|
Top headlines
Lead story
AI, brain-computer interfaces, biotechnology – these are key elements of a coming technology-driven, radical transformation of humanity, according to techno-futurists like Elon Musk. Today’s Silicon Valley techno-utopians build on the thinking of futurist Ray Kurzweil, who claimed in his 1999 book, “The Age of Spiritual Machines,” that humans and machines will soon become one.
But while the particulars of this vision are rooted in 21st-century technology, it echoes the century-old futurism movement, which was featured prominently in Italy during the rise of fascism and in Russia in the wake of the communist revolution. It is arguably the same song – rapid technological advancement leading to an utterly transformed society – with updated lyrics, from an emphasis on the mechanical to the digital.
Michigan State University humanities scholar Sonja Fritzsche describes the futurist movement of the early 20th century, highlights the parallels with today’s techno-futurists and notes a key difference between the movement’s proponents today and those of the past.
[ Sign up for our weekly Global Economy & Business newsletter, with interesting perspectives from experts around the world. ]
|
Twentieth-century futurists celebrated flight, communications and manufacturing. Today, they’re inspired by space, AI and biotechnology.
Davide Mauro/Wikimedia
Sonja Fritzsche, Michigan State University
Italian and Russian futurists of the early 20th century imagined that technology would remake humanity. Today’s techno-utopians are not so different.
|
Environment + Energy
|
-
Jeremy J. Michalek, Carnegie Mellon University
An analysis finds that fewer electric vehicles will also mean less investment to clean up the electricity sector.
-
Tom Langen, Clarkson University
It’s not every day that you see a 4-foot-tall bird, but it’s happening more often. Several fascinating species are nesting in and near towns once again.
|
|
International
|
-
John Joseph Chin, Carnegie Mellon University; Joe Wright, Penn State
Failed coup leaders don’t always face punishment – and some who do receive treatment outside of courts.
-
Kylie McKee, University of Denver; Collin J. Meisel, University of Denver
Presidents and prime ministers are traveling more than their counterparts of a generation ago. And where they go tells us about global priorities.
|
|
Politics + Society
|
-
Claire B. Wofford, College of Charleston
Donald Trump’s unprecedented firing of a Federal Reserve board member isn’t just about her job status. It’s about what checks remain on a president bent on vastly expanding his office’s power.
-
John Aerni-Flessner, Michigan State University
Few Basotho remain who witnessed colonial life. Even fewer went on to build institutions that shaped independent governance and education.
|
|
Science + Technology
|
-
Michael Hales, Kennesaw State University
Despite good hydration and nutrition, many athletes across sports still suffer from unexpected cramps. The courts and fields they’re playing on may be the missing link.
|
|
Arts + Culture
|
-
Héctor M. Varela Rios, Villanova University
An island-born, Philly-based theologian explains why being Puerto Rican is a source of both pride and ambivalence.
|
|
