Today’s picks
1. Can AI predict whether you’ll die from cancer from just an image of your face?
Researchers asked an algorithm to predict cancer patients’ risk of dying from images of their faces; for some people, the results were shockingly accurate. The article is worth reading because it explores the promise and limits of AI-assisted prognosis. It also raises questions about privacy, bias, and how such findings should be interpreted before clinical use.
2. Everything is going wrong for Muhammad bin Salman
The article frames a series of recent setbacks for Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as his annus horribilis. It examines the pressures shaping his domestic and foreign policy position without assuming a single conclusion. It is worth reading for a clear sense of why his standing has come under strain and what that may mean for Saudi reform and the region.
3. Japan launches a probe to collect rocks from Mars’s moon Phobos
Japan’s Martian Moons Exploration (MMX) mission aims to land on Phobos and bring rocky samples back to Earth. Whether the Martian moons are captured asteroids or debris from a giant impact on Mars is still disputed, and the samples could settle the question. The probe will also study Deimos and test technologies for future Mars exploration. It is worth reading as the next ambitious sample-return effort after Hayabusa2.
4. America’s new era of private science
The article examines a possible shift in American research from universities to private institutions and what it means for innovation. It explores the forces behind private science, its promises and risks, and how the university’s role in knowledge production may be reshaped. Worth reading for those following science policy and the changing architecture of innovation.
5. A tale of two trap houses: being cuckooed ruined my friend’s life – but did it then help save him? – podcast
Drug gangs in Britain have moved from the streets into vulnerable people’s homes, turning addicts into easy targets for “cuckooing.” Through his friend’s story, Max Daly shows how this exploitation can wreck a life—and, unexpectedly, help save it. The piece is worth reading for its nuanced account of addiction, coercion and recovery, complicating the usual victim narrative.
By publication
The Economist
Scientific American
- Can AI predict whether you’ll die from cancer from just an image of your face?
- Japan launches a probe to collect rocks from Mars’s moon Phobos