This past summer, a congressional subcommittee heard testimony about the discovery of nonhuman “biologics” at U.F.O. crash sites. In “The Little Book of Aliens” (2023), the astrophysicist Adam Frank argues that we’re closer than ever to being able to look for possible signs of civilization in outer space — just in time for a population that feels alienated from life on Earth. Thomas, NYT Style Magazine)
Read MoreFor the first time the World Economic Forum’s annual risk report, which surveys 1,500 policymakers and risks, identified “misinformation and disinformation” from foreign and domestic actors as the most acute risk facing the world over the next two years. (Khan, The Times UK)
Read MoreMinisters have published proposals for a ban on conversion therapy in Scotland which religious leaders claim would risk “criminalising” the giving of advice. The 86-page consultation document, released on Tuesday, detailed ministers’ plans to outlaw the practice, which involves attempting to change or suppress an individual’s gender identity or sexual orientation. (Paton & Kendix, The Times UK)
Read MoreEvery year, we look for promising technologies poised to have a real impact on the world. Here are the advances that we think matter most right now. (MIT Technology Review)
Read MoreCallum Hood, the head of research at the Center for Countering Digital Hate, said fringe sites like 4chan — perhaps the most notorious of them all — often gave early warning signs for how new technology would be used to project extreme ideas. (Thompson, The New York Times)
Read MoreMany companies no longer utter these three letters: E-S-G. Following years of simmering investor backlash, political pressure and legal threats over environmental, social and governance efforts, a number of business leaders are now making a conscious effort to avoid the once widely used acronym for such initiatives. (Cutter & Glazer, The Wall Street Journal)
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