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This week’s new questions

Will we ever be able to tell if an AI reaches consciousness? And when I clean my sink with bleach, leaving it instantly gleaming, what happens to the particles that were staining it?

10 July 2024

2JF72KW Digital hands reaching each other, artificial intelligence creativity concept

Anterovium/Alamy

Will we ever be able to tell if an AI gains consciousness?

Xavier Sainton,

Troyes, France

J773YF Kitchenware on shelves with stainless steel sink in 17th century Kintyre stone cottage

Andreas von Einsiedel/Alamy

I have a stainless steel kitchen sink. When I clean it with bleach, leaving it instantly gleaming, what happens to the particles that were staining it?

Patrick Lowry,

Falmouth, Cornwall, UK

To answer this question – or ask a new one – email lastword@newscientist.com.

Questions should be scientific enquiries about everyday phenomena, and both questions and answers should be concise. We reserve the right to edit items for clarity and style. Please include a postal address, daytime telephone number and email address.

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