Researchers led by Iva Totomanova at Maastricht University reanalyzed data from a trial of 53 healthy adults who took 15-microgram doses of LSD or a placebo four times over two weeks. Among 48 participants, women who received LSD showed longer sustained attention and faster reaction times on cognitive tests than women given placebo, while no such effect appeared in men. The findings were presented on October 12 at the ECNP Congress in Munich.
nature.com
· 2026-10-19
Lawmakers are pushing legislation that would mandate automakers include AM radio receivers in every new car sold, countering a trend of manufacturers removing the feature. Automakers have cited rising costs and technical issues, particularly interference from electric vehicle components, as reasons for dropping AM radio from new models. Supporters of the bill argue the technology remains critical for public safety and emergency broadcasts.
fastcompany.com
· 2026-10-12
An opinion column contends that if AI poses the extraordinary risks its own developers claim, the most effective check may come from corporate governance rather than federal legislation. The author frames AI safety as fundamentally a human decision-making problem within companies building the technology.
wsj.com
· 2026-09-30
House Speaker Mike Johnson told CNBC ahead of a Washington meeting with AI executives and President Trump that he prefers voluntary safety guardrails over mandatory regulation. He said he expects industry to move toward self-imposed safety measures to reassure investors and the public. Congress has yet to pass AI legislation and is set to leave Washington until after November's election.
cnbc.com
· 2026-09-29
With election forecasters shifting more races toward Democrats six weeks before voting, existing Democratic-authored AI bills are being cited as a preview of the party's regulatory priorities if it gains control of Congress. Fast Company's AI Decoded newsletter highlights these bills as indicators of favored approaches to AI oversight, including transparency and safety requirements.
fastcompany.com
· 2026-09-24
In a widely shared essay, free software advocate Richard Stallman argued that the September 11 attacks on New York and Washington could trigger a far more damaging 'secondary' harm: sweeping new government surveillance of phone calls, email and physical movement. He distinguished basic weapons screening at airports, which he considers a minor inconvenience, from mass data collection, which he says threatens core civil liberties regardless of whether it actually improves security.
news.slashdot.org
· 2026-09-17
A major legislative priority backed by the cryptocurrency industry failed to secure the 60 votes needed to advance to a full Senate floor debate. The setback comes despite heavy lobbying and campaign spending by crypto interests aimed at shaping favorable regulation in Congress.
gizmodo.com
· 2026-09-16
Reps. Raja Krishnamoorthi and Michael Cloud are introducing the No FLOCK Act, which would withhold 10 percent of federal highway funding from states that don't restrict automated license-plate readers like Flock to five approved uses, including finding stolen vehicles or missing persons. The bill follows growing backlash over police misuse of the cameras but does not ban the systems outright or block sharing plate data with agencies such as immigration enforcement.
wired.com
· 2026-09-15
In a 2011 talk at the Chaos Communication Congress in Berlin, author and activist Cory Doctorow argued that future policy fights over copyright, security, and control would really be fights about restricting general-purpose computers themselves. He framed the debate as moving beyond copyright disputes into a broader struggle over who controls what computers are allowed to do.
en.wikisource.org
· 2026-09-13
Senators Bernie Sanders and Greg Cezar unveiled the Ban Artificial Superintelligence Act, which would criminalize efforts to build artificial superintelligence, with violators facing up to 20 years in prison—comparable to penalties for illegal nuclear weapons development. The bill also calls for a new cabinet-level federal agency to enforce the ban domestically and push for international agreements restricting superintelligence development worldwide.
tomshardware.com
· 2026-09-13
A Politico investigation found more than a dozen lawmakers and congressional aides admitting Congress is unprepared to craft meaningful AI legislation, with Rep. Sam Liccardo saying some colleagues 'can't even spell AI.' The report comes amid renewed urgency after an Anthropic researcher publicly warned AI firms are 'gambling with our lives' by building models that could pose existential risks.
futurism.com
· 2026-09-12
A growing number of members of Congress from both parties are introducing new legislative proposals aimed at regulating powerful AI systems, after years of relatively little action on the issue. The push reflects rising concern in Washington about the potential catastrophic risks posed by advanced AI development.
wsj.com
· 2026-09-11
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