The Digital Frontier
Advancements in 20th century medicine reshaped society and made good health an expectation, not an exception. Now, 21st century breakthroughs may end disease, reverse aging, and restore sight and hearing — perhaps sooner than we think.
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The masterplan to end EV “range anxiety” forever
A look at the history of EV charging and the tech trends that could encourage more people to make the switch to an electric car.
Why happiness is not the best indicator of well-being
Achieving values and pursuing growth is the real secret to a fulfilled life.
T-Minus: 10 space startups to watch
Today’s aerospace industry includes hundreds of startups, all vying to be the next SpaceX. Here are 10 that could actually do it.
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Anti-aging pill for senior dogs is now in clinical trials
An anti-aging pill for senior dogs now in clinical trials might lead to treatments that extend human lives, too.
A new way to swiftly eliminate micropollutants from water
Scientists at MIT are using zwitterionic hydrogels to sustainably capture both organic and inorganic micropollutants from water.
T-Minus: The Mars helicopter’s final flight, a moon lander’s reawakening, and more
Freethink’s weekly countdown of the biggest space news, featuring Ingenuity’s final flight on Mars, SLIM’s revival, and more.
OpenAI is reportedly investing in humanoid robots
Microsoft and OpenAI reportedly plan to invest $100 million into Figure, a startup developing a humanoid robot for the workplace.
How to find success with the 4 conditions of “intelligent failure”
Intelligent failure occurs in a low-risk environment and leads to growth or new knowledge. To fail intelligently, follow five strategies.
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Hard Reset
Meet Apollo, the real-life robot who wants to give you more free time
Will robots replace us? Apptronik, creator of the general purpose robot Apollo, has crafted a product that would only take the undesirable tasks away from humans.
Scientists scrutinize happiness research
Scientists dig into the research on happiness and find there isn’t always sound evidence behind recommended strategies for achieving it.
Elon Musk’s Neuralink has implanted its first device in a human being
Now that Neuralink has implanted a device in a person, CEO Elon Musk is closer to his goal of making brain chips common in the future.
Will AI companions help or hurt the “loneliness epidemic”?
About a third of people are lonely. Three scholars consider whether AI can help, or if it’ll just make things worse.
When the Mac was a “munition”
Macs were once deemed a threat to national security. Will today’s AI rules seem similarly outdated when we look back on them?
New antiviral shortens COVID-19 by 1.5 days
People taking simnotrelvir, a new antiviral treatment for COVID-19, felt almost immediate symptom relief and got better 1.5 days faster.
A dietician explains “Zepbound,” the newest weightloss drug
Zepbound recently joined the list of obesity-fighting drugs administered as injections that has been approved by the FDA.
One-and-done anti-aging treatment “rejuvenates” old mice
CAR-T cells that have been modified to target senescent cells could be a one-and-done anti-aging treatment.
World’s first malaria vaccination campaign launches in Cameroon
Cameroon has launched the world’s first malaria vaccine program — a huge milestone on the path to a malaria-free future.
The growing link between microbes, mood, and mental health
New research suggests that to maintain a healthy brain, we should tend our gut microbiome not through pills and supplements, but better food.
Tech hacks the nervous system to bring touch to virtual reality
Afference’s Phantom conducts electrical signals through nerves in the fingers to convince your brain it feels objects in virtual spaces.
NASA lays out the path to space-based solar power
A NASA study found that space-based solar power is likely far too expensive, but it also details what would need to happen to make it work.
Researchers release open-source space debris model
The MIT Orbital Capacity Assessment Tool lets users model the long-term future space environment to map space debris.
New AI detection tool measures how “surprising” word choices are
A new AI detection tool that measure how “surprising” text is reportedly delivers far fewer false positives than existing options.
Drinking this foam could boost an experimental cancer therapy
A drinkable foam packed with carbon monoxide molecules appears to boost the cancer-killing effects of autophagy inhibitors.
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