AI vs humans: The ‘singularity’ keeps getting postponed
AI boosters keep postponing the advent of artificial general intelligence.
Kurt Cobb
Fracking wastewater now endangers both drinking water and the wells that regurgitate the wastewater
There’s an old saying that I won’t spell out completely, but which most readers will certainly have heard at least once in their lives, to wit: “Don’t sh– where you eat.”
Can authoritarians solve our environmental problems?
Frustrated environmental advocates sometimes in frustration think that only a dictator can solve our environmental problems. They should think again.
The myth of managing the biosphere
A recent piece in New Scientist has reminded me that it is a myth that humans, if they are wise and clever enough, can learn to “manage” the biosphere.
Wars and rumors of wars: America, Europe, Russia and China
Can preparing for war really keep the peace?
Dog days in D.C.
Our bodies respond to heat by adapting if we let them. But with the widespread use of air conditioning, few people are obliged to adapt. That actually makes them more susceptible to heat-related illnesses.
Two presidents, dementia and the 25th amendment
Two presidents in a row now have stories swirling about regarding dementia. Not a good prospect for the US dealing with climate issues.
Review: “Endgame 2050” documentary
Endgame 2050 delivers lots of good information, but it’s hampered by poor structure, repetition and lack of focus.
Living through the second Gilded Age
For some time we Americans have been living through the country’s second Gilded Age, one that will not likely end the way the first one did.
An Important New Book on the Praxis of Social Ecology
A new book offers offers a welcome, up-to-date examination of social ecology as a living tradition.
Death as a Nothing-Burger
Fear of death pervades our culture: many among us cringe at its mention, and indeed structure whole lives around elaborate stories of denial: we can’t really ever be dead, surely!
Transformer bottleneck: Can the U.S. maintain and expand its electric grid?
Electrical transformers are becoming a key chokepoint for maintenance and expansion of the electrical grid in the U.S. and worldwide.
