Intelligence

Consciousness is among the most intimate yet mysterious aspects of life — a phenomenon we feel deeply but struggle to define. Scientists have long depended on people’s ability to report their own experiences, but this method fails when dealing...

Despite impressive progress in artificial intelligence, the field is still missing a definitive way to measure whether a machine truly thinks like a human. From prize challenges to philosophical debates, researchers are wrestling with the limits of current benchmarks—and...

Artificial intelligence has dazzled with feats from mastering chess to drafting legal briefs, yet one puzzle remains unsolved: how to tell if it truly thinks like us. As large language models consume more of the world’s knowledge, their ability...

In a striking development, OpenAI’s latest model, known as “o3,” has scored on par with humans in a general intelligence benchmark. But before we declare the arrival of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI), a closer look reveals how benchmarks both...

From feathered couriers to engineered creatures, the world of espionage has long tapped the unexpected. Homing pigeons, eavesdropping cats, naval whales, and even robotic catfish have all taken part in operations both daring and surreal. These stories reveal how...

In the shimmering shallows of a laboratory tank, a tiny drama unfolds. Male mosquitofish, barely the length of a human finger, are faced with miniature puzzles—mazes, color cues, and obstacles that demand sharp thinking. But this is no idle...

Amidst the rise of AI that can outperform humans in many tasks, humanities education endures—rooted not in technical output, but in deep personal and civic growth. Philosophical insights from the Enlightenment and today’s challenges alike reveal why cultivating the...

The concept of transferring human consciousness into a digital system has long lived in the realm of science fiction. Today, neuroscience acknowledges the idea’s theoretical possibility while stressing its monumental challenges. The journey from brain biology to machine-based mind...

For decades, scientists have decoded how the brain navigates the physical world, but a new discovery reveals its hidden ability to chart the world of ideas and actions. Researchers at the University of Oxford have identified specific brain cells...

It began quietly—barely perceptible shifts in temperature, a calm sea mirroring a burning sky. But beneath the surface of Australia’s treasured coastlines, a different kind of fire was spreading. Ningaloo Reef, the lesser-known twin of the Great Barrier Reef,...