Babbage from The Economist (subscriber edition)

Melanie Mitchell, a Professor of Computer Science at the Santa Fe Institute, joins the conversation to demystify the evolution of AI. She discusses how artificial neural networks emulate learning, starting from clunky prototypes to today's sophisticated models. The podcast dives into the critical role of weights in neural networks, the history of deep learning algorithms, and the impact of vast datasets. Additionally, it compares AI learning techniques with human cognition, enriching our understanding of creativity in machines.

An article from The Economist read aloud. Our business section reports that brain-boosting substances are all the rage but their utility is debatable.

Daniel Glaser, a neuroscientist at the Institute of Philosophy, discusses the fascinating evolution of artificial intelligence through the lens of neuroscience. He explores how neurally inspired systems simulate human brain functions and the milestones that led to today's sophisticated models like ChatGPT. The conversation delves into brain imaging research, the complexities of intelligence, and the biochemical foundations that contribute to cognitive functions. Glaser also examines the early attempts to mimic human intelligence, highlighting pivotal advancements in AI development.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a debilitating condition, affecting 1.8m people worldwide. It occurs when a patient’s immune system attacks the fatty tissue that insulates the nerve cells. In 2022, scientists identified the trigger for this reaction: Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), a common pathogen that causes glandular fever (the “kissing disease”). That discovery opened up new treatment options for MS and raises a tantalising question—could the disease one day be eliminated entirely with a vaccine?Host: Alok Jha, The Economist's science and technology editor. Contributors: Petros Iosifidis, who describes his experience living with MS; Evan Irving-Pease of the University of Copenhagen; Ruth Dobson of Queen Mary University of London; Jessica Durkee-Shock of the National Institutes of Health. Get a world of insights for 50% off—subscribe to Economist Podcasts+If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you’ll have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account.

An article from The Economist read aloud. The world needs more critical minerals for technologies like batteries, but we explain that governments are not doing enough to help mining companies. In this story, The Economist offers suggestions to help ease the energy transition.

Dark matter is thought to make up around a quarter of the universe, but so far it has eluded detection by all scientific instruments. Scientists know it must exist because of the ways galaxies move and it also explains the large-scale structure of the modern universe. But no-one knows what dark matter actually is.Scientists have been hunting for dark matter particles for decades, but have so far had no luck. At the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, held recently in Denver, a new generation of researchers presented their latest tools, techniques and ideas to step up the search for this mysterious substance. Will they finally detect the undetectable? Host: Alok Jha, The Economist’s science and technology editor. Contributors: Don Lincoln, senior scientist at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory; Christopher Karwin, a fellow at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center; Josef Aschbacher, boss of the European Space Agency; Michael Murra of Columbia University; Jodi Cooley, executive director of SNOLAB; Deborah Pinna of University of Wisconsin and CERN.Get a world of insights for 50% off—subscribe to Economist Podcasts+If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you’ll have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account.

Centuries after the eruption of Mount Vesuvius entombed the Roman towns of Pompeii and Herculaneum, archaeologists have amassed hundreds of scrolls from an ancient library known as the “Villa of the Papyri”. The scrolls had been carbonised by the hot volcanic gases that had left them too damaged to unravel, let alone read. But artificial intelligence has come to the rescue. Computer scientists deciphered the first letters from the scrolls in 2023 and, more recently, entire paragraphs of text and could soon open a new window into the past for historians.Host: Alok Jha, The Economist’s science and technology editor. Contributors: Tom Standage, The Economist’s deputy editor; Luke Farritor, a computer scientist and Vesuvius challenge winner; Adrienne Mayor, a historian of science at Stanford University.Get a world of insights for 50% off—subscribe to Economist Podcasts+If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you’ll have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account.

An article from The Economist read aloud. This week, our business correspondent looks at Vladimir Putin’s ambitious aims for artificial intelligence.

First-person view (FPV), drones are transforming the war in Ukraine. Built from repurposed racing drones, they are laden with explosives and used like precision-guided missiles. They are cheap and have been used to disable tanks and other battlefield equipment and even to chase soldiers into dugouts. Both Russia and Ukraine are rapidly scaling up production of these drones and the technology is not standing still either. Both sides are looking to incorporate artificial intelligence into their drones so that they can better-recognise and attack targets, even when they have been cut off from their pilots. FPV drones will change how wars are fought everywhere.Host: Alok Jha, The Economist’s science and technology editor. Contributors: Oleksii Asanov, founder of the KazhanFLY drone school in Kyiv; Ulrike Franke, senior fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations; Samuel Bendett, a military analyst at the Centre for Naval Analysis; Shashank Joshi, The Economist’s defence editor and The Economist’s David Hambling.Get a world of insights for 50% off—subscribe to Economist Podcasts+If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you’ll have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account.

The sheer scale and complexity of climate change can seem overwhelming. This week, therefore, we examine the topic from a different angle. Laurence Tubiana, a diplomat and climate policymaker, and Kim Stanley Robinson, author of “The Ministry for the Future,”  spoke to The Economist’s Oliver Morton to consider how science fiction can help us to stand back and imagine possible futures, as a way to inform the present. Hosted by Alok Jha, The Economist's science and technology editor.Sign up for a free trial of Economist Podcasts+. If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you’ll have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account.