Monkey Thoughts
Monkey Thoughts
Those baboons may see, hear and speak no evil, but they might be able to think it, report researchers in the Journal of Experimental Psychology. In a study, baboon subjects discerned relationships between icons on a computer screen, suggesting they may be capable of abstract thought. As expected, human subjects outperformed the monkeys, even without the motivation of banana-flavored pellets.
D-Mail
Report-card forgery may soon become a lost art, reports the New York Times, as parents turn to e-mail and the Web to monitor their children’s schoolwork. Schools post assignments, grades and permission slips on Web sites and mailing lists; one teacher tells how e-mail thwarted her class’s attempted homework revolt: “They got nailed the minute they got home.”
Look Dave, I Can See You’re Really Upset about This
New Scientist takes the pulse of the latest offering from Toyota: a car that detects a driver’s emotions through biometrics and behavior tracking. The car, named Pod, attempts to wake the drowsy and soothe the angry-and can even communicate your state of mind with outside lights. Finally: a digital way to tell other drivers how you feel.
I Should Pay for This?
A Japanese company has perfected a robotic cat that promises as much loyalty (none) as the real thing, reports BBC News. While NeCoRo, as it’s called, will stretch and purr when stroked, it won’t perform tricks or respond to commands. It just lies around waiting for attention. Perhaps this particular e-Garfield could have used a little less reality.
Tobacco Cures Cancer!
Well, not quite. But a California-based biotech has genetically engineered tobacco plants to produce leukemia- and lymphoma-resistant chemicals, reports the Observer. Now, for everyone out there on the patch, settle down: scientists will harvest these novel biofactories by scraping the leaves, not lighting them. There’s still some time to go before you smoke your way to better health.
Keep Reading
Most Popular
Geoffrey Hinton tells us why he’s now scared of the tech he helped build
“I have suddenly switched my views on whether these things are going to be more intelligent than us.”
Meet the people who use Notion to plan their whole lives
The workplace tool’s appeal extends far beyond organizing work projects. Many users find it’s just as useful for managing their free time.
Learning to code isn’t enough
Historically, learn-to-code efforts have provided opportunities for the few, but new efforts are aiming to be inclusive.
Deep learning pioneer Geoffrey Hinton has quit Google
Hinton will be speaking at EmTech Digital on Wednesday.
Stay connected
Get the latest updates from
MIT Technology Review
Discover special offers, top stories, upcoming events, and more.