The Globe and Mail

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Channel • 17 Shows

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2 DAYS AGO

Michael Pollan Says AI Isn’t Conscious – But Plants Might Be

Four years ago, a Google engineer named Blake Lemoine went public with a strange claim: he thought the large language model he’d been working on had become sentient. At the time, virtually no one took him seriously. (Including, it would seem, Google, who promptly fired him). But lately, it’s started to seem like Lemoine might have been on to something. When I interviewed Geoffrey Hinton last year, he was pretty confident that artificial intelligence was already exhibiting signs of sentience. Dario Amodei, the CEO of Anthropic, has said that he can’t be sure that his chatbot, Claude, isn’t conscious. But what exactly does that mean? A chatbot may be intelligent, but does it have a sense of self? And what would happen if it did? These are the kinds of strange, mind-bending questions Michael Pollan wrestles with in his new book, A World Appears: A Journey Into Consciousness. It’s the kind of book that raises more questions than it answers. But as Silicon Valley continues to flirt with the idea of building artificial consciousness – of designing machines that don’t just think, but feel – these are the kinds of questions we should probably start asking. Mentioned: A World Appears: A Journey Into Consciousness, by Michael Pollan Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

2 days ago

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40 min
23 HR AGO

Groceries, airfare and EVs: the war is changing how we spend

After the U.S., Israel and Iran agreed to a ceasefire on Tuesday night, oil prices eased on Wednesday. Many details of the ceasefire remain unclear – including when and how the Strait of Hormuz will become passable again. Since the effective closure of the Strait, the rising cost of oil has been impacting prices across a number of industries – from airfare, to delivery, to groceries. In some cases, fuel surcharges are as high as 45 per cent. Today, the Globe’s consumer affairs reporter, Mariya Postelnyak, breaks down why we’re seeing prices go up, whether they’ll stick around, and how consumer behaviour is shifting. Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

23 hr ago

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19 min
2 DAYS AGO

Saskatchewan’s new massive ‘pink gold’ mine

Australian mining company BHP has made the largest investment in the company’s history in Saskatchewan, opening the province’s biggest potash mine. The potassium compound, known as “pink gold,” is key to growing food and is an essential part of Canada’s economy. Thirty per cent of the global supply comes from Saskatchewan alone. The Globe’s agricultural and food policy reporter, Kate Helmore, got to see the mining project first-hand. She joins the show to talk about the development, whether it could serve as a blueprint for other major projects and what it could mean for Canada’s economic sovereignty. Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

2 days ago

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24 min
1 DAY AGO

Another crucial strait that could strangle the global economy

A lot of attention has been given to the Strait of Hormuz amid Iran’s closure in response to attacks by the U.S. and Israel. But another key strait in the region, the Bab el-Mandeb Strait off the coast of Yemen, has also been threatened with a shutdown, and it’s similarly vital to trade. Thomas Juneau is a professor at the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Ottawa. As an expert on Yemen and the Houthis, Juneau discusses the importance of the strait, the relationship between Iran and the Houthis, and what it would mean if the Bab al-Mandeb Strait were closed. Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

1 day ago

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24 min
2 APR

Why some doctors are critical of B.C.’s new health care regulations

April 1 marked the start of a new regime to regulate health care in B.C. – the first overhaul of the system in 30 years. The Globe’s health reporter and columnist André Picard describes it as the biggest change in the regulation of health professionals the country has ever seen. Today, André explains the changes now implemented – including amalgamation, disciplinary changes and punishment for misinformation – why the B.C. government says they’re necessary, and why some of them have caused controversy. Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

2 Apr

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22 min
3 DAYS AGO

Navigating Canada's fertility industry

A growing number of Canadians are struggling with fertility, and the business helping people make babies is booming. The global fertility services market was valued at over $21-billion in 2021 and is projected to more than quadruple by 2031. As more hopeful parents turn toward services like in-vitro fertilization – or IVF – and surrogacy to conceive, Globe investigative journalist Kathryn Blaze Baum worries they may not know exactly what they’re signing up for. Today, Blaze Baum shares her first-hand story and reporting into the fertility industry in her new book, In Fertility: The Story of a Miracle and the Big Business Behind It. Kathryn will explain what it’s like to navigate assisted reproductive technology, its high costs financially and emotionally, and what she thinks needs to change about how Canada handles fertility. Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

3 days ago

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30 min
24 MAR

Why Did We Stop Talking About The AI Apocalypse?

Just a few years ago, it seemed like all anyone in AI wanted to talk about was existential risk – this idea that an artificial super intelligence could eventually break containment and destroy humanity. More than 30,000 experts signed an open letter demanding a pause on AI development; bills were drafted that would constrain the most powerful new models; and the “godfathers” of AI were travelling around the world, warning anyone who would listen that we were hurtling toward our extinction. And then: we moved on. We started using AI for work, and school, and to plan our kids’ birthday parties. Collectively, we just stopped talking about the end of the world. But Nate Soares didn’t move on. Last year, the artificial intelligence researcher wrote a book with Eliezer Yudkowsky called If Anyone Builds It, Everyone Dies. As you can probably tell from the title, the book is unequivocal: If we keep going down the path we’re on, it will almost certainly lead to the end of our species. Now, not everyone is convinced of the arguments Soares makes. But if there’s even a chance he’s right, I think we need to hear him out. Mentioned: If Anyone Builds It, Everyone Dies, by Eliezer Yudkowsky and Nate Soares Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

24 Mar

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47 min
SEASON 1, EPISODE 1

Episode 1: The Ticking Time Bomb

Wes Naslund gets a phone call from his brothers at the farm. Friends and family describe the domestic abuse they suspect was going on in the Naslund house. A fight at the bar leaves Miles seriously injured, and things at the farm reach a breaking point. Learn more about this podcast and domestic violence in Canada, or sign up for our newsletter at tgam.ca/inherdefence E-mail the reporter, Jana Pruden, at jpruden@globeandmail.com If you’re experiencing domestic violence and want to talk to someone, you can find resources and your nearest shelter at sheltersafe.ca New subscribers to The Globe and Mail get a deal at globeandmail.com/podcastdeal. Our theme song is The Fighter, by Jenn Grant.

S1, E1

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34 min
SEASON 1, EPISODE 2

Episode 2: Helen in Hell

Helen Naslund speaks from prison for the first time. Helen describes how she met and married Miles, and the only time she tried to leave. Early one morning in September 2011, two gunshots crack through the house. Learn more about this podcast and domestic violence in Canada, or sign up for our newsletter at tgam.ca/inherdefence E-mail the reporter, Jana Pruden, at jpruden@globeandmail.com If you’re experiencing domestic violence and want to talk to someone, you can find resources and your nearest shelter at sheltersafe.ca New subscribers to The Globe and Mail get a deal at globeandmail.com/podcastdeal. Our theme song is The Fighter, by Jenn Grant.

S1, E2

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42 min
31 MAR

Can Avi Lewis bring the NDP back to life?

On Sunday, the New Democratic Party elected Avi Lewis as its new leader. He takes the reins of a political party still reeling from losses in last year’s federal election, which cost them official party status and left them with only seven seats. Another blow came earlier this month, when Nunavut MP Lori Idlout defected to the Liberals. Without a seat in Parliament and overseeing a party with minimal resources, how Lewis will rebuild the party and what it will look like remain big questions. So today, we’re convening a panel with Campbell Clark, The Globe’s chief political writer, and Robyn Urback, a current affairs columnist for The Globe. They join the show to talk about where Lewis might steer the NDP and what it all means for the party’s future. Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

31 Mar

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26 min

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