Sašo Dolenc's Blog

The Future of AI

Over the past few years, the field of artificial intelligence (AI) has made remarkable progress. The advancements in the capabilities of AI tools are truly astonishing. Today, we can communicate with computers using our everyday language, and machines have mastered complex tasks that were once believed to be the exclusive domain of humans. The progress in improving the quality of smart devices has surprised even veteran experts in the field.

The essence of the AI revolution

AI technologica...

Peter Singer on effective altruism

Peter Singer is a distinguished philosopher and professor at Princeton University, renowned for his work in bioethics and his role as a leading figure in the animal rights movement. Singer’s groundbreaking book Animal Liberation, published in 1975, catalyzed a global conversation on the ethical treatment of animals and continues to influence both public opinion and policy today. His advocacy for effective altruism has also inspired countless individuals to consider more impactful ways to improve...

Josef Stefan (1835-1893)

Table of ContentsThe child of illiterate parentsA journey from poetry to scienceFrom humble beginnings to scientific acclaimScientist, educator, and administratorThe unique relationship between Stefan and BoltzmannThe golden age of physics at the University of ViennaImpact on the development of electrotechnology in the 19th centuryScientist, family man, and national figure

While we often use terms like “algorithm,” “dolomite,” and “pasteurization” in our daily lives, we rarely consider th...

The essence of science communication

The COVID-19 pandemic has shown how vital science communication is for successful response to a public health crisis. During the rapid spread of the virus, the public was bombarded with conflicting information from various sources, leading to confusion and mistrust in science. This situation has highlighted the need for effective and transparent science communication to build trust in science and prevent the spread of fake news, misinformation, and disinformation (Matta 2020). However, despite t...

“Artificial Idiocy” responds to Žižek

In his latest article Artificial Idiocy (Project Syndicate, Mar 23, 2023), Slavoj Žižek writes about new AI chatbots and warns that communicating with chatbots may make real people talk like chatbots, missing nuances and ironies:

ŽIŽEK: “The problem is not that chatbots are stupid; it is that they are not “stupid” enough. It is not that they are naive (missing irony and reflexivity); it is that they are not naive enough (missing when naivety is masking perspicacity). The real danger, then, is...

What can Germany teach us about science?

It’s not often that you get the chance to visit a European capital for a whole week and take part in an interesting programme in your field of interest. At the beginning of November 2022, I travelled to Berlin with several other participants from all over the world, to be part of the program Science and Research in Germany – Information Tour at the invitation of the Federal Foreign Office of Germany.

The trip was part of a programme set up by Germany soon after the Second World War. From time...

How do I know that I know something?

In the famous scene from the cult film The Matrix, the rebel leader Morpheus places a blue and a red pill in front of the protagonist Neo. He explains that if he takes the blue pill, nothing will change in his life, but if he takes the red pill, he will see the world as it really is.

Although it may seem to us that Neo is primarily faced with the dilemma of whether or not he wants to know the truth, he is also confronted with another important decision. He must decide whether he can trust Mor...

Zora Janžekovič (1918-2015)

Zora Janžekovič is a great star of medical science. Her innovative method of treating severe burns has saved many lives by dramatically reducing infections and hospitalization times. Because her method has become the standard for treating deep third-degree burns, Medscape has listed her among the “25 most influential doctors of the 20th century”. But despite her great accomplishments, which in Slovenia are hard to find parallels in any other scientific discipline, she died at the age of 96 almos...

Milan Vidmar (1885–1962)

Milan Vidmar was one of the most important Slovenian intellectuals of the first half of the 20th century. He was not only a renowned expert in electrical engineering and one of the best chess players in the world, he also had a deep insight into the problems of local and global society at the time. He has written many books and has worked hard to improve the intellectual self-esteem of his compatriots.

He was born in 1885 into a relatively wealthy family in Ljubljana. He always had a great re...

A critical review of science in Slovenia

Table of ContentsBetween invisible and fake scientific achievementsThe beginnings of the scientific and academic community in SloveniaShifting academic authority from scientific elites to algorithms  Rigid pathways to pursue an academic career  Funding reform and the creation of a new scientific aristocracy    The ideology of “excellent science” as a substitute for research integrity and quality

Zora Janžekovič, an internationally renowned burn surgeon who was named one of the “25 most influe...