Unless they tell us, how can we know what someone else feels — or if they feel anything at all? — When I was young, dreams and reality often got mixed up into the same basket of “memories”, and the only way I figured out that some things were dreams was when nobody else seemed to remember them. Dreams are similar to novels in some ways: in both cases, the same…

Language can influence the way you think. But do robots think? — Back in 2021, before ChatGPT was a thing, the Internet was flooded with the coloured yellow and green squares of a much simpler online phenomenon: Wordle. Wordle’s appeal lay in its simplicity. You have to guess a five-letter word. Correct letters turn green; letters that are correct but in the…

Dear Readers, This quarter has been an unexpectedly difficult one. We were expecting an easy winter after everyone’s exams got over, but things didn’t go quite as planned. The good part is, thanks to the heroic efforts of some members of the team, we still managed to outlast the siege! …

AI is copying the work of artists. But when the artists run out, who will it copy from? — Edvard Munch’s most famous masterpiece, The Scream, is instantly recognisable. A wavy, discordant landscape coloured in — depending on which of the four versions you’re looking at — yellows, oranges, blues, and reds. …

Rewilding could restore ecosystems to their natural state — but is there such a thing as “natural”? — In February 2022, Russia launched an invasion into Ukraine. There were infantry divisions, armoured tanks, and many, many missiles. Much of the Russian effort was to capture Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine. When this proved difficult Russia turned its attention elsewhere as it began to capture districts in the north-east…

On the Origin of Stories by means of Cultural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Tales in the Struggle for Retelling — “Oh, grandmother, what big shoulders you have!” “The better to carry firewood with, my child!” “Oh, grandmother, what a big nose you have!” “The better to take my tobacco with, my child!” “Oh, grandmother, what a big mouth you have!” “The better to eat you with, my child!”

Dear Reader, This quarter started off rather stressfully with our website address nearly expiring, but we’ve got things back on track — and not just on the tech front. …

Or, why government offices have multiple ancient computers, each running a different version of Internet Explorer. — For all its technological prowess, one can’t help but admit that Google comes up with very uncreative names. One finds images through Google Images, reads books through Google Books, and edits documents in Google Docs. YouTube was so named by its three co-founders before it was bought over by Google…

Newton was an alchemist. Mary Poppins may have been a witch. What are scientists today? — Ever wondered where Mary Poppins came from? Or where she went? Or why none of her other employers freaked out and reported her to the police? Well, here’s one possible answer that would address all of those questions: Hogwarts. Hang on for a second. Stay with me. It sounds preposterous…