Neurotransmitters
milhayser | July 23, 2014With 2001 in the rear-view mirror, there have been no little green men, no meal-replacement pills, no flying automobiles, no space odysseys. But as big-budget plans to model the human brain prove, proponents of artificial intelligence remain hopeful. In its most literal sense, AI exists already: encoded and executed, endowed with sensors, lenses and microphones, connected to the internet, and stuck in your pocket. But how intelligent does a machine have to be before our worst nightmares come true? Intelligent enough to pass a Turing test? Intelligent enough to nuke the human race? And/or…
milhayser | February 11, 2010
Good things are great, but too much of a good thing can be bad. Especially when you can't get enough. On The Frontal Cortex, Jonah Lehrer introduces us to ChatRoulette, a website that allows you to get "rejected, propositioned and yelled at" by other live strangers with webcams. With a single click, users can dump whomever they're looking for a new face, hopefully. Jonah says it "reminds me of Vegas, where people are willing to endure big losses for the occasional thrill of a surprising gain." Of course, if chocolate is your choice compulsion, gain is to be expected. Jessica Palmer on…