Computer programs that check mathematical arguments have existed for decades, but translating a human-written proof into the strict programming language of a computer is extremely time-consuming, often taking months or even years.
Faltings was awarded the prize for work proving central results in the theory of algebraic equations linking whole numbers together. The prize highlights Faltings's work in 1983 on the theory of Diophantine equations, which are equations involving sums and powers of unknown numbers for which the solutions have to be rational - meaning they can be written as a fraction of two whole numbers, or integers.
During the past year, it has become unsafe for our guests to visit the country. We cannot in good conscience ask the new winners, or the international journalists who cover the event, to travel to the USA this year. The move comes amid Donald Trump's sweeping crackdown on immigration, in which he has focused on deporting migrants illegally in the US, as well as holders of student and visitor exchange visas.
I grew up with Scott Adams'work. My dad would read the "Dilbert" comic strips to me at night as bedtime stories. Later, I became a devout listener of the "Coffee with Scott Adams" podcast. One theme I heard over and over was that Scott was mesmerized by AI. He said repeatedly that he wanted to give back to the world by becoming AI after he died.
Two-thirds of the attempts at humour during these talks fell flat, drawing either polite chuckles or no laughter at all. Almost one-quarter of attempted jokes were judged as a "moderate success", eliciting audible laughter from around half the audience. Only 9% prompted most or all of the attendees to laugh enthusiastically.
Making good decisions doesn't merely rely on how much information we take in; it also depends on the quality of that information. If what we've instead ingested and accepted is misinformation or disinformation - incorrect information that doesn't align with factual reality - then we not only become susceptible to grift and fraud ourselves, but we risk having our minds captured by charismatic charlatans. When that occurs, we can lose everything: money, trust, relationships, and even our mental independence.
A professional philosopher outside the academy walls can act as a popularizer (the goal here is to make philosophy more accessible to the general public), an applied ethicist (the major task is to offer an analysis of various specific moral issues that arise within a society), and a public intellectual (I limit this role to questions that have political connotation). Of course, there are overlaps between these roles and they certainly do not exhaust all possible forms of public engagement of a professional philosopher.
To be a genius requires extraordinary intellect and talent, but also hard work and persistence. And although the mythology of genius can be problematic because it reduces the collective work that goes into developing scientific breakthroughs to extraordinary individual accomplishments, portrayals of genius in film and literature succeed in dazzling popular audiences.
In 2023, Australia abandoned its expensive and bureaucratic scholar-led research-assessment programme. New Zealand followed suit soon after. The hope, according to a transition plan unveiled by the Australian federal government's Department of Education and the research sector, was to find a "more modern, data-driven approach". In the United Kingdom, where financial pressures on universities are especially acute, there are similar calls to reform the Research Excellence Framework (REF), the country's performance-based research-funding system.
Perhaps the most commonly told myth in all of science is that of the lone genius. The blueprint for it goes something like this. Once upon a time in history, someone with a towering intellect but no formal training wades into a field that's new to them for the first time. Upon considering the field's issues, they immediately see things that no one else has ever seen before.
Cornell psychology researchers Gordon Pennycook and have won the 2026 Newcomb Cleveland Prize from the American Association for the Advancement of Science for their 2024 article about using AI to combat conspiracy theories. The association's oldest award, the prize is given to the authors of an outstanding research article published in the journal Science. " Durably Reducing Conspiracy Beliefs Through Dialogues With AI ," first published Sept. 13, 2024 in , showed that conversations with large language models can effectively reduce individuals' belief in conspiracy theories - and that these reductions last for at least two months.
Science@Cal is proud to present a series of free public science lectures on the third Saturday of every month. These talks are given by renowned UC Berkeley scientists and aimed at general audiences. Talks take place on the UC Berkeley campus at 11 am. Doors open thirty minutes before the talk and seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. Each talk is planned to last an hour, plus time for at least a few questions at the end.
