Marvin Minsky, Artificial Intelligence Pioneer, Has Died

Marvin Minksy, a pioneer in artificial intelligence and one of the first people to begin imparting common-sense reasoning to computers, died on Sunday at the age of 88. A true innovator of the now-booming industry, he’s described as “one of the very few people in computing whose visions and perspectives liberated the computer from being a glorified adding machine to start to realize its destiny …

Ecoscraps Organic Potting Soils

Reducing food waste and slowing landfill growth through composted soils

Though the practice dates back to ancient times, most people composting these days seem to be avid home gardeners with some time on their hands or science class students. Urging others to get in on the all-natural endeavor is Ecoscraps, a Utah-based company that’s making composting even more mainstream. On a mission to “grow gardens, not landfills,” they collect food waste from local restaurants, grocery …

Seven “Megatall” Skyscrapers Coming Soon

The era of “supertall” structures (buildings over 300 meters) seems to be coming to a close as “megatall” structures begin to take over. These behemoth buildings, which currently include just three skyscrapers—Dubai’s Burj Khalifa, the Shanghai Tower and Mecca’s Makkah Royal Clock Tower—are categorized as reaching upwards of 600 meters and are expected to more than double by 2020. When it’s completed in 2018, The …