When will we be able to upload our brains to a computer?

We often imagine that human consciousness is as simple as the input and output of electrical signals within a network of processing units – therefore comparable to a computer. The reality, however, is much more complicated. For starters, we don’t actually know how much information the human brain can hold. Two years ago, a team …

How much data we’re producing and where it’s all stored

Ancient humans stored information in cave paintings, the oldest we know of are over 40,000 years old. As humans evolved, the emergence of languages and the invention of writing led to detailed information being stored in various written forms, culminating with the invention of paper in China around the first century AD. Melvin M. Vopson, …

Would your mobile phone be powerful enough to get you to the moon?

Graham Kendall, University of Nottingham Many people who are old enough to have experienced the first moon landing will vividly remember what it was like watching Neil Armstrong uttered his famous quote: “That’s one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.“. Half a century later, the event is still one of the …

How to spot a conspiracy theory when you see one

Anyone who engages critically with the phenomenon of conspiracy theories soon encounters a conundrum. Actual conspiracies occur quite regularly. Political assassinations, scandals and cover-ups, terrorist attacks and a lot of everyday government activity involves the collusion of multiple people in the attempt to bring about a desired outcome. Jovan Byford, The Open University

How to spot bogus science stories and read the news like a scientist

Doug Specht, University of Westminster and Julio Gimenez, University of Westminster When fake news, misreporting and alternative facts are everywhere, reading the news can be a challenge. Not only is there plenty of misinformation about the coronavirus pandemic, climate change and other scientific topics floating around social media, you also need to read science stories, …

Pseudoscience is taking over social media – and putting us all at risk

Santosh Vijaykumar, Northumbria University, Newcastle Search for “climate change” on YouTube and before long you’ll likely find a video that denies it exists. In fact, when it comes to shaping the online conversation around climate change, a new study suggests that deniers and conspiracy theorists might hold an edge over those believing in science. Researchers …