NPR's Scott Simon speaks with author Benjamín Labatut about his new novel, "The Maniac," a fictionalized account of a pioneer in the field of artificial intelligence. Are human beings so clever - or ...
A little over 100 years ago, the great German sociologist Max Weber warned that the growth of modern science would result in the “disenchantment” of the world. He meant a world without mystery, ...
The Chilean author’s assured fictionalised portrait of the visionary Hungarian scientist who contributed to the Manhattan Project and laid the foundations of modern computing is darkly intelligent and ...
When news breaks, you need to understand what actually matters — and what to do about it. At Vox, our mission to help you make sense of the world has never been more vital. But we can’t do it on our ...
When news breaks, you need to understand what actually matters — and what to do about it. At Vox, our mission to help you make sense of the world has never been more vital. But we can’t do it on our ...
This article was featured in One Story to Read Today, a newsletter in which our editors recommend a single must-read from The Atlantic, Monday through Friday. Sign up for it here. If the most ...
The great man interpretation of history is making a resurgence, though in place of the usual statesmen and generals a new crop of destiny-makers has arisen: scientists and tech pioneers. Following ...
Blue has sent me down a rabbit hole. Specifically, Prussian blue, which appears as a silent, deadly character in Benjamín Labatut’s 2020 novel, “When We Cease to Understand the World.” This slender ...
One of the most famous images by the Spanish artist Francisco Goya is an etching that depicts a man slumped over his desk asleep, papers underneath him and his head buried in his arms. From the ...
Are human beings so clever - or we think we are - that we'll devise new and ingenious advances to achieve fabulous things and deliver our own destruction? That's a question at the heart of Benjamin ...
This story is free to read because readers choose to support LAist. If you find value in independent local reporting, make a donation to power our newsroom today. Are human beings so clever - or we ...