the different approaches, how far along are they, and what are the pros and cons. This video has been in the works for months and it's the longest video we've made so far, almost half an hour, so I hope you have a comfortable seat!



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Science News March 15: What's Up With the New Superconductor Breakthrough?

Today we’ll talk about a potential breakthrough in room temperature superconductivity, new clues about the origin of water on Earth, the best ever model of our geological past, a recent report on academic freedom, an image of the moon taken with a meta-lens, hybrid coral reefs, a new institution dedicated to finding the origin of life in the universe, the first cross-country storage for carbon dioxide, and of course, the telephone will ring.

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I believe chatbots partly understand what they chat about. Let me explain.

I used to think that today's so-called "artificial intelligences" are actually pretty dumb. But I've recently changed my mind. In this video I want to explain why I think that they do understand some of what they do, if not very much. And since I was already freely speculating, I have added some thoughts about how the situation with AIs is going to develop.



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Science News March 8: A new LHC anomaly

Today we’ll talk about a new LHC anomaly, wakefield acceleration, nuclear fusion progress, how to look around corners in augmented reality, the largest magnetic fields we’ve ever seen, engineers who have designed better wood, birds that change their colour, metamaterials that guide robots, and of course, the telephone will ring.

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Marijuana: Legalize or not?

In this video we have collected all you need to know about cannabis and marijuana. What are the risks and benefits of marijuana? Is it a good idea to legalize it? We go through the pros and cons.



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Webb finds galaxies too big to exist. Science News March 1

Today we’ll talk about computers made of human brain cells, galaxies that are too big to exist, how the Brits prevented a global chocolate disaster, what the Milky Way’s black hole is having for dinner, how to get radioactive compounds out of water, an impossibly efficient light sensor, better lithium-air batteries, Google’s second milestone on the way to quantum computing, and of course, the telephone will ring.

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An Air Condition for the Planet: How Could It Work?

All power plants create waste heat that contributes to global warming. At the moment, the contribution is fairly small, but if mankind flourishes it is bound to increase and eventually it will become a problem. The only thing we an do about it is to build an air condition for the planet. Scientists have come up with some ideas how to address the problem that I hope you will find entertaining.



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Is Dark Energy Made of Black Holes? Science News Feb 22

Today we’ll talk about whether dark energy is made of black holes, four types of solar systems, exoboots, whether banning short-haul flights makes sense, 3D printing with sound, smart contact lenses, how copper makes fuel, a new method to extract carbon dioxide from seawater, and of course the telephone will ring.

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The Untapped Potential of Geothermal Energy

There is a lot of energy right under our feet, a relic from Earth's hot past as a ball of plasma. But how much can geothermal energy realistically do for us? What technologies are currently being pursued, what are the risks, and is it even carbon neutral? In this video we have collected all the relevant facts and numbers for you.



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Science News Feb 15

Today we’ll talk about a mysterious laser beam over Hawaii, brain scans in court, a link between quantum chips, self-flying airplanes, better sensors for self-driving cars, how to weave a message into your sweater, the durability of solar panels, and of course the telephone will ring.

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What's going wrong in particle physics?

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Science News Feb 8: Germany Wants to Bring Back Direct Current

Today we’ll talk about how to look inside a nuclear reactor with muons, eight new signals that came up in a search for extra-terrestrial intelligence, why Germany wants to bring back direct current, the plausibility of climate goals, what air pollution does to your brain, how to stab a potato with paper, a scalable quantum simulator, a glass sphere that imitates the sun, true stories that are more engaging than false stories, and of course, the telephone will ring.

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How the Greenhouse Effect Really Works

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Science News Feb 1: What's Up With Earth's Core? A Quantum Computer folds a Mini-Protein. NASA's Nuclear Rocket, and More

Today we’ll talk about changes in the Earth’s core, a quantum computer that folds a mini-protein, radioactive water that the Japanese want to dump into the ocean, NASA’s plans for a nuclear rocket and a transonic plane, how to send data without power, recovering signals from noise, light pollution, and of course, the telephone will ring.

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Genetic Screening: Risk and Benefits

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Science News Jan 25

Today we’ll talk about advances in room temperature superconductivity, greenwashing and carbon capture, an experiment that sheds light on the mystery of cosmic magnetic fields, a robot arm with a needle, a camera with only one pixel, the supposedly coming age of clean technology, better phone memory, why rats might not have brought the plague after all, and of course, the telephone will ring.

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Can the Gulf Stream Collapse?

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The Trouble(s) With Hydrogen

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