Surprising Science — February 12, 2011

The Singularity Is Near

A weekly newsletter featuring the biggest ideas from the smartest people

With Time magazine’s recent cover story on futurist Ray Kurzweil, his theories about the singularity have entered the mainstream. Now hear them straight from the source.

A weekly newsletter featuring the biggest ideas from the smartest people

Life

Moving trees north to save the forests

As the world warms, trees in forests such as those in Minnesota will no longer be adapted to their local climates. That’s where assisted migration comes in.

Comparison of early Mars with abundant water and a thicker atmosphere versus the dry and arid Mars of today, much like Venus, which also died in terms of its potential to support life.

Starts With A Bang

What was it like when Venus and Mars both died?

In the early stages of our Solar System, there were three life-friendly planets: Venus, Earth, and Mars. Only Earth thrived. Here’s why.

An abstract composite image depicting where life began with mountainous terrain, chemical structures, and a monochrome inset of a cloudy sky.

Starts With A Bang

What was it like when life first sprang forth on Earth?

Although early Earth was a molten hellscape, once it cooled, life arose almost immediately. That original chain of life remains unbroken.

An AI-generated illustration of a man sitting at a desk, accompanied by thought-provoking poetry.

Thinking

Can AI write authentic poetry?

Cognitive psychologist and poet Keith Holyoak explores whether artificial intelligence could ever achieve poetic authenticity.

A close up image of a group of pink bacteria on a black background.

Neuropsych

The growing link between microbes, mood, and mental health

Research suggests that to maintain a healthy brain, we should tend our gut microbiome.

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