A mesmerising simulation of the sun has provided the most accurate representation of its magnetic field to date. The hypnotic map shows the complex and turbulent forces that shapes the ball of plasma, causing violent solar flares and coronal mass ejections. Researchers hope the model could help solve a long-standing mystery about our star; if the magnetic lines on the surface are so chaotic, how is it that it has a unified magnetic field? A mesmerising simulation of the sun has provided the most accurate representation of its magnetic field to date. The hypnotic map shows the complex and turbulent forces that shapes the ball of plasma, causing violent solar flares and coronal mass ejections.

How far is too far when it comes to machine learning? We live in the digital age where companies like Google collect information which feeds and informs their algorithms, potentially advancing their technology into the realm of the uncomfortable. When it comes to digital AI and algorithmic predictions, when do we say enough is enough? Algorithms are digital codes that sort, predict and filter information in a fashion that is similar to the way the human brain works. They are in effect all over the internet, from Google's search predictions to Netflix's recommendation section.

This article was taken from The WIRED World in 2016 -- our fourth annual trends report, a standalone magazine in which our network of expert writers and influencers predicts what's coming next. Be the first to read WIRED's articles in print before they're posted online, and get your hands on loads of additional content by subscribing online. When assessing a patient, medics look at snapshots of physiological data that are manually taken by doctors or nurses, and make decisions against patient history, family background and test results, as well as their own knowledge and experience. But what if this data was constantly being taken, every second of every day? And what if a system was clever enough to compare these readings to thousands of patients worldwide with a similar history and disorder, as well as all the current clinical guidelines and studies, and make clinical suggestions to doctors?

The Henn-na Hotel in Japan just got more futuristic. Walking up to the front desk, customers are greeted with the familiar bow and the typical "Welcome" spiel from a typical Japanese woman. Henn-na means either "flower" or "it's weird," depending on your interpretation. Service bots and AI are used to help customers in retail stores like Lowe's. Why shouldn't they help guests check into a room?

The Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI) and cloud computing are three technologies that are converging to disrupt nearly every industry. IoT refers to a connected network of objects embedded with technology that enables the collection and exchange of data. Cloud computing is the storing and retrieval of data, and accessing application programs via the Internet. Artificial Intelligence is the simulation of human intelligence by machines. We are currently in the midst of the rise of the first wave of this technological convergence.

Meet Tay, Microsoft's short-lived chatbot that was supposed to seem like your average millennial woman but was quickly corrupted by Internet trolling. "Unfortunately," a Microsoft spokesperson told BuzzFeed News in an email, "within the first 24 hours of coming online, we became aware of a coordinated effort by some users to abuse Tay's commenting skills to have Tay respond in inappropriate ways. Apple's Siri and Microsoft's Cortana can't hold much conversation, but they do carry out tasks like making phone calls and conducting a Google search. In China, Microsoft has a chatbot named Xiaoice that has been lauded for its ability to hold realistic conversations with humans.

The world of computing has followed Moore's Law for generations. The "law," which was developed by researcher Gordon Moore in the 1970s, says that the number of transistors that can be squeezed into a set amount of space will double every two years. It's been a reliable gauge ever since. Moore's Law may be nearing its end, however. Tom Simonite at the MIT Technology Review writes that Intel has declared in a regulatory filing what insiders have suspected: The company is slowing the release of new chips in a manner that doesn't keep pace with the law.

Economic inequality has become a prominent issue in this year's U.S. presidential election. Candidates in both parties argue that the wealthy have bent the political system to their own economic benefit. And while the rich have grown richer, wages for the median worker have been stagnant. By many measures, the gap between high earners and low earners has widened substantially. But is this all the result of nefarious influence-peddling by the 1%?

Microsoft's AI chatbot Tay was only a few hours old, and humans had already corrupted it into a machine that cheerfully spewed racist, sexist and otherwise hateful comments. Tay was developed by the technology and research and Bing teams at Microsoft Corp. to conduct research on "conversational understanding." The bot talks like a teenager (it says it has "zero chill") and is designed to chat with people ages 18 to 24 in the U.S. on social platforms such as Twitter, GroupMe and Kik, according to its website. "The more Humans share with me the more I learn," Tay tweeted several times Wednesday -- its only day of Twitter life. But Tay might have learned too much.

If it wasn't already clear that Microsoft learned a few hard lessons after its Tay AI went off the deep end with racist and sexist remarks, it is now. The folks in Redmond have posted reflections on the incident that shed a little more light on both what happened and what the company learned. Believe it or not, Microsoft did stress-test its youth-like code to make sure you had a "positive experience." However, it also admits that it wasn't prepared for what would happen when it exposed Tay to a wider audience. It made a "critical oversight" that didn't account for a dedicated group exploiting a vulnerability in Tay's behavior that would make her repeat all kinds of vile statements.