Let an ultraintelligent machine be defined as a machine that can far surpass all the intellectual activities of any man however clever. Since the design of machines is one of these intellectual activities, an ultraintelligent machine could design even better machines; there would then unquestionably be an 'intelligence explosion,' and the intelligence of man would be left far behind. Thus the first ultraintelligent machine is the last invention that man need ever make.

Airplanes have become another battleground in the climate wars. Because of the large carbon footprint of air travel, environmental groups are increasingly pushing to make us feel “flight shame”—guilt for the carbon emissions produced anytime we fly. This is a troubling movement. (...)

Even if we were willing to sacrifice all of these things, staying off airplanes would not have the dramatic impact on climate change we might imagine. Even if every single one of the 4.5 billion people getting on any flight this year stayed on the ground, and the same happened every year until 2100, the rise in temperatures would be reduced by just 0.05°F, equivalent to delaying climate change by less than one year by 2100.

La città è il più durevole e stabile modo di organizzazione sociale dell’umanità, sopravvissuto a tutti gli imperi e le nazioni cui ha presieduto. Ad esempio, malgrado gli Imperi Bizantino e Ottomano siano scomparsi da tempo, Costantinopoli, ora Istanbul, vive come centro di commercio e di cultura il cui raggio geografico d’influenza si estende assai più in là di quello di tali imperi, malgrado non sia più la capitale della Turchia. La città è la vera forma globale senza tempo.

Khanna, Parag. Connectography: Mapping the Global Network Revolution. London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2016.