Author: The Conversation

In 1981, American physicist and Nobel Laureate, Richard Feynman, gave a lecture at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) near Boston, in which he outlined a revolutionary idea. Feynman suggested that the strange physics of quantum mechanics could be used to perform calculations. The field of quantum computing was born. In the 40-plus years since, it has become an intensive area of research in computer science. Despite years of frantic development, physicists have not yet built practical quantum computers that are well suited for everyday use and normal conditions (for example, many quantum computers operate at very low temperatures). Questions and uncertainties still remain about…

The progress of artificial intelligence (AI) has been relentless. With OpenAI’s latest model, o3, recently breaking records yet again, it raises urgent questions about safety, as well as the future of humanity. One place we can turn for help is to great thinkers from the past. They explored beyond the obvious in their worlds and often looked into the future, foreseeing a time when machines would have AI-like capabilities. The English 19th-century mathematician and writer Ada Lovelace is sometimes recognised as the first computer programmer for her work with the polymath Charles Babbage on his “analytical engine”. This was a general-purpose mechanical…

Last week the billionaire and owner of X, Elon Musk, claimed the pool of human-generated data that’s used to train artificial intelligence (AI) models such as ChatGPT has run out. Musk didn’t cite evidence to support this. But other leading tech industry figures have made similar claims in recent months. And earlier research indicated human-generated data would run out within two to eight years. This is largely because humans can’t create new data such as text, video and images fast enough to keep up with the speedy and enormous demands of AI models. When genuine data does run out, it will present a major problem for…

In 2024, space exploration dazzled the world. NASA’s Europa Clipper began its journey to study Jupiter’s moon Europa. SpaceX’s Starship achieved its first successful landing, a critical milestone for future deep space missions. China made headlines with the Chang’e 6 mission, which successfully returned samples from the far side of the Moon. Meanwhile, the International Space Station continued to host international crews, including private missions like Axiom Mission 3. As an aerospace engineer, I’m excited for 2025, when space agencies worldwide are gearing up for even more ambitious goals. Here’s a look at the most exciting missions planned for the coming year, which will expand humanity’s horizons even further, from the…

Not so long ago, sports and entertainment were separate: each had their own distinct place in our minds. In the streaming era, that has become somewhat blurred. If anything, we now have to filter through all the types of content available to entertain us, rather than having to search from a limited range of offerings. Sport is now a form of entertainment, competing against a broad range of direct and indirect competitors who are essentially fighting over their slice of the cake in this attention economy. Sports and sports teams have had to adapt quickly to this changing era through different…

Outer space is infinite, but that hasn’t stopped humans from trying to impose their laws on it. There are more ways for people to travel to space than ever before, and the next few decades are likely to see the US and China sending humans to the Moon again. Both countries aim to set up long-term research stations on the lunar surface, a bit like there are now in Antarctica. But could disputes between these two countries – and potentially others, such as Russia or India – arise over where to locate bases on the lunar surface? And could the same happen over claims…

News that Dutch publishing house Veen Bosch & Keuning (VBK) has confirmed plans to experiment using AI to translate fiction has stirred up a thought-provoking debate. Some believe it marks the beginning of the end for human translators, while others see this as the opening up of a new world of possibilities to bring more literature to even more people. These arguments are becoming increasingly vocal as the advance of AI accelerates at an ever-increasing rate. This debate interests me as my work examines the intersections of art, ethics, technology and culture, and I have published research in areas of emerging technologies, particularly in…

2024 has been called the year of AI in science. It saw the Nobel prizes in both physics and chemistry awarded to groups of AI researchers. But the evolving role of AI in scientific discovery also raises questions and concerns. Will a lack of access to increasingly capable AI tools restrict the ability of many institutions to carry out research at the cutting edge? The Nobel Prizes in physics and chemistry were actually awarded for radically different advances. The physics prize, which went to John Hopfield and Geoffrey Hinton, recognised their development of algorithms and ideas that advanced a subset of AI called machine…

Bioenergy – the renewable energy derived from plant and animal waste products – is largely ignored in South Africa. Solar energy, wind power, and green hydrogen attract the most investment in renewable energy. Sugarcane trash (the discarded leaves and tops of the plant) is a good example of plant waste that could be turned into energy. But it’s overlooked. South Africa is a major sugarcane producer, producing about 2.2 million tonnes of refined sugar per season. This generates an estimated average direct income of over R20 billion (more than US$1 billion) per year. The country has about 20,200 registered small-scale sugarcane growers producing about 2.09 million tonnes of cane every…

Imagine attending a funeral where the person who has died speaks directly to you, answering your questions and sharing memories. This happened at the funeral of Marina Smith, a Holocaust educator who died in 2022. Thanks to an AI technology company called StoryFile, Smith seemed to interact naturally with her family and friends. The system used prerecorded answers combined with artificial intelligence to create a realistic, interactive experience. This wasn’t just a video; it was something closer to a real conversation, giving people a new way to feel connected to a loved one after they’re gone. Virtual life after death Technology has…