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Happy Sunday. Welcome to the best of The Conversation.
Just published:
I’ve had a lot of conversations recently about generative AI like ChatGPT and DALL-E. It seemed like everyone I know was talking about the chatbot who declared her love for a New York Times columnist. I’ve also had somewhat fraught conversations with colleagues about the ethics of using machine-generated art, the lack of transparency in AI-generated search results and how these new technologies could lead to the loss of (even more) journalism jobs.
Juan Noguera, who teaches industrial design at the Rochester Institute of Technology, offers a different perspective on this new technology. His piece stands out because he explains step by step how he uses programs like DALL-E 2 to jump-start and deepen his own creative process. Reading it may deepen your own conversations about what this new tech can do.
Later this week we’ll bring you stories about how Ukrainians want to rebuild their country, fungal toxins and ‘The Last of Us,’ and the economics of rock music.
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Your brain can imagine things that haven’t happened or that don’t even exist.
agsandrew/iStock via Getty Images Plus
Andrey Vyshedskiy, Boston University
By learning what parts of the brain are crucial for imagination to work, neuroscientists can look back over hundreds of millions of years of evolution to figure out when it first emerged.
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David E. Clementson, University of Georgia
President Joe Biden may be nicer to reporters than his predecessor, but he’s not actually responsive to the press. He has held fewer press conferences than any president in recent memory.
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Elizabeth Englander, Bridgewater State University; Meghan K. McCoy, Bridgewater State University
The mental health of teenagers has grown far worse over the last decade. But a new report shows that, compared with boys, teen girls are disproportionately experiencing sadness and hopelessness.
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Treana Mayer, Colorado State University
A biologist who studies how viruses spread from animals to people explains the process of spillover and the risks posed by the new bird flu that has spread across the globe.
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Phil Zuckerman, Pitzer College
Secularization has fascinated sociologists for 200 years – but that doesn’t mean they always agree on what it is, or how much it’s happening.
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Bipartisan committee with Beijing in its sights.
AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite
Michael Beckley, Tufts University
US lawmakers heard testimony that suggests the era of engagement with China is over. Rather, policy may be hardening.
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Lori Amber Roessner, University of Tennessee
A media scholar who studied Carter and interviewed him explains how he attempted to translate Jesus’ teachings into action through his life of public service.
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David Cason, University of North Dakota
Jackson used his musical talents to overcome racial barriers in the United States. But telling Jackson’s story may not be legal under proposed laws restricting how race is taught.
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April Nisan Ilkmen, Adler University
Narcissistic abuse in relationships can take the form of extreme emotional abuse. Yet both the victim and the abuser may have difficulty recognizing it.
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Juan Noguera, Rochester Institute of Technology
During the brainstorming stage of the design process, AI-powered image generation programs can open creative doors that may have otherwise never been accessed.
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