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
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.
Will AI supercharge hacking — if it hasn’t already?
The future of hacking is coming at us fast, and it isn’t clear yet whether AI will help attackers and defenders more.
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New AI generates CRISPR proteins unlike any seen in nature
An AI that generates CRISPR proteins is opening the door to gene editors with capabilities beyond what we’ve found in nature.
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Hard Reset
Can underground tunnels make instant delivery possible?
McNuggets delivered in < 10 min for just $1? This underground “Amazon Prime”-like delivery service is the closest thing humans have to teleportation.
Plant sensors could act as an early warning system for farmers
Using sensors made from carbon nanotubes, researchers discovered signals that help plants respond to stresses like heat, light, or attack.
How Brilliant Labs CEO is creating a “symbiosis of humanity and artificial intelligence”
CEO Bobak Tavangar discusses the philosophy behind Brilliant’s latest device, Frame, and his vision for the future of AI.
Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft was set to launch on May 6 — but was delayed again
Boeing’s Starliner launch – delayed again – will be an important milestone for commercial spaceflight if it can manage to launch.
Why AI playing video games is a big deal
Google’s SIMA can follow human instructions to play 3D video games. Researchers hopes the platform can one day help AI navigate real-world environments.
Synthetic diamonds may have just gotten way easier to make
Scientists in South Korea have developed a new technique for creating synthetic diamonds that works under ambient pressure.
“Bionic eye” discovers Plato’s final resting place
Plato’s final resting place has been identified thanks to a “bionic eye” built to read the Herculaneum scrolls.
What hybrid mouse/rat brains are showing us about the mind
Modified mice with hybrid brains that include rat neurons could one day lead to new breakthroughs in neuroscience.
“I’m not interested in reality”: AI artist Refik Anadol on creative coding, hallucinations, and the future of art
By painting with code and bits of data, AI artist Refik Anadol reveals surprisingly deep insights into what it means to create art.
With inspiration from “Tetris,” MIT researchers develop a better radiation detector
A new detector system based on the game “Tetris” could enable inexpensive, accurate radiation detectors for monitoring nuclear sites.
DARPA is testing this autonomous tank with glowing “eyes”
DARPA just tested an autonomous tank that could help keep soldiers safe — and even more self-driving military vehicles are on the horizon.
Milk could overcome one of the biggest hurdles to RNA therapies
RNA therapies typically break down if administered orally, but particles found in cows’ milk could provide perfect protection.
T-Minus: Psyche phones home, NASA sets sail, and more
Freethink counts down the biggest space news, featuring a new kind of space communication, lots of orbital debris, and more.
First-of-its-kind pig kidney transplant is a success
A woman with heart and kidney failure is now the second person in the world to undergo a gene-edited pig kidney transplant.
MIT engineers design flexible “skeletons” for soft, muscle-powered robots
New modular, spring-like devices maximize the work of live muscle fibers so they can be harnessed to power biohybrid bots.
Last century, we extended our lives. This century, we need to shorten our deaths.
We are living longer lives, while also spending more years sick than ever before — but there are ways to close the lifespan-healthspan gap
Desalination could avert one of the top 10 threats facing the world
Desalination — changing seawater into safe drinking water — could avert a crisis. Here’s how to make it less costly and labor-intensive.
Helium discovery is the supply breakthrough science, medicine, and industry needed
A helium reservoir in Minnesota has astonishingly high concentrations of the gas, potentially opening doors for commercial extraction.
New study challenges long-held assumption about cancer
Genetic mutations may not be necessary for cancer to develop, challenging a long-held assumption about the disease.
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