scienceSunday, July 19, 2026
Two studies today converge on an unsettling finding: AI doesn't just give wrong answers, it makes people less willing to say "I don't know." Accuracy drops, confidence soars, and the human brain outsources its doubt. Meanwhile, a new oral cholesterol drug and a quantum trick for carbon capture offer more straightforward progress.
The day's most striking finding comes from two independent studies showing the same dangerous pattern: AI advice suppresses critical thinking and makes people confidently wrong.
A study from three French and Italian universities found that access to AI advice made people three times less accurate but twice as confident. Willingness to say "I don't know" collapsed from 44% to 3%.
A separate study by French and Italian academics confirms the same pattern: AI reduces humans' capacity to admit uncertainty, even as confidence in incorrect answers increases.
New Scientist's David Robson tests the idea of a "Goldilocks zone" for AI in creative tasks, too much AI use diminishes originality, but moderate use can boost creativity.
Beyond the AI story, concrete breakthroughs in cholesterol treatment and carbon capture offer more straightforward progress.
The FDA approved Lipfendra (enlicitide), the first oral PCSK9 inhibitor for lowering LDL cholesterol, a major shift from the injectable-only options that have been available.
A new study shows that the quantum vacuum can help break chemical bonds with about 100 times less laser energy than in open space, potentially slashing the energy cost of carbon capture.
<em>British Journal of Educational Technology</em> | BERA Journal | Wiley Online Librarydoi.org
Biggest Probabilistic Computer Turns Noise Into Answersspectrum.ieee.org
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Brazil’s Grid Is Already 85% Green — Here’s Howwww.riotimesonline.com
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