How this emerging technology could take the guesswork out of farming

What do we really mean when we call someone a "genius"?

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"As mainstream culture became more sexualised, porn had to do something to stand out ... so it became more extreme, more violent and more degrading, especially to women"

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Do "geniuses" even exist?

On the powerful symbolism of glass

Could lab-grown luminescent plants help us fight drought and disease?

“Societies anoint exceptional people as geniuses to demonstrate what they value”

✨ New online: We’re living in a new Glass Age, so why are artists so suspicious of this elusive material?

The fear that AI could kill us all is growing in circles of power – and could present its own threat to our safety and stability

On porn, pop culture, and the surge of interest in romantic fiction among women

✨ New online: Could lab-grown luminescent plants help us fight drought and disease?

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What do we really mean when we call someone a "genius"?

We stand for freethinking in an age of extremes. Join us today: newhumanist.org.uk/subscribe

"As mainstream culture became more sexualised, porn had to do something to stand out ... so it became more extreme, more violent and more degrading, especially to women"

Joe Biden is a robot (and other cyber myths)

From Tolstoy to The Beatles to Elon Musk, what do we really mean when we call someone a "genius"?

As tech journalist @karenhao.bsky.social has noted, visceral emotion and quasi-religious fervour colour some advocates’ warnings against AI

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Peter Ward explores the wild world of conspiracy theories about the internet

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"Because porn is seen as shameful, no one is really talking about it, but it does have a massive influence on popular culture," says @theatlantic.com journalist Sophie Gilbert

What do we really mean when we call someone a "genius"? @ohhiralphjones.bsky.social reviews "The Genius Myth" by @helenlewis.bsky.social @jonathancape.bsky.social

I had a good time with Helen Lewis' The Genius Myth, and I reviewed it right here for @newhumanist.bsky.social: newhumanist.org.uk/articles/6499

What's the relationship between porn and pop culture?

The digital world is a playground for the tinfoil hat brigade. But now they are turning on the internet itself

The public is becoming increasingly anxious about where the rapid development of AI could lead. So why are we yet to see any major protests over it?

✨ New online: From OnlyFans to Sabrina Carpenter's controversial album cover, we speak to author @sophiegilbert.bsky.social about porn and pop culture

Joe Biden is a robot (and other cyber myths)

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The public is becoming increasingly worried about the dangers of AI. But in rushing to regulate it, we'd better be careful

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"The digital trail means that gossip is now permanent, searchable and infinitely shareable. A whisper that might once have died out in a week can be resurrected years later with a screenshot"

A new guide to humanism proves that philosophy can be deeply practical

New Humanist has been dedicated to publishing independent, evidence-driven, non-profit journalism since 1885. Join the ranks of the incredible free thinkers who have supported our work for 140 years. Subscribe now, from just £10: newhumanist.org.uk/subscribe

The fear that AI could kill us all is growing in circles of power. But fear is a dangerous companion, writes Simon McCarthy-Jones

The digital world is a playground for the tinfoil hat brigade. But now they are turning on the internet itself

Gossiping isn't always bad... is it?

✨ New online: The fear that AI could kill us all is growing in circles of power – and could present its own threat to our safety and stability, argues @tcddublin's Simon McCarthy-Jones

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What is humanism for? Jonathan Egid reviews a new guide from @brisunipress.bsky.social

OK, I love to gossip. But is that so bad?

✨ New online: The digital world is a playground for the tinfoil hat brigade. But now they are turning on the internet itself, reports @peterwardjourno.bsky.social

We stand for freethinking in an age of extremes. Join us today: newhumanist.org.uk/subscribe

Make sense of the world around you in the year ahead. Subscribe to New Humanist from just £10:

A new guide to humanism proves that philosophy can be deeply practical

New Humanist has been dedicated to publishing independent, evidence-driven, non-profit journalism since 1885. Join the ranks of the incredible free thinkers who have supported our work for 140 years. Subscribe now, from just £10:

"Humans are a storytelling species. We understand who we are through stories. And it’s very, very easy to hijack that system"