The Conversation

New technologies like AI come with big claims – borrowing the scientific concept of validity can help cut through the hype

Closely examining the claims companies make about a product can help you separate hype from reality. Flavio Coelho/Moment via Getty ImagesTechnological innovations can seem relentless. In computing, some have proclaimed that “a year in machine learning is a century in any other field.” But how do you know whether those advancements are hype or reality?

Turn shopping stress into purposeful gift giving by cultivating ‘consumer wisdom’ during the holidays

The most meaningful gifts reflect the recipient’s values and identity – and the giver’s, too. Halfpoint images/Moment via Getty ImagesEvery fall I anticipate the winter holidays with almost childlike joy. I look forward to familiar traditions with friends and family, eggnog in my coffee, and the sense that everyone is feeling a little lighter and more connected.

Exhausted employees don’t want it – so why has Greece introduced a 13-hour work day?

Hospitality workers are likely to be hit hard by the law. Mulevich/ShutterstockThe Greek government has passed a law allowing private employers to extend shifts to 13 hours per day in their main job, framed in terms of “flexibility” and “growth”. It’s marketed as voluntary and fairly paid, but effectively it dismantles the standard eight-hour day, despite survey data showing workers overwhelmingly oppose it.

Bad wealth made good: how to tackle Britain’s twin faultlines of low growth and rising inequality

In the run-up to the 2024 election, future prime minister Keir Starmer labelled wealth creation Labour’s number one mission. “It’s the only way our country can go forward,” he declared. “We should nourish and encourage that – not just individuals but businesses.”

Starmer was right, in theory. But wealth creation is a slippery concept. Essential for economic and social progress, it can also work against both. It’s therefore vital to distinguish between “good” and “bad” wealth.

A bold new investment fund aims to channel billions into tropical forest protection – one key change can make it better

Cattle, the No. 1 cause of tropical deforestation, roam on tropical forest land that was stripped bare in Acre, Brazil. AP Photo/Eraldo PeresThe world is losing vast swaths of forests to agriculture, logging, mining and fires every year — more than 20 million acres in 2024 alone, roughly the size of South Carolina.

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