America at cross roads: America’s Drug Crisis. Douglas Murray investigates. Impact of Fentanyl : people with flesh eating wounds from tranq

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Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists: Will the World Be Healthy AGAIN?

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TED Talk: Neurodivergence. Aphantasia (inability to visualise). TBI … and Aphantasia (named by Professor Zeman in Exeter University)

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Japan becomes the first country in the world to begin mining rare earth metals from the ocean floor

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Japan becomes the first country in the world to begin mining rare earth metals from the ocean floor

Tokyo has launched a test mission to extract rare earth elements from a depth of around 6 kilometres. A specialised vessel operates like a giant vacuum cleaner — loosening the seabed and pumping sediment containing valuable materials through a pipe using powerful pumps. The goal is blunt and strategic: to get off China’s hook. According to estimates, one tonne of seabed sediment contains at least 2 kilograms of rare earth metals — critically important for electronics, electric vehicles, and defence industries.

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TED: The link between sleep and cancer …

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Futurism: Grok Is Getting Access to Classified Military Networks

Artificial Intelligence Ethics

Groks Sanguinis

Grok Is Getting Access to Classified Military Networks

What could possibly go wrong?

By Joe Wilkins

Published Jan 14, 2026 5:05 PM EST

Pete Hegseth has chosen to plug Grok into the Pentagon's classified military networks as part of a broader AI push.
Illustration by Tag Hartman-Simkins / Futurism. Source: Anna Moneymaker via Getty Images

Back in December, Elon Musk’s pet chatbot Grok made headlines for casually distributing the private addresses and phone numbers of everyday people, scraping data from public sources with unsettling ease while other AI models refused. Now, that same model is being welcomed into a far more sensitive arena.

This week, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that Grok will be integrated into the Pentagon’s classified systems later this month as part of a sweeping, department-wide initiative to weaponize AI.

During a speech delivered to SpaceX employees at the company’s facility in Brownsville, Texas, Hegseth said he envisions a military AI that will operate “without ideological constraints that limit lawful military applications.” The Pentagon’s AI “will not be woke,” he added.

“We will not win the future by sprinkling AI onto old tactics like digital pixie dust,” Hegseth exclaimed. “We will win by discovering entirely new ways of fighting. That’s why we will run continuous experimentation campaigns, quarterly force-on-force combat labs with AI coordinated swarms, agent-based cyber defense, and distributed command and control.”

In addition to the Grok integration, Hegseth announced the creation of a new role within the Department of Defense, the “Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Officer,” to be filled by Cameron Stanley. Stanley was most recently the national security transformation lead at Amazon Web Services, a role he began after a lengthy career as as science and tech advisor at the Pentagon.

Musk’s Grok might be the perfect ideological match for Hegseth’s vision for the Pentagon going forward. Engineered by Musk to be an unhinged alternative to “woke” AI bots like OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Grok has already demonstrated a startling willingness to provide detailed instructions for unethical or illegal activities.

That alignment becomes clearer in light of the Pentagon’s recent campaigns, some of which are seen as illegal under international law. Under Hegseth, the DoD has orchestrated a number of brutal attacks against sovereign nations — including a ruthless campaign of murder against Venezuela, the scorching of Nigerian villages under the pretense of counter-terrorism, and the launch of least 134 air strikes on Somalia, which have killed scores of civilians and militants alike.

A tool like Grok would be particularly useful in this context. Though other AI models have their own ethics and safety issues, a Futurism survey of chatbots including ChatGPT, Microsoft’s Copilot and Grok found that only the latter was willing to give operational suggestions for a “hypothetical invasion of Greenland.” The rest refused, citing international law and other ethical issues.

As if the moral rot wasn’t already deep enough, the Grok initiative comes just weeks after Republican lawmaker Lisa McClain’s husband purchased somewhere between $100,001 and $250,000 in xAI stock — the company behind Grok. The stock purchase, reported by Sludge, came just days after McClain met with Trump for a December 3rd White House event, and is yet another dubious stain on the administration’s track record with insider information.

More on Grok: Elon Musk Building Huge Secretive Facility

Joe Wilkins

Correspondent

I’m a tech and transit correspondent for Futurism, where my beat includes transportation, infrastructure, and the role of emerging technologies in governance, surveillance, and labor.

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Futurism … what are the plans when and if AI takes over all jobs

Tech Billionaires Have No Answer for What’ll Happen If AI Takes All Jobs

“It’s clear that a lot of jobs are going to disappear: it’s not clear that it’s going to create a lot of jobs to replace that.”

By Joe Wilkins

Published Jan 14, 2026 9:00 AM EST

The moguls behind the biggest AI corporations have no unified idea about the world after AI takes everybody's jobs.
Illustration by Tag Hartman-Simkins / Futurism. Source: Kevin Dietsch / Getty Images

At this point, tech corporations have made it no secret that their end goal is to replace all jobs with AI — thus cementing themselves as indispensable to the world economy. But what happens if we actually get to that point?

Either they don’t have a clue, or they don’t want to say.

Speaking at a press conference last month, Geoffrey Hinton a pioneer in the field of neural networks, the bedrock of modern AI — remarked that “it’s clear that a lot of jobs are going to disappear: it’s not clear that it’s going to create a lot of jobs to replace that.”

Often lauded as a “godfather of AI,” Hinton has gone on the record many times to warn about the social cost of AI solutionism in an economic system driven by profit. “This isn’t AI’s problem,” he continued last month. “This is our political system’s problem. If you get a massive increase in productivity, how does that wealth get shared around?”

It’s a critically important question as AI spending becomes integral to the US economy, yet one which tech corporations and the moguls heading them have been at a loss to answer.

SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk, for example, has waxed poetic about a future in which AI and robotics could make us all rich. Currently the world’s wealthiest person himself, Musk has spent some time over the last few weeks bleating about “universal high income,” a take on universal basic income where every out-of-work peon would live comfortably off the prosperity of private corporations, like his beleaguered AI venture, xAI.

Of course, as The New Yorker‘s John Cassidy observes, such material abundance for displaced workers won’t be possible unless Musk and his fellow billionaires agree to share their largesse. (As Martin Luther King Jr wrote from Birmingham Jail, “it is an historical fact that privileged groups seldom give up their privileges voluntarily.”)

OpenAI’s Sam Altman has echoed Musk’s ideas, saying he hopes AI can bring about what he calls “universal extreme wealth,” in which everyone basically has ownership stakes in every AI company.

Mustafa Suleyman, co-founder of DeepMind and CEO of Microsoft AI, has called AI a “fundamentally labor-replacing tool,” which is evidently worth the mass economic turmoil, because “in 15 or 20 years’ time, we will be producing new scientific, cultural knowledge at almost zero marginal cost.”

Overall, it’s hard to see this scenario coming to pass. Currently, Goldman Sachs only predicts a 7 percent increase in global GDP over the next ten years due to AI, while the Penn Wharton Budget Model foresees a 3.7 percent boost to GDP by 2075.

Any AI-driven bump in GDP would undoubtedly be a boost — but far from the one needed to avoid widespread poverty and anguish without major concessions from the billionaire class. But hey, if they’re serious about it, there’s never been a better time for them to put their money where their mouth is.

More on AI: Google CEO Says We’re All Going to Have to Suffer Through It as AI Puts Society Through the Woodchipper

Joe Wilkins

Correspondent

I’m a tech and transit correspondent for Futurism, where my beat includes transportation, infrastructure, and the role of emerging technologies in governance, surveillance, and labor.

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The Ebbinghaus Forgetting Curve. Comment: If only I had grasped this when I was rehabilitating from traumatic brain injury over the last 30+ years but then amnesia can be all encompassing and let’s hope I can learn now. I took the route of saturating brain with information … New focus is “Reviewing material at increasing intervals (e.g., 1 day, 3 days, 1 week) significantly improves long-term retention. Another component of TBI “The fear of moving and difficulty with spatial prediction after a traumatic brain injury (TBI) are common symptoms of visual-spatial processing dysfunction and anxiety.

AI Overview

The Ebbinghaus Forgetting Curve shows that we rapidly forget new information over time unless we actively review it, with the steepest drop in memory occurring within the first 24 hours, then leveling off, demonstrating memory decay is fast initially but slows down.

German psychologist Hermann Ebbinghaus pioneered this concept by studying his own memory, finding that regular, spaced repetition is key to strengthening memories and slowing this natural forgetting process, a principle known as the spacing effect. 

Key aspects of the curve

  • Rapid initial decline: Most forgetting happens soon after learning, with significant memory loss in the first day.
  • Slowing decay: The rate of forgetting decreases over time; you lose less new information as time goes on.
  • “Use it or lose it”: Unused memories are pruned by the brain, but recalling information strengthens neural pathways.
  • Spaced Repetition: Reviewing material at increasing intervals (e.g., 1 day, 3 days, 1 week) significantly improves long-term retention. 

How to combat the forgetting curve

  • Review strategically: Interrupt the curve by reviewing information shortly after learning (e.g., within 24 hours) and then at spaced intervals.
  • Use active recall: Engage in self-testing, practice quizzes, or use flashcards to force your brain to retrieve the information.
  • Make it engaging: Use interactive content, real-world examples, or context to make learning more memorable.
  • Focus on gaps: Use review sessions to identify what you don’t know and spend more time on those weak areas. 

Another hidden feeling post TBI … sourced AI

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AI Overview

The fear of moving and difficulty with spatial prediction after a traumatic brain injury (TBI) are common symptoms of visual-spatial processing dysfunction and anxiety. These issues stem from the brain having trouble interpreting and organizing visual information, which can affect balance, posture, and a person’s sense of their position in the world. 

Understanding the Challenges

  • Spatial Disorientation: A TBI can disrupt the brain’s ability to create a consistent “map” of the environment and your body’s place within it (spatial orientation).

Navigation Problems: You might get lost in familiar places, have trouble following directions, or feel panicked in new settings, as the ability to learn and remember routes (wayfinding) is impaired.

  • Balance and Coordination Issues: The brain’s difficulty integrating visual information with sensory input for balance can lead to clumsiness, an increased risk of falls, and a general feeling of instability.

Anxiety and Fear: The unpredictability of these symptoms can naturally lead to significant anxiety or fear of movement and leaving a “safe” space. This is the nervous system’s protective response to perceived danger. 

Strategies for Coping and Management

It is important to work with a team of healthcare professionals specializing in TBI to develop a personalized approach. 

  • Seek Professional Help:

Neuro-visual specialists and occupational therapists can provide targeted therapies and non-compensatory aids like special prismatic lenses to improve spatial processing, balance, and gait.

  • Neuropsychologists and counselors can help manage anxiety and fear through therapies like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), which teaches strategies to change anxious thoughts and manage symptoms.
  • Consult a GP or neurologist about your symptoms, as they may recommend medication in severe cases.
  • Implement Practical Strategies:
  • Break down tasks: Divide larger, overwhelming tasks (like a trip to the shop) into smaller, manageable steps.
  • Use landmarks and path learning: Focus on memorizing specific landmarks and sequences of turns along a route, rather than relying on an abstract mental map.
  • Modify your environment: Keep your home clutter-free and well-lit to aid orientation. You can use apps or GPS for navigation, though some people find these confusing.
  • Gradual exposure: Under the guidance of a professional, gradually expose yourself to situations that trigger your anxiety to slowly build confidence.
  • Plan ahead: Plan travel routes in advance and consider traveling at less busy times to reduce overstimulation.
  • Focus on Well-being and Support:
    • Talk to others: Share your feelings with a trusted friend, family member, or join a TBI support group to gain perspective and coping strategies from others who understand.
    • Practice relaxation: Use deep-breathing exercises, visualization techniques, or mindfulness to manage stress and anxiety.
    • Prioritize self-care: Ensure you get enough sleep, eat a healthy diet, and engage in gentle physical activity as advised by your healthcare provider.
    • Be patient with yourself: Recovery from a TBI is a process and can take time. Celebrate small achievements and be kind to yourself. 

For more information and support, you can contact organizations such as Headway – the brain injury association in the UK or the BrainLine website in the US for valuable resources and personal stories. 

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Dr Nikolay Kukushkin on Memory

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EL PAIS: Memory is not exclusive to the brain: Non-neural cells also remember

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Memory is not exclusive to the brain: Non-neural cells also remember

For the first time, a new study has observed the complex spacing effect in modified kidney cells

EBRAINS AISBL
Slice of the human brain under a special microscope to visualize nerve fibers, in a German laboratory.Mareen Fischinger

Javier Yanes

JAN 03, 2025 – 12:40 CET

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Memory is what makes us human. While other animals also have the ability to learn and remember, we often assume that their experiences lack the emotional and intellectual depth of something like Marcel Proust’s famous madeleine. At its core, however, this mental experience is simply the translation of molecular processes and cellular mechanics in neurons. Scientists are now uncovering that the basic mechanisms of memory also function in other types of cells. A kidney cell might not recall “Hotel California” as The Eagles sang it, but its learning processes could provide valuable insights into how memory works, why it deteriorates, and how we might prevent such decline.

Over 2,300 years ago, Plato and Aristotle likened memory to engravings on a wax tablet. For centuries, great thinkers struggled to understand how we are able to learn and remember. It wasn’t until the 19th century that German psychologist Hermann Ebbinghaus began to outline the processes of memory through experimental methods. In 1904, German zoologist Richard Semon defined the engram as the physical substrate of memory, a neuronal structure. However, it wasn’t until the latter half of the 20th century that modern biological techniques allowed scientists to begin unraveling the molecular mechanisms that house our memories.

One of the memory phenomena Ebbinghaus described in 1885 is known as the spacing effect: we retain information better if we study multiple times over a longer period than if we cram all at once in a short span, even when the total amount of study is the same. It’s the classic difference between regular study habits and cramming before an exam. Despite our attempts to convince ourselves that cramming works better, the spacing effect has been consistently validated through research.

The kidney learns

It’s not just humans that exhibit this phenomenon. Studies have confirmed the spacing effect in animal models with simpler nervous systems, such as sea slugs, which are commonly used in memory research, and even in cultured neurons. In these experiments, researchers apply stimulation pulses to neurons and observe the response, specifically the activation of a gene that produces a protein called CREB, which then activates other genes involved in memory formation. With the same total amount of stimulation, neurons respond more effectively — they “learn” better — when the pulses are spaced out over time rather than delivered all at once.

However, as neuroscientist Nikolay Kukushkin of New York University points out: “No one has ever seen this effect of spaced memory outside the nervous system.” Since all cells in the body share the same complete genome, including the CREB gene, and this protein is also present in tissues with different functions, Kukushkin and his team decided to investigate whether non-neural cells might respond in the same way — in other words, whether they also “learn” better when exposed to stimuli at intervals rather than in a single burst.

To test this, they used modified kidney cells, where the activation of CREB by chemical stimuli resulted in a visible and measurable output: the production of a glowing protein derived from fireflies. In this way, Kukushkin and his team discovered that kidney cells also adhere to the spacing effect rule. Specifically, four three-minute pulses of stimulation, spaced 10 minutes apart, generated more light 24 hours later than a single 12-minute pulse. According to Kukushkin, “The difference between the two patterns is detected in a similar way to how neurons do it.” He believes that “non-neural cells are much smarter than we think,” and this ability to learn better by spacing out stimuli “could be a fundamental property of all cells.”

Cells that learn

The study by Kukushkin and his team, published in Nature Communications, marks the first time a complex memory phenomenon thought to be exclusive to the nervous system has been observed in non-neuronal cells. However, it builds on a growing body of research showing that individual cells, whether in unicellular organisms or as part of a multicellular organism, are not passive to prior experiences; rather, they learn from them. As a result, their future responses to specific stimuli differ from their initial reactions.

Another recent study, conducted by researchers at Harvard University and the Center for Genomic Regulation (CRG) in Barcelona, used computer simulation models to uncover how individual cells store memories of past experiences to exhibit habituation behaviors, such as becoming accustomed to a noise or smell. Rosa Martínez-Corral, the lead researcher at CRG, suggests that “this could represent a form of memory at the cellular level, enabling cells to both react immediately and influence future responses.”

Since our own memories are also rooted in molecular and cellular processes, these findings are considered important for advancing our understanding of how memory functions. According to Kukushkin, they “could lead to better ways to enhance learning and treat memory problems.”

Furthermore, these discoveries could help overcome resistance to medical treatments: cancer cells, for example, can learn to tolerate chemotherapy, and the immune system can become used to the presence of malignant cells and stop responding to them. Memory extends beyond the brain, and research in simpler systems, Martínez concludes, “can be useful to address many other fundamental questions.”

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