An expert on the intersection of science and philosophy posits that our current transition to "postbiological" life could have already been undertaken by extraterrestrial species. She warns that these alien lifeforms could by artificially intelligent, in which case they could pose a tremendous threat to life on Earth.

This gun shoots burn victims with their own stem cells.

Upcoming UBI programs in Canada, Finland, Uganda, and other countries are very likely to tip the scales in the universal basic income debate one way or the other in 2017. Whether or not UBI is it, we need to find a solution to the problems that are inevitable as automation and AI replace human workers in the coming years.

The Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array had some new Band 5 receivers installed that greatly improve the wavelengths detectable by the array. This could increase the ease of finding water on celestial bodies, and thereby help scientists on the long road to finding alien life.