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

Transportation

Passenger plane powered by hydrogen fuel makes maiden flight

California’s ZeroAvia has flown the first “commercial-grade” plane powered by hydrogen fuel, potentially foreshadowing the sustainable future of air travel.

Kristin Houser

Entrepreneurs

Engineering the impossible: The future of military tech

5:37

In partnership with Anduril

Palmer Luckey and his team of outside-the-box thinkers are creating defense technology that the government does not yet believe possible.

Doug Dais

Disaster Response

Getting disaster relief to the people who need it most

Delphi analyzes property damage and poverty levels to identify the people most in need of disaster relief, helping organizations maximize their impact.

Kristin Houser

Robotics

Toyota unveils Spiderman-like home cleaning robot

Toyota built a cleaning robot that descends from a kitchen's ceiling as an example of the kind of tech that might one day support Earth’s aging population.

Kristin Houser

Democracy

You can now track your mail-in ballot like an Amazon package

At least 46 states now offer free ballot tracking, letting voters follow their mail-in ballots from the printer to the election office.

Kristin Houser

Neuroscience

Help scientists figure out whether brain training apps work

To figure out how people might benefit from brain training apps, researchers are looking for 30,000 volunteers willing to play brain games science.

Kristin Houser

Minecraft’s urban planning AI could help design future cities

AIs design entire settlements in an annual Minecraft competition that could reveal uses for the tech in real-world urban planning.

Kristin Houser

Drones

Delivery drone breaks flight record for transporting an organ

A MissionGO delivery drone carried a human kidney a record-breaking 10 miles, demonstrating how the devices could facilitate organ transplants.

Kristin Houser

Computer Science

Underwater data center could lead to a more reliable internet

After spending two years on the ocean’s floor, Microsoft’s underwater data center had a much lower server failure rate than land-based data centers.

Kristin Houser

Drones

Walmart and Zipline launch a 1-hour drone delivery service that will parachute-drop your purchases

Walmart's drone delivery service will deliver wellness products to customers within a 50-mile radius of their headquarters in Arkansas.

Teresa Carey

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