Stephen Hawking book, NBA season begins, Mega Millions jackpot: 5 things to know Tuesday

Editors USA TODAY

Published 6:16 AM EDT Oct 16, 2018

Stephen Hawking's posthumous book warns of AI and 'superhumans'

In the book "Brief Answers to the Big Questions," released Tuesday, Stephen Hawking wrote about the rising advances in artificial intelligence and the importance of placing restrictions on it to control how quickly it grows. The legendary physicist also wrote about researching and understanding the impact AI can have on humanity, as well as advances to manipulating DNA, or what he calls "self-designed evolution." "Once such superhumans appear, there are going to be significant political problems with the unimproved humans, who won’t be able to compete," he wrote. Hawking died earlier this year in March.

2018 NBA season tips off with two great games

It was 130 days ago the Golden State Warriors won their third NBA title in four years, and their quest for a fourth begins Wednesday. The 2018 NBA season tips off Tuesday with two potential conference final previews, starting with the Philadelphia 76ers against the Boston Celtics (8 p.m. ET, TNT) and finishing with the Oklahoma City Thunder vs. the Warriors (10:30 p.m. ET, TNT). Other burning questions for this season: What’s next for disgruntled Minnesota Timberwolves star Jimmy Butler, who encouraged the home fans to boo him when he takes the court? And how much of an impact will LeBron James have in Los Angeles, both on and off the hardwood?

Mega Millions jackpot nears record

A record-smashing Mega Millions prize could be awaiting a lucky winner Tuesday night in the start of a two-day, $1 billion jackpot grab. The Mega Millions jackpot is currently $654 million, just $2 million short of the lottery's record. Wednesday night brings a Powerball top prize worth at least $345 million. Both totals are expected to rise. If lottery fever has you in its grip, don't count your winnings just yet: The odds of winning the Mega Millions jackpot are 302,575,350 to 1, while Powerball jackpot odds are 292,201,388 to 1.

Southern California on wildfire watch

The Santa Ana winds, notorious for fueling Southern California wildfires, were expected to kick up for the first time this year on Sunday night, putting the region on alert through Tuesday night. The winds may reach gusts of up to 75 mph in the region's mountains, creating critical fire weather conditions. The fire warnings cover parts of Los Angeles, Ventura, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Riverside and San Bernardino counties. Strong winds, low relative humidity and warm temperatures can combine to fuel life and property-threatening fires.

The Conners' moves on without matriarch Roseanne

'ABC's new sitcom premiering Tuesday, "The Conners" was built out of the wreckage left behind from the rebooted "Roseanne's" cancellation after the main star, Roseanne Barr, made racist remarks and was fired. Now, the 'The Conners' follows the life of the family without the matriarch (spoiler alert: she died in the storyline) , trying to adjust to the major changes in their lives. The show will still deal with issues from a working-class perspective, including health care, drug use, immigration and the struggle to make ends meet, just as the original show did.

Let's block ads! (Why?)