The original version of this story appeared in Quanta Magazine. Imagine a town with two widget merchants. Customers prefer cheaper widgets, so the merchants must compete to set the lowest price.

Let’s say a hockey player is rushing toward the goal. Before he actually takes the shot, a program can predict what he’s going to do with more than 80% accuracy. There’s no science fiction ...

Delivery robots made by companies such as Starship Technologies and Kiwibot autonomously make their way along city streets and through neighborhoods. Under the hood, these robots—like most mobile ...

We preselected all newsletters you had before unsubscribing.