Hard Tech

A close-up of an engine test firing, showcasing various connected hoses and cables, with the engine emitting blue flames from the nozzle, reminiscent of a powerful jet engine.

Ian Brooke wants to revolutionize flight as we know it

This Y Combinator-backed startup has invented a new kind of jet engine, radically more efficient and versatile than anything before it.

Ross Pomeroy

A gloved hand holds a pair of tweezers gripping a small black square object against a background with concentric circles.

Batteries

Solid-state batteries are finally making their way out of the lab

Solid-state batteries could soon challenge lithium-ion as the dominant tech for powering smartphones, EVs, and more.

Kristin Houser

Silhouette of jagged cybersecurity rock formations against a vibrant yellow sky at dusk.

Employment

“Cybersecurity shortage” could reach 85 million workers by 2030

The global talent shortage could reach 85 million workers by 2030, causing approximately $8.5 trillion in unrealized annual revenue.

Michelle Meineke | Senior Writer | World Economic Forum

Clean Energy

Texas A&M grads use flare gas to mine $4M in Bitcoin

Two college grads earned four million dollars by mining the cryptocurrency with specialized shipping containers that use flare gas.

Teresa Carey

Computer Science

Where AI and organisms differ and what it means for AGI

A recent research paper published in Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution explores obstacles toward general artificial intelligence, specifically: what prevents AI from improvising?

Sachin Rawat

Transportation

Huge cargo drones could soon move goods across the globe

Natilus is developing huge autonomous cargo drones that could cut the cost of air freight by 60% and reduce its carbon emissions by 50%.

Kristin Houser

We should teach AIs to drive the same way we teach kids

To help self-driving AIs learn more like humans do, Canadian startup Waabi has created a digital world to act as driving school and Danger Room.

B. David Zarley

Inventions

MIT invents $4 solar desalination device

MIT has developed a $4 solar desalination device that could provide a family of four with all the drinking water it needed to survive.

Kristin Houser

Engineering

“Fly ash” contains rare earth elements needed for electronics

A new method for extracting rare earth elements from fly ash could help end the U.S.’s reliance on China for the valuable metals.

Kristin Houser

Robotics

Robot kid successfully conveys six emotions on its face

An android child capable of expressing six emotions puts us one step closer to a future in which we share our homes with companion robots.

Kristin Houser

Robotics

Solving the last mile problem with robotic delivery vehicles

Most of the cost of delivering goods is tied to moving “the last mile” from a hub to the final destination. A new robotic delivery bot being piloted in three cities may help solve the problem.

Scotty Hendricks

Economics

The case for techno-optimism: Is the world about to enter an era of mass flourishing?

Historically, periods of mass flourishing are underpinned by technological revolutions. Currently, we are undergoing a technological revolution unlike anything the world has ever seen.

Mark Mills

Autonomous Black Hawk helicopter flies without a crew

The U.S. Army has given a Black Hawk helicopter the ability to complete an autonomous flight without any humans on board.

Kristin Houser

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