The Digital Frontier

A data center with rows of servers and neatly organized cables in red and blue on both sides of a central aisle.

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 West needs more water. This Nobel winner may have the answer.
Paul Migrom has an Emmy, a Nobel, and a successful company. There’s one more big problem on the to-do list.
Police spend 40% of their time on paperwork. Can AI help?
Axon’s AI innovations promise to free officers from desks, but not without questions of ethics. CEO Rick Smith addresses concerns and community trust:
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Are EVs really cheaper to own? It all depends on the model.
While electric vehicles (EVs) have higher upfront costs, some claim they are cheaper over their lifetimes due to lower fuel and maintenance costs.
See the humanoid robots that will build new BMWs
General purpose robots developed by robotics startup Figure are going to be deployed at a BMW Manufacturing plant.
“Resilience”: How a genocide scholar faces history’s darkest moments
Genocide historian Omer Bartov says studying his particularly challenging subject has made him more mentally resilient.
Immune cells linked to allergies can kill cancer
The newly discovered cancer-killing abilities of a type of immune cell linked to allergies suggests it could be a new immunotherapy.
Urine-propelled nanobots shrink bladder tumors by 90% in animals
Tiny, radioactive nanobots propelled by urine shrank bladder tumors by 90% in mice, suggesting a new way to target the disease.
Ultrasound waves help Alzheimer’s drug get into the brain
Beaming focused ultrasound waves into the heads of Alzheimer’s patients helped a drug bypass the blood-brain barrier.
Engineers develop a vibrating, ingestible capsule that might help treat obesity
MIT engineers designed an ingestible capsule that vibrates within the stomach, creating an illusory sense of fullness and reducing appetite.
10 must-see technologies from CES 2024
From super-hyped AI assistants to apps that translate babies’ cries, CES 2024 has given us a glimpse at the tech of tomorrow, today.
Data poisoning: how artists are sabotaging AI to take revenge on image generators
Artists unhappy with their work being used by generative AI have are using “data poisoning” to mess with the algorithm.
Swiss startup unveils the world’s first hydrogen VTOL jet
Swiss startup Sirius Aviation has unveiled a hydrogen VTOL it says could carry three passengers more than 1,000 miles without refueling.
Microsoft launches Copilot Pro for “power users”
Microsoft has launched Copilot Pro, a premium subscription service that makes its AI companion accessible to more people in more contexts.
Hard Reset Podcast: Oil Spills | Episode #11
Scientists invented an oil spill “magic eraser.” We want to know: does it work? Is it scalable? And what’s its environmental impact?
T-Minus: NASA’s Artemis update, a rocket’s maiden flight, and more
Freethink’s weekly countdown of the biggest space news, featuring NASA’s Artemis update, the maiden launch of Vulcan Centaur, and more.
6 tech trends at CES 2024 that are shaping the future
From AI to health and the metaverse, these tech trends promise to change our lives long after the excitement of the newest TV wears off.
Why Germany is a blank spot on Google’s Street View
Germany and Austria are a conspicuous gap in the mess of Google Maps’ Street View locations that covers the rest of Europe.
New graphene semiconductor could revolutionize electronics
The first working graphene semiconductor outperformed silicon, suggesting that the supermaterial could be the future of electronics.
Microsoft AI discovers 18 new battery materials in two weeks
Using AI and cloud computing, Microsoft was able to quickly identify 18 promising battery materials for the Department of Energy.
Are anxiety and depression social problems or chemical disorders?
As antidepressants will soon be a $16B industry, the chemical imbalance theory suits business interests better than health interests.
This “supermaterial” created a transparent brain implant
An AI-powered transparent brain implant made of the supermaterial graphene can predict activity below the brain’s surface.
AI and the future of work in 2024
Future jobs will rebalance technology with humanity, and lifelong learning to continually upgrade must replace outdated ideas of static careers.
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