Ideas, ThinkTanks...

The Most Terrifying Planets Ever Discovered!

Fri, 03 Oct 2025 10:57:46 +0000

The Most Terrifying Planets Ever Discovered!

Credit to : TheSimplySpace

The post The Most Terrifying Planets Ever Discovered! first appeared on The Futurist.

NASA Just Updated 3I/ATLAS’s Size — It’s Large, Not 28 Miles!

Fri, 03 Oct 2025 10:43:10 +0000

NASA Just Updated 3I/ATLAS’s Size — It’s Large, Not 28 Miles!

The clock is ticking—66 days until October 29th, 2025, when 3I/ATLAS reaches perihelion and disappears behind the Sun. NASA just corrected the record: it’s not 28 miles across… but it’s still massive. And what’s more? It’s not behaving like anything natural. Here’s what we’ve just learned about 3I/ATLAS.
Credit to : The Brilliant

The post NASA Just Updated 3I/ATLAS’s Size — It’s Large, Not 28 Miles! first appeared on The Futurist.

Scientists can now map spots on distant stars using orbiting exoplanets

Fri, 03 Oct 2025 10:30:29 +0000

Scientists can now map spots on distant stars using orbiting exoplanets

There is a new method to detect and map spots on stars by “using observations from NASA missions of orbiting planets.” according to NASA”s Goddard Space Flight Center.
Credit to : VideoFromSpace

The post Scientists can now map spots on distant stars using orbiting exoplanets first appeared on The Futurist.

NASA Is Closer Than Ever to Finding Planet Nine

Fri, 03 Oct 2025 10:21:57 +0000

NASA Is Closer Than Ever to Finding Planet Nine

Join us as we explore the latest updates on the elusive Planet Nine, a mysterious world that has captivated astronomers and space enthusiasts alike. NASA’s ongoing efforts to uncover the truth about this enigmatic planet have sparked intense curiosity, and we’re here to dive into the latest discoveries.
Credit to : BRIGHT SIDE Series

The post NASA Is Closer Than Ever to Finding Planet Nine first appeared on The Futurist.

Astronomers Were Searching for the Ninth Planet, but Then This Appeared!

Fri, 03 Oct 2025 10:13:05 +0000

Astronomers Were Searching for the Ninth Planet, but Then This Appeared!

Watch THIS Next.
Credit to : TheSimplySpace

The post Astronomers Were Searching for the Ninth Planet, but Then This Appeared! first appeared on The Futurist.

From nothing, everything

Fri, 03 Oct 2025 10:00:00 +0000

The idea of nothing pushes at the limits of thought, spawning paradoxes that have long nourished art, philosophy, and science

- by Victoria Wohl

Read on Aeon

A Strange Object Is Racing Toward the Sun – And It Won’t Stop

Fri, 03 Oct 2025 09:42:15 +0000

A Strange Object Is Racing Toward the Sun – And It Won’t Stop

Astronomers have spotted 3I/ATLAS, a mysterious interstellar object hurtling toward us from deep space. It’s only the third known visitor of its kind, joining the ranks of ‘Oumuamua and Comet Borisov. The crazy part? Nobody’s entirely sure what it is—an asteroid, a comet, or something even stranger. Every telescope on Earth is now locked on this cosmic intruder, trying to decode its secrets before it slingshots away forever.
Credit to : BRIGHT SIDE

The post A Strange Object Is Racing Toward the Sun – And It Won’t Stop first appeared on The Futurist.

Harvard & NASA Warn a New Object Could Hit 3I/ATLAS – The Data Is Terrifying!

Fri, 03 Oct 2025 09:40:24 +0000

Harvard & NASA Warn a New Object Could Hit 3I/ATLAS – The Data Is Terrifying!

Swan R2, officially known as C 20-25 R2, wasn’t spotted until a sudden outburst lit it up in September, shocking astronomers who thought the skies were under control
Credit to : Voyager

The post Harvard & NASA Warn a New Object Could Hit 3I/ATLAS – The Data Is Terrifying! first appeared on The Futurist.

Voyager 1 Reached the Other Side… And It’s Totally NOT What we Thought

Fri, 03 Oct 2025 09:39:00 +0000

Voyager 1 Reached the Other Side… And It’s Totally NOT What we Thought

Imagine this: for months, Voyager 1—a spacecraft older than the internet itself—had gone completely silent. Fifteen billion miles from Earth, no signal, no data… just silence. A silence so deep, so absolute, it felt like the universe itself had drawn a curtain. Scientists feared the worst—had our furthest explorer finally died in the dark? And then, just as hope was flickering out, a whisper returned. But it wasn’t a normal update. It wasn’t a system reboot or a status check.
Credit to : Beyond The Stars

The post Voyager 1 Reached the Other Side… And It’s Totally NOT What we Thought first appeared on The Futurist.

Rogue planet is having a massive ‘growth-spurt’ – Very Large Telescope study

Fri, 03 Oct 2025 09:27:26 +0000

Rogue planet is having a massive ‘growth-spurt’ – Very Large Telescope study

Credit to : VideoFromSpace

The post Rogue planet is having a massive ‘growth-spurt’ – Very Large Telescope study first appeared on The Futurist.

Our Solar System’s Greatest Threat: Alpha Centauri

Fri, 03 Oct 2025 09:14:16 +0000

Our Solar System’s Greatest Threat: Alpha Centauri

Join us as we explore one of the most fascinating and potentially hazardous regions of our cosmic neighborhood – Alpha Centauri. Located about 4.37 light-years from Earth, Alpha Centauri is the closest star system to our Solar System, comprising three stars: Alpha Centauri A, Alpha Centauri B, and Proxima Centauri.

Credit to : BRIGHT SIDE Series

The post Our Solar System’s Greatest Threat: Alpha Centauri first appeared on The Futurist.

A century-old piano mystery has just been solved

Thu, 02 Oct 2025 12:54:04 +0000

Scientists confirmed that pianists can alter timbre through touch, using advanced sensors to capture micro-movements that shape sound perception. The discovery bridges art and science, promising applications in music education, neuroscience, and beyond.

Africa’s cultural landmarks: Great Zimbabwe

Thu, 02 Oct 2025 10:01:00 +0000

What the medieval stone ruins of Great Zimbabwe tell us about an advanced African society and its legacy today

- by Aeon Video

Watch on Aeon

Kabul in my heart

Thu, 02 Oct 2025 10:00:00 +0000

When the Taliban captured my city, thousands fled and the rest were severely repressed. But I’ve stayed – and survived

- by Maryam Mahjoba & Asad Nariman

Read on Aeon

Single-celled species that dabble in multicellularity

Wed, 01 Oct 2025 10:01:00 +0000

A billion years ago, life made a big leap towards complexity – but what made single-celled organisms stick together?

- by Aeon Video

Watch on Aeon

I made it fun

Tue, 30 Sep 2025 10:00:00 +0000

Warren met his cancer diagnosis with tenacious optimism. But can positive thinking really affect the course of the disease?

- by Kirtan D Nautiyal

Read on Aeon

All these marks

Mon, 29 Sep 2025 10:01:00 +0000

As their hateful tattoos are covered up with colourful flowers and birds, three men reflect on catharsis and redemption

- by Aeon Video

Watch on Aeon

Revolutionary tolerance

Mon, 29 Sep 2025 10:00:00 +0000

In an age of ferocious religious bloodletting, Sebastian Castellio argued that everyone seems like a heretic to someone else

- by Michael W Bruening

Read on Aeon

Should we edit nature?

Fri, 26 Sep 2025 10:00:00 +0000

Countless species are dying from human-induced environmental change. Should we use genetic technology to alter and save them?

- by David Farrier

Read on Aeon

Gilded predator: a digital reconstruction

Thu, 25 Sep 2025 10:01:00 +0000

Watch the exquisite digital restoration of a ceremonial pre-Incan shield, in which the owl is a symbol of war, not wisdom

- by Aeon Video

Watch on Aeon

Record everything!

Thu, 25 Sep 2025 10:00:00 +0000

Our memories are precious to us and constitute our sense of self. Why not enhance them by recording all of your life?

- by Yannic Kappes

Read on Aeon

The ethical dilemma of deathbed wishes

Wed, 24 Sep 2025 10:01:00 +0000

Should you never make promises you don’t intend to keep? What philosophers say about the ethics of breaking your word

- by Aeon Video

Watch on Aeon

The world needs peasants

Tue, 23 Sep 2025 10:00:00 +0000

Far from being a relic of the past, peasants are vital to feeding the world. They need to be supported, not marginalised

- by Maryam Aslany

Read on Aeon

Life on the Mississippi

Mon, 22 Sep 2025 10:01:00 +0000

Retracing Mark Twain’s path down the Mississippi, a filmmaker finds himself contemplating what it means to know a river

- by Aeon Video

Watch on Aeon

Sometimes democracy works

Mon, 22 Sep 2025 10:00:00 +0000

Same-sex marriage is an astonishing case of progress propelled by democracy, in the face of public spite and misinformation

- by Michael Fuerstein

Read on Aeon

Breaking the chain

Fri, 19 Sep 2025 10:00:00 +0000

The role of the conscious observer has posed a stubborn problem for quantum measurement. Phenomenology offers a solution

- by Steven French

Read on Aeon

The Universe in motion

Thu, 18 Sep 2025 10:01:00 +0000

What does the deep future hold for our night sky? Extraordinary data visualisations of the coming distortions of the Universe

- by Aeon Video

Watch on Aeon

Divine dividends

Thu, 18 Sep 2025 10:00:00 +0000

In China, companies that are closer to temples are more generous to shareholders: religion subtly shapes economic behaviour

- by Zhangxin (Frank) Liu

Read on Aeon

Brick by brick

Wed, 17 Sep 2025 10:01:00 +0000

‘I didn’t think I’d get the job!’ How the cheery steeplejack Fred Dibnah dismantled an industrial chimney one brick at a time

- by Aeon Video

Watch on Aeon

In the glow of the candle

Tue, 16 Sep 2025 10:00:00 +0000

Joseph Wright of Derby put science at the centre of his art. Eclipsed in his lifetime, his work still burns with radical ideas

- by Charlotte Mullins

Read on Aeon

Waska

Mon, 15 Sep 2025 10:01:00 +0000

Ayahuasca forms part of the resistance to extractivism and commodification for the Kichwa of Sarayuku, Ecuadorian Amazon

- by Aeon Video

Watch on Psyche

Scientists reveal how breathwork unlocks psychedelic bliss in the brain

Tue, 02 Sep 2025 12:24:12 +0000

High-ventilation breathwork with music can evoke psychedelic-like states, shifting blood flow in the brain and reducing negative emotions. Participants experienced unity and bliss, pointing to a natural therapeutic tool with powerful potential.

Doctors used music instead of medication—what they saw in dementia patients was remarkable

Sat, 19 Jul 2025 13:32:28 +0000

A groundbreaking pilot in NHS dementia wards is using live music therapy—called MELODIC—to ease patient distress without relying on drugs. Developed by researchers and clinicians with input from patients and families, this low-cost approach embeds music therapists directly into care teams. Early results show improved patient wellbeing and less disruptive behavior, sparking hope for wider NHS adoption.

Are lefties really more creative? 100 years of data say no

Tue, 01 Jul 2025 12:09:56 +0000

A sweeping review of more than a century’s research upends the popular notion that left-handers are naturally more creative. Cornell psychologist Daniel Casasanto’s team sifted nearly a thousand studies, ultimately finding no consistent advantage for lefties on standard divergent-thinking tests—and even a slight edge for right-handers in some. The myth appears to thrive on coincidence: left-handedness is rare and so is creative genius, plus lefties’ overrepresentation in art and music gets cherry-picked while other professions are ignored.

Is AI truly creative? Turns out creativity is in the eye of the beholder

Thu, 08 May 2025 15:24:27 +0000

What makes people think an AI system is creative? New research shows that it depends on how much they see of the creative act. The findings have implications for how we research and design creative AI systems, and they also raise fundamental questions about how we perceive creativity in other people.

Creativity boosts standardized literacy and numeracy test scores: Australia

Wed, 05 Mar 2025 04:51:47 +0000

A groundbreaking study shows that creativity plays an essential role in academic success, suggesting that students who think outside the box are more likely to excel in literacy and numeracy assessments.

Professional artists viewed as more creative than AI programs

Thu, 27 Feb 2025 17:52:34 +0000

In the rapidly developing contest between human creativity and artificial intelligence algorithms, professional artists still have an edge in producing more creative AI-assisted artwork than the AI programs themselves or novice artists, according to new research.

Researchers identify a brain circuit for creativity

Thu, 13 Feb 2025 19:36:06 +0000

Researchers analyzed data from 857 patients across 36 fMRI brain imaging studies and mapped a common brain circuit for creativity.

A team with diverse expertise produces novel ideas -- but are they practical?

Tue, 21 Jan 2025 17:59:15 +0000

A first-of-its-kind study shows that while teams with differing skill sets and perspectives bring fresh, unique ideas to the table, they often struggle to create practical, workable solutions -- raising important questions for managers and businesses worldwide.

Origins of creativity in the brain

Mon, 15 Jul 2024 14:35:38 +0000

New results could ultimately help lead to interventions that spark creative thought or aid people who have mental illnesses that disrupt these regions of the brain.

AI found to boost individual creativity -- at the expense of less varied content

Sat, 13 Jul 2024 02:21:27 +0000

A new study finds that AI enhances creativity by boosting the novelty of story ideas as well as the 'usefulness' of stories -- their ability to engage the target audience and potential for publication. However, AI was not judged to enhance the work produced by more creative writers and the study also warns that while AI may enhance individual creativity it may also result in a loss of collective novelty, as AI-assisted stories were found to contain more similarities to each other and were less varied and diverse.

Creativity starts in the cradle, new research shows

Wed, 10 Jul 2024 23:55:07 +0000

New research indicates that babies can begin grasping complex language and ideas.

Composition co-written by AI performed by choir and published as sheet music

Mon, 14 Aug 2023 11:45:30 +0000

Ed Newton-Rex, a creative AI pioneer and VP Audio at Stability AI, says that he’s become the first author to publish a piece of classical music that uses generative AI. The musician and entrepreneur wrote his “I stand in the library,” a piece for the choir and piano, to a poem produced by OpenAI‘s generative AI model GPT3. Written back in 2022, the 15-minute composition has been premiered at the Live from London online classical music festival, performed by a choral group VOCES8. The full version of the performance is available (behind paywall) on the festival’s website, but here’s an…

This story continues at The Next Web

How to fulfil your creative potential: An unmissable talk at TNW Conference

Wed, 14 Jun 2023 07:00:34 +0000

Holly Blondin will be speaking at TNW Conference, which takes place on June 15 & 16 in Amsterdam. If you want to experience the event (and say hi to our editorial team!), we’ve got something special for our loyal readers. Use the promo code READ-TNW-25 and get a 25% discount on your business pass for TNW Conference. See you in Amsterdam! Few are the blessed people in the world who are entirely immune to procrastination. Whether from lack of motivation, fear of failure, succumbing to distractions and temptations, or an overestimation of future productivity, habitual or “chronic” procrastinators make up approximately 20% of…

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The ultimate guide to video editing for newbies

Mon, 02 May 2022 07:16:11 +0000

Ever watched a YouTube or TikTok video and thought, “I could create something like that”? Well, that’s easier said than done when you haven’t created a video before. While our unlimited access to content makes video creation appear simple (if there are so many videos out there, it can’t be that hard, right?), there are a few common pitfalls first-time video makers often run into. We spoke with video editing expert, Kwangsub Kim, to get the pro tips you need to create an amazing first video. After being in the business for over 20 years, Kim became vice president of…

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7 things to look for in your first video editing software

Fri, 08 Apr 2022 11:01:52 +0000

Whether you fancy yourself as the next Scorsese or want to spruce up your travel vlog, a handy video editor is vital in any digital creator’s toolkit. When you’ve finally captured your footage, and it’s almost ready for the world to see, some quick and simple editing can prevent it from getting lost in the 720,000 hours of video uploaded online every day. Here we’ll break down what you should prioritize in your search for video editing software and tools. Compatibility First things first. You need to consider what type and model of cameras you’ll be using most and whether…

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Do you need to be alone to be creative? Here’s what the experts say

Wed, 26 Jan 2022 11:08:48 +0000

Before the pandemic started, the debate between open office proponents and haters was as hot as ever, with a new day and a new ‘study’ showing favorable results for rubbing elbows with colleagues. And the next day, one professing the evils of the incessant noise machine we’d created. Little did we know we’d soon all be doing our own unintentional ‘experiment’ into the benefits and evils of working solo. But now, after close to two years, offices in many parts of the world are asking employees to return to work. Needless to say, this is creating some tension between those…

This story continues at The Next Web

Can art mobilize people to fight climate change? This artist thinks so

Mon, 25 Oct 2021 15:21:19 +0000

Neuroscientists at Columbia University observed a curious thing. When they asked a group of test subjects to concentrate on a painting of an angel wielding a sword, they found it triggered responses in the subjects’ wrists. Others have reported the sensation of dancing when observing Degas’ Ballerinas. This is due to a process called embodied cognition. When we view a piece of art, our brain mirrors actions depicted on the canvas. Not only can art inspire physical action, it can also stimulate emotion and make the intangible feel tangible. According to eco artist Thijs Biersteker: Context is also important in…

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The creator economy needs a Universal Basic Income — here’s why

Thu, 07 Oct 2021 13:33:18 +0000

The internet — and now Web3 — has created an environment where anyone can share their creations with people worldwide. Digital technology has also enabled professionals to work remotely without being tied down by an office job. The creator economy encompasses the new generation of creators and innovators who are not limited by the 9–5. This trend has been emerging for years, but it’s only recently been given a name. It’s an economy where creative entrepreneurs can work from anywhere they please, regardless of whether they’re employed by someone else, freelancing, or running their own business. With the rise in creative…

This story continues at The Next Web

China’s Cracking Down on Kids’ Screen Time, and the Implications Could Be Far-Reaching

Wed, 29 Sep 2021 17:09:45 +0000

Screens are taking over our lives. According to market research firm eMarketer, in 2020 adults in the US spent an average of 7 hours and 50 minutes per day looking at screens. That total is likely much higher for desk workers, who look at their computers during the work day then look at their phones or TVs in the evening.

Screen time is bad enough for adults, but what about kids? Video games, social media, show streaming, and messaging have all become common activities not just for teens, but for children too, and the impacts often aren’t positive. Two weeks ago, for example, the Wall Street Journal broke the story that Facebook has downplayed findings from its own research on the ill effects of its platforms (namely Instagram) on teenage girls. Rates of depression, anxiety, and eating disorders among adolescents and adults are on the rise.

In the US, it’s mostly up to parents to restrict or control their kids’ screen time and social media usage. But the degree to which parents try to limit these activities (and succeed at doing so) varies widely.

In China, it’s a different story. Forget parents—the government has taken matters into its own hands and is seeing to it that kids don’t while away their time (and their young developing brains) on worthless screen-centered activities.

Out of Time

At the end of August, China’s National Press and Publication Administration implemented new rules restricting the amount of time that minors (defined here as under age 18) can spend playing video games, slashing the limit to one hour per day on weekends and holidays. The previous limit, set in 2019, was 3 hours on holidays and 1.5 hours on other days.

Two weeks ago, ByteDance Ltd., which owns TikTok and its Chinese version Douyin, followed suit, implementing restrictions for users under 14. The app’s new “youth mode” allows kids and teens to be on the platform for up to 40 minutes a day total, and only between the hours of 6am and 10pm.

“Adolescents are the future of the motherland, and protecting the physical and mental health of minors is related to the vital interests of masses, and in cultivating newcomers in the era of national rejuvenation,” the Press and Publications Administration said in a statement. In other words, the youth are the future, and if we let screens and social media turn their brains to mush while they’re young, the future’s not going to be very bright.

Screen Time and Geopolitics?

The restrictions come amid growing geopolitical tensions between China and the US, and crackdowns by the Chinese government over various sectors of the economy, from big tech to education to ride-hailing and real estate.

Limiting kids’ screen time may not appear to be connected to China’s geopolitical ambitions, but considering the longer-term implications of these policies says otherwise. All else being equal, which country is more likely to produce a generation of great leaders, innovators, scientists, businesspeople, creatives, and the like: one where clear rules (and a cultural stigma) around screens force kids to spend time on more productive activities and curb the negative effects of screens on their mental health—or one where kids spend hours each day immersed in virtual worlds, distracting them from real-life activities and wearing down their self-esteem, focus, and social skills in the process?

Of course, not all else is equal between China and the US. Though both nations are global powerhouses, they’re worlds apart in terms of culture, government, education systems, and social norms, to name just a few.

It’s not unreasonable to think that government restrictions on kids’ screen time could help make China’s next generation more capable than America’s. But for one, it’s uncertain how strictly the time limits will be enforced. Douyin and gaming platforms will require name and age verification, and some gaming platforms will do periodic facial recognition checks on players. Tao Ran, who directs Beijing’s Adolescent Psychological Development Base, estimated that around 20 percent of kids will find a way to circumvent the restrictions. “Some minors are too smart, if you have a system in place to restrict them from gaming they will try to beat the system by borrowing accounts of their older relatives and find a way around facial recognition,” Tao said.

In addition, just because kids aren’t gaming or watching Douyin videos doesn’t mean they’re studying, playing sports, or doing other activities considered “productive”; they could easily end up spending more time on other apps, social media, or streaming platforms.

Lastly, even if these restrictions contribute to giving Chinese youth a competitive edge in the future, it may be hard to pull ahead of the US in terms of fostering innovation, as Oxford fellows Carl Frey and Michael Osborne argued in a Foreign Affairs piece last year.

Tellingly, ByteDance is pushing educational material in Douyin’s youth mode, including “interesting popular science experiments, exhibitions in museums and galleries, beautiful scenery across the country… [and] explanations of historical knowledge.”

Not a Bad Idea

While Americans may not feel threatened by China’s screen time restrictions for young people, perhaps they should serve as an example, or a kick in the pants—for parents, regulators, app makers, and anyone who feels that screen time and social media are having a detrimental effect on their lives.

As detailed in the 2020 docu-drama The Social Dilemma, social media gets people “hooked” by exploiting the brain’s dopamine response and serving up customized content to keep us scrolling, watching, and clicking. Psychiatrist Anna Lembke’s new book Dopamine Nation warns against the ills of this sort of addiction, encouraging people to resist “compulsive overconsumption” and “immerse yourself fully in the life that you’ve been given.”

We shouldn’t need government regulations to do this, and our kids most definitely shouldn’t either.

Image Credit: Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash