All posts tagged: Machines

Cricut introduces StickerPix machines for at-home sticker making

Cricut introduces StickerPix machines for at-home sticker making

Published by Miika Tikkanen

Table of Contents Table of Contents Table of ContentsCricut StickerPix Print + CutCricut StickerPix Print Cricut has made a name for itself in the crafting and DIY space. Its makers are huge on wedding planning TikTok, staples in craft rooms, and even inspired recreations of Taylor Swift’s “Stevie Knicks” T-shirt. As of Sept. 24, Cricut is adding two new machines to its lineup: The Cricut StickerPix Print + Cut and the Cricut StickerPix Print — both available starting Sept. 25. Other Cricut machines can be used to make stickers, but these are the first dedicated sticker makers from the brand. I got to play around with both StickerPix machines for the last week, and they’ve earned a permanent spot in my craft supplies. Let’s break down the pricing, specs, and differences of both machines. The larger Cricut StickerPix Print + Cut. Credit: Miller Kern / Mashable The smaller Cricut StickerPix Print. Credit: Miller Kern / Mashable Cricut StickerPix Print + Cut The Cricut StickerPix Print + Cut is the more advanced of the two. It …

Superintelligent machines may well need us after all

Superintelligent machines may well need us after all

Published by Miika Tikkanen

In 1915, Albert Einstein stood before the Prussian Academy of Science and revealed the now-famous equations of his general theory of relativity. Einstein and relativity are synonymous today with genius, but these revelations were initially met with indifference, in part because the maths was too radical for his peers to fully digest. Today, tech firms would have us believe we are on the brink of “superintelligent” artificial intelligence capable of outperforming experts in most domains, producing scientific breakthroughs on a par with Einstein. As Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei put it, we will see “a country of geniuses in a datacenter“. Claims like these are often provided with little evidence, and identifying genius or elevated intelligence is a murky endeavour. But one corner of academia that might be seeing superintelligence come to pass is mathematics. In this week’s cover story, we learn how mathematicians are in a state of wonder and panic about the rapid rise of AI’s mathematical ability. This glimpse of the future doesn’t appear to exclude us, however. AI’s successes also show how …

Managing the Machines: How AI Intensifies Work

Managing the Machines: How AI Intensifies Work

Published by Jenni Sidey

Liberating. Efficient. Productive. We were promised that artificial intelligence (AI) would be the ultimate liberator, a digital companion that would finally free us from the drudgery of the daily grind; however, the reality is far more taxing. Instead of offloading our work, AI has frequently replaced the traditional task with the invisible, high-stakes labor of vetting, fixing, and managing multiple algorithmic outputs. Yes, AI helps solve problems and perform tasks, but as these technologies become an increasingly important feature of the workplace and everyday life, researchers are beginning to identify a dark side. The Illusion and Mental Load of Less Work The narrative of AI efficiency is colliding with a harsh reality. Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace 2026 reports that new technologies like AI have increased employees’ workloads and heightened their burnout risk. We are not doing less; we are doing differently, and the new work is arguably more draining. AI’s effect is not simply on the work we are doing and the outputs we are creating; it is also making a massive impression …

Palantir Is Stocking the Wildest Imaginable Item in Its Vending Machines

Palantir Is Stocking the Wildest Imaginable Item in Its Vending Machines

Published by José Betancourt

Cigarette smoking in the United States has plummeted over the decades, reaching an 80-year low in 2024. But nicotine, the highly addictive stimulant found in tobacco, has turned into a weird new trend, with wellness influencers now pushing it as a way to prepare for a hard workout — or even boost productivity at work, as Stat News reports. Even the shadowy defense contractor Palantir is now offering its employees nicotine pouches in its vending machines. Startups like Lucy Nicotine and Sesh are marketing to users as a way to remain alert or awake longer. That’s despite the known health hazards of the stimulant, from its extremely addictive nature to higher blood pressure, which could put users at risk of heart attacks and strokes. Many of these products are also not authorized for sale by the Food and Drug Administration. As experts told Stat, the recreational use of nicotine pouches and gum, which were originally designed to help people quit smoking, could result in young people getting addicted in the first place, with the health …

Why organisms are more than machines

Why organisms are more than machines

Published by Jenni Sidey

We are living in the age of maximum AI hype: A superintelligence that surpasses humanity is going to emerge at any moment, according to the most breathless corners of the tech world. There are basic technical grounds to be skeptical of that claim, but beyond that, a much deeper issue lies at the boundary between science and philosophy: What makes life different from non-life? Why is a rock inert and insensate, while even the simplest cell manifests open-ended activity in the relentless pursuit of staying alive? Since the only systems that indisputably display intelligence are alive, if we can’t understand life, we’re probably missing something essential about intelligence.  Sixty years ago, an influential but little-known philosopher named Hans Jonas gave a potent, creative, and radical answer to this question of what makes life different from non-life. In the decades since, the power and reach of his perspective have gained traction. Today, for a growing group of researchers — in fields ranging from neuroscience to the physics of complex systems — Jonas has become an incisive …

Best Home Ellipticals in 2026: Smash Your Health Goals With These Full-Body Workout Machines

Best Home Ellipticals in 2026: Smash Your Health Goals With These Full-Body Workout Machines

Published by Miika Tikkanen

Although it may seem straightforward, there are some key steps you should follow when using an elliptical. Elyse Miller, an iFIT trainer and elliptical class instructor, shared some insight on the key things to keep in mind when hopping on one of these machines. Stand up straight: You must remain upright while on an elliptical. Miller says you should stand in a tall, upright position with an engaged core by tucking your hips forward. This will also activate your glutes and keep tension away from your lower back. Your upper body should be relaxed as well. “Relax your shoulders and leave elbows soft without locking them,” Miller said. Additionally, your front leg should feel like a natural stride forward and your heel will slightly lift as you rotate ahead. “Your hands should remain neutral while holding the handles on the elliptical, but don’t squeeze them tight,” she said, adding that once you have the form down you can mix things up. “For example, angling your toes out will work your inner thighs or moving your …

Best Rowing Machines of 2026

Best Rowing Machines of 2026

Published by Miika Tikkanen

When using a rowing machine, it’s key to practice good form if you want to get the most out of the workout. It’s helpful to have a rowing instructor or trainer familiar with the machine to teach you the correct way to row. Catch, Drive, Recovery: It’s important to learn the four key steps to rowing. These are the catch, drive, finish and recovery. Peloton rowing instructor Alex Karwoski says your starting position should look like this: “Starting from the fully compressed position — your arms should be outstretched, body pivoted forward at a slight angle, and knees close to your chest.” From here you want to push with the legs to drive the seat and handle away from the screen. Karwoski explains, “for the first third to half of the drive, our legs are doing the majority of the work while our arms and body are braced and holding the pressure.” Then, as the shins come to about 45 degrees to the floor, the body swing starts. He says the key to the body …

Does Neuroscience Show That We Are Mere Biological Machines?

Does Neuroscience Show That We Are Mere Biological Machines?

Published by Jenni Sidey

The discussion between neurosurgeon Michael Egnor and historian of science Michael Shermer at COSM 2025 last Wednesday evening was the latest in their series of friendly debates about whether we are biological machines (Shermer) or creatures with immortal souls (Egnor). Shortly after the publication of The Immortal Mind: (2025), Shermer, author of many mainstream books and founding publisher of Skeptic Magazine invited Egnor to appear on the Michael Shermer Show alongside leading neuroscientist Christof Koch Then, he and Egnor appeared together on Piers Morgan’s widely watched show. So by the time they met up after dinner last week at COSM 2025, they had a clear idea what each other might say about the question: “Understanding Consciousness: Are Human Beings Machines?” That probably made the encounter more interesting for the audience. Jay Richards, author of The Human Advantage (2018) moderated, with philosopher of technology George Gilder as a responder. Today, I’m going to look at what Egnor, who spoke first, had to say. Tomorrow, we’ll look at Shermer’s response and then, in a third post, the …

Are Human Beings Machines? Surgeon and Historian Go Head-to-Head

Are Human Beings Machines? Surgeon and Historian Go Head-to-Head

Published by Jenni Sidey

During the Wednesday, November 19, plated dinner at COSM 2025, Dr. Michael Egnor and historian of science Michael Shermer participated in a panel moderated by Discovery Institute Senior Fellow Jay W. Richards. Egnor and Shermer take opposite views on whether an immortal soul exists and whether human beings are machines. Dr. Egnor, a Professor of Neurosurgery and Pediatrics at State University of New York, Stony Brook, an award-winning brain surgeon, and first author of The Immortal Mind (2025) told the audience that he began his career as an atheist. He was informed by his textbooks that consciousness is a product of the brain; it arises from the brain. What he started to witness in his neurosurgery practice did not support that view. Consciousness, at some points, did not seem to arise from the brain. For instance, as he illustrated with a slide, “Cindy” was a girl born without most of her brain. But she remained fully conscious. If consciousness comes wholly from the brain, how is this possible? Reason, free will, and neuroscience Egnor spent …