Sam Altman on AGI: people will freak out then move on
2024-01-18
If artificial general intelligence is achieved, it will be able to outperform humans on most intellectual tasks. The Economist asks Sam Altman, the boss of OpenAI, how worried the world should be about AGI.
Watch the full interview here: https://econ.st/3RUSgzm
Why is Ethiopia risking war for a port?
2024-01-09
Ethiopia’s president, Abiy Ahmed, has signed a deal with Somaliland to get his landlocked country direct access to the sea. Abiy hails this as an act of diplomacy, but could it destabilise an already volatile part of the world?
00:00 – a new dispute in the Horn of Africa
01:00 – the historical context
01:29 – the implications of the new deal
Sign up to The Economist’s daily newsletter: https://econ.st/3QAawvI
Read more about the region: https://econ.st/4b1lIwv
Ethiopia’s deal with Somaliland: https://econ.st/3tJGQGB
Why does Ethiopia want access to a seaport?: https://econ.st/3H9RA45
Why Somaliland isn’t a recognised state: https://econ.st/48pfwMY
Conflict in the Horn of Africa: https://econ.st/48mt7of
The most important elections to watch in 2024
2023-12-31
More than half the people on the planet live in countries that will hold nationwide elections in 2024. In theory it should be a triumphant year for democracy. In practice it will be the opposite
Is nuclear fusion the future of clean energy?
2023-12-14
Fusion is a kind of nuclear power, which could revolutionise how clean energy is produced. As a new wave of experiments heats up, can fusion live up to the hype?
00:33 The future of green energy
02:00 What is nuclear fusion and how does it work?
03:17 Is it achievable?
Sign up to The Economist’s daily newsletter: https://econ.st/3s9WjPB
Energy security gives climate-friendly nuclear-power plants a new appeal: https://econ.st/3QHgdd1
Listen to our podcast about the importance of private companies in advancing nuclear fusion https://econ.st/49n7aqa
Fusion power is coming back into fashion: https://econ.st/49jPwDu
Watch our film about the transition to green energy: https://econ.st/473WDNT
The race to build a commercial fusion reactor hots up: https://econ.st/47kpfDn
Watch
How green is the energy revolution really?
2023-11-23
We hear a lot about the need to get off fossil fuels. How is the energy transition really going and how fast is the world moving towards a green future?
00:51 How did the war in Ukraine impact the green revolution?
05:50 Why is green energy booming in unlikely places?
08:31 Rewiring the world for net zero
11:40 Is nuclear energy making a comeback?
14:20 Texas: the anti-green future of clean energy
18:09 Do environmentalists need to change?
Sign up to The Economist’s daily newsletter: https://econ.st/3s9WjPB
Read our quarterly report on electric grids: https://econ.st/3SnGejK
War and subsidies have turbocharged the green transition: https://econ.st/47h2vnO
Renewable energy has hidden costs: https://econ.st/3SlLww7
Listen to our podcast about whether the energy crisis could
What happens to your brain as you age
2023-11-02
As the most complex organ in your body, your brain changes radically throughout your life. Starting from before birth and continuing even after you’ve died. This is what happens to your brain as you age.
00:00 – What happens to your brain when you age?
00:32 – In the womb
01:03 – Childhood
03:19 – Teenage years
04:48 – Early adulthood
05:27 – Middle age
07:04 – Later life
07:36 – Death
Sign up to The Economist’s daily newsletter: https://econ.st/3QAawvI
Is there a genetic link between endometriosis and the brain?: https://econ.st/46u9Q31
Even doctors can struggle to diagnose concussions: https://econ.st/3RlFfQP
Artificial brains are helping scientists study the real thing: https://econ.st/3Plo6UN
A big advance in mapping the structure of the brain: https://econ.st/48sx6jJ
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