Why do we tell ourselves scary stories about AI?

Plus: Experiments ring the 'death knell' for sterile neutrinos; An Arctic road trip brings underground networks into view; The Quanta Podcast

Math and Science News from Quanta Magazine View this email in your browser QUALIA | ALL TOPICS   Why Do We Tell Ourselves Scary Stories About AI? By AMANDA GEFTER Our tales of AI developing the will to survive, commandeer resources, and manipulate people say more about us than they do about language models. Read the article PARTICLE PHYSICS   Experiments Ring the 'Death Knell' for Sterile Neutrinos By CHARLIE WOOD Decades of weird experimental results appeared to support the existence of the sterile neutrino, a hypothetical particle that would solve multiple mysteries. But recent experiments have killed hope of finding these phantoms. Read the article BIODIVERSITY   An Arctic Road Trip Brings Vital Underground Networks into View By MAX G. LEVY A vast meshwork of soil-bound fungi governs life aboveground. In Alaska, and at field sites around the world, researchers are racing to understand exactly how, with critical stores of carbon at stake. Read the article THE QUANTA PODCAST   The Fundamental Tension at the Heart of Math Podcast hosted by SAMIR PATEL with JORDANA CEPELEWICZ The computer program Lean might revolutionize mathematics. But might it also erode conceptual and ideological diversity? Listen (Apple) | Listen (Spotify) Read the article Follow Quanta Unsubscribe | About Quanta | My Bookmarks Privacy Policy | Terms | Contact Us   Copyright © 2025 Quanta Magazine, an editorially independent division of the Simons Foundation Simons Foundation 160 5th Avenue, 7th Floor New York, NY 10010