This week, we look at the core tenets of improv — and the mental health benefits they might have for everyday life. Plus, a startling archaeological discovery in Italy.
Scott’s weekly weigh-in
A good weekend to you. I have spent the week at Future Trends Forum in Madrid to discuss quantum computing and AI, and have heard about a lot of amazing advances that gave me both hope and concerns.
Quantum computing uses subatomic particles to convey information. This vastly increases the speed and volume of what can be searched. It is expected to help revolutionize — not a word lightly used — security, work, finance and conflict. A few impressions:
Quantum machinery works at -382 degrees Fahrenheit. So it needs a lot of energy — just at a time when we’re trying to reduce energy use.
We often say intelligence and knowledge interchangeably. But they are not the same. Will building AI help us understand the true value of wisdom?
Militaries often adopt new technologies first because they know that if they don’t, someone else will.
AI already helps brain research. But will a technology that “reads” our brain waves to help our bodies work also be used to read our minds?
AI and quantum computing may extend lives by decades. But how will we support so many billions for so long on our planet?
There are few jobs (including lawyers, doctors, factory workers, truck drivers — and radio hosts) that can’t be done by intelligent machines. Are we ready for societies where work may disappear?
AI has already made it possible for robots to dance. I asked, “But will we enjoy the Ballet Russes if they’re robots?” “Ballet Russes, I don’t know,” one thinker said. “But football should be played by robots. They’ll be better and won’t get hurt.”
The great Sarah McCammon sat in for me this week, and interviewed Lily Brooks-Dalton on her novel where a Florida of the near-future is abandoned and uninhabitable because of climate change.
Scott Simon is one of NPR's most renowned news anchors. He is the host of Weekend Edition Saturday and one of the hosts of the morning news podcast Up First. Be sure to listen to him every Saturday on your local NPR station, and follow him on Twitter.
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The art of improv might just be a boon to our mental health. One study found that doing just 20 minutes of improv a day can increase creativity, decrease social anxiety and increase our ability to tolerate uncertainty. Even if you don't practice it officially, you can still apply the tenets to your everyday life — and reap some of the benefits. Here's how.
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A rare recording of a show Broadway legend Stephen Sondheim wrote and performed in college was discovered hidden on a bookshelf.
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