Maybe your resolution for 2019 was to read more. Maybe you vowed to knock out at least fifty books before the next new year’s celebrations came around. By February, that plan is likely hopelessly behind — and, by all accounts, just steps away from going out the window entirely. A little under a book a…
The evolution of language converted a defenceless naked ape into a world-dominating force. It fundamentally transformed how humans transmit information and knowledge. A large and potent component of language is our ability to communicate about things that are not here, that happened in the past, or that will happen in the future. This feature of…
Sign languages aren’t easy to learn and are even harder to teach. They use not just hand gestures but also mouthings, facial expressions and body posture to communicate meaning. This complexity means professional teaching programs are still rare and often expensive. But this could all change soon, with a little help from artificial intelligence (AI).…
When it comes to making decisions, most of us are influenced to some degree by other people, whether that’s choosing a restaurant or a political candidate. We want to know what others think before we make that choice. Humans are social animals. So social that we can rarely be independent of others because of our…
As professions go, journalism isn’t exactly known for its stability. The last half of January only served to highlight this, with dramatic layoffs across several top-tier digital publications, including Vice, Buzzfeed News, and the Huffington Post. But buried under a heaping pile of pink slips and P45s was a rare spot of good news. The…
Accounts by mariners of freak or rogue waves out in the ocean have long been a common occurrence but until relatively recently remained anecdotal. That is, until January 1 1995, when a huge wave was observed – and recorded – at the Draupner Oil platform in the North Sea. It was one of the first…
Ask an audio engineer what their biggest hurdle designing an awesome speaker is, and chances are it’s not a lack of knowledge or technology, but budget constraints. Any engineering team at a reputable audio company has the know-how to design an awesome speaker if price weren’t an issue. The difficulty lies in maximizing performance at…
Two months in and I’m ready to call it. The race is over. For the money, there is no better robotic vacuum on the market than iRobot’s Roomba i7+. “For the money,” though, is a huge caveat; this is a device that sells for north of a thousand bucks. If the past two years has…
When done right, a marketing campaign can be one of the most powerful ways for brands to attract and engage audiences. But how can you stand out from the crowd? From seamless CGI in movie promo to using the #MeToo movement to rebrand yourself, we’re seeing technology and new strategies pave the way for meaningful…
Amazon is in a tough spot in India, one of its largest markets outside the US. New government-issued norms, which kicked in just today, prevent foreign firms from selling their products directly to consumers. That means the retail giant is barred from hawking items under its own label, as well as those made available from…
