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.
Featured
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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Our planet is swimming in plastic. Here’s how we fix that
You’ve probably heard about the microplastic problem. But it’s not hopeless — this organization is cleaning up rivers.
Targeted therapy kills every type of cancer in the lab
City of Hope researchers are trialing a targeted therapy shown to kill more than 70 types of cancer in preclinical tests.
Want to lose weight? Try eating like a pig
From pig studies, we’ve learned that calorie counting matters, and eating many smaller meals is preferable to a few larger ones.
Northern white rhinos are set for extinction. Only a technological moonshot can save them.
Project BioRescue aims to create the reproductive technology necessary to resurrect the northern white rhino. But time is running out.
Australian military is funding a computer chip merged with human brain cells
The Australian military is funding research into “organoid intelligence” that involves stimulating lab-grown mini-brains with electrodes.
Lab-grown meat techniques aren’t new
Cell cultures are common tools in science, but bringing them up to scale to meet society’s demand for meat will require further development.
Theory proposes remnants of a destroyed planet lurk near Earth’s core
The two vast “blobs” buried in the Earth’s mantle could be the remains of a planet some believe crashed into Earth 4.5 billion years ago.
Ask Ethan: Is LK-99 the holy grail of superconductors?
The holy grail of superconductor science is to find a superconductor at room temperature and standard pressure conditions. Is LK-99 the first?
Immune cells in the brain may reduce damage during seizures and promote recovery
Microglia perform many functions in the brain, and their role in seizures is unclear — a new study in mice aims to find out more.
Gliding, not searching: Here’s how to reset your view of ChatGPT to steer it to better results
To have a productive session with ChatGPT, think of it as a glider that takes you on journeys through knowledge and possibilities.
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Hard Reset
“Metamaterials” will put sci-fi tech into your phone
This company is building a new kind of “metamaterial” that can change the way we see reality.
Scientists rush to recreate room-temperature superconductor
Claims that a material called “LK-99” is a room-temperature superconductor are being put to the test by the scientific community.
Scientists monitored the brains of 4 dying patients. Here’s what they found
Researchers found a surge of neurophysiological activity in the dying human brain, including in regions associated with conscious processing.
This non-profit is helping 1st gen college students out-earn their parents
75% of their students out-earn their parents. How Braven is restoring the American dream.
These giant viruses are unlike any we’ve ever seen before
Scientists have discovered a variety of “giant viruses” unlike any ever seen before in Massachusetts’ Harvard Forest
Viral room-temperature superconductor claims spark excitement
South Korean researchers claim they’ve created a material capable of room-temperature superconductivity, a holy grail of science.
Brain-computer interfaces could let soldiers control weapons with their thoughts
Brain-computer interfaces raise many ethical questions about how and whether they should be used for certain applications — including war.
Why death matters
Reframing life in terms of death reveals some of the biggest philosophical problems with how we think about living systems.
New study shows how electricity can turn on genes
A prototype wearable demonstrates a novel way to trigger gene expression: by zapping cells with electricity.
PhD student solves a mysterious ancient Sanskrit text algorithm after 2,500 years
For centuries, a grammatical problem surrounding a meta-rule in Pāṇini’s Aṣṭādhyāyī has risked readers misinterpreting the text.
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