Living to 100 years old and beyond is no doubt one of the greatest privileges that life can offer. As of 2021, just over half a million people — less than 0.01% of the world’s population — are centenarians, a remarkable figure nonetheless. However, to live to 100 years old and be riddled with the […]
Blue zones: Lessons from the longest-living people Read More »
Lightning is not uncommon, nor is it particularly subtle. In fact, with approximately 9 million strikes per day, it is one of the loudest, brightest, and most common natural phenomena known to the terrestrial sciences. Most people know lightning as loud arcs of light that sometimes occur during severe storms. Indeed, this is the most
Aerial electricity: Lightning and other poorly-understood phenomena Read More »
Katalin Karikó, the 13th woman to be awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, was initially demoted from her position at the University of Pennsylvania for the same research on messenger RNA (mRNA) that won her the achievement in 2023. Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman jointly received the award in October for their chemical
From nowhere to Nobel Read More »
Buried within blooming jungles in northern Guatemala lie ancient Mayan settlements with detailed palaces, monumental pyramids, and even ball courts for competitive sports. Within the archeological community, it had been generally accepted that this area in Northern Guatemala, known as the Mayan lowlands, was sparsely populated throughout history. However, with the help of modern technology,
Unveiling Mayan mysteries: Modern physics revolutionizes archaeology research Read More »
17th century Boston most likely never imagined it would grow into the major urban center it has become 300 years after its founding. The cluster of neighborhoods that make up its landscape developed at their own paces and paved their roads in a manner that suited them. These roads are known historically to have catered
Stuck in Boston traffic? Blame the cows, partially Read More »
It is not every day that a fossil of an entirely new species is found, let alone that of an early human, estimated to be 300,000 years old. This recent discovery adds an entirely new chapter in the story of premodern human history. In 2019, a team of scientists led by Xiu-Jie Wu and Wu
The discovery of a 300,000-year-old fossil, and what it means Read More »
What is “intelligence”? Large language models like ChatGPT have showcased an impressive ability to generate human-like responses that appear highly intelligent. The current trend in AI development seems to revolve around creating increasingly larger models, with billions upon billions of parameters, as a path toward achieving general-purpose AI. However, Yann Lecun, chief AI scientist at
Making AI more “human”: A conversation with Northeastern AI professor Lawson Wong Read More »
The public has scoffed at students for “cheating” their way through classes with AI homework helpers. Many feel as though it is dishonest to use technology for assignments, so how would those same people feel if they knew that reliable and credible scientific journals are starting to list one of these same “homework helpers” as
ChatGPT, an AI chatbot and now a published author? Read More »
In the age of Hollywood writers striking over the use of artificial intelligence in writers’ rooms and AI-written articles, many have expressed concerns over the capabilities of artificial intelligence to replace journalists and media producers alike. Instead, some see artificial intelligence as a tool to expand the capabilities of the creative and journalistic industries. For
How AI is changing the journalism industry Read More »