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.
More
Six innovative ways to float skyscraper-sized wind turbines
While most offshore wind farms are firmly rooted in the seabed, engineers are developing new ways to float enormous wind turbines.
How sensory gamma rhythm stimulation clears amyloid in Alzheimer’s mice
Study finds stimulating a brain rhythm with light and sound increases peptide release from interneurons, possibly slowing Alzheimer’s progression.
Why AI celebrities are teaching kids math and physics
Onlock Learning uses the attention-grabbing strategies that make brain-rot content virtually irresistible to package educational content.
Meet the humanoids: 8 robots ready to revolutionize work
Everything you need to know about the humanoids that will soon enter the workforce — or are in it already.
This startup is trying to solve lab-grown meat’s biggest problem
A biotech startup has developed a new kind of bioreactor that could help increase cultivated meat production.
How to build the skills needed for the age of AI
Knowledge-based workers already need to skill-up to coexist with sophisticated artificial intelligence technologies.
T-Minus: $11B Mars rocks, Voyager 1’s resurrection, and more
Freethink counts down the biggest space news, featuring NASA’s Mars rock request, the Dragonfly mission, and more.
Series|
Hard Reset Podcast
Hard Reset Podcast: Robot Recycling | Episode #13
How much of our recycling actually gets recycled? Robots could help boost the percentage of recycled trash with near-perfect accuracy.
See how Moderna is using OpenAI tech across its workforce
A partnership between Moderna and OpenAI provides a real-world example of what can happen when a company leans into generative AI.
Scientists have invented a method to break down “forever chemicals” in our drinking water
Researchers have discovered a way to eliminate “forever chemicals,” or PFAS, which usually take hundreds or thousands of years to break down.
Shining a light on oil fields to make them more sustainable
Sensors and analytics give oil well operators real-time alerts when things go wrong, so they can respond before they become disasters.
Brain implant for “artificial vision” is still working after 2 years
A new type of brain implant technology has given a man with total blindness a kind of “artificial vision.”
OpenAI’s GPT-4 outperforms doctors in another new study
OpenAI’s most powerful AI model, GPT-4, outperformed junior doctors in deciding how to treat patients with eye problems.
New York City greenlights congestion pricing
Here’s how New York City’s congestion pricing is expected to improve traffic, air quality, and public transit.
Watch the first AI vs. human dogfight using military jets
An AI fighter pilot faced off against a human pilot in a “dogfight” using actual planes — a huge milestone in military automation.
US will accelerate geothermal exploration on federal land
The Bureau of Land Management is taking steps to make it easier for public lands to be considered for geothermal power systems.
AI can help predict whether a patient will respond to specific tuberculosis treatments
Instead of a one-size-fits-all treatment approach, AI could help personalize treatments for each patient to provide the best outcomes.
New AI music generator makes songs from text prompts
AI music generators — AIs that create new music based on users’ text prompts — are lowering the bar for music creation, for better or worse.
Toward truly compostable plastic
Materials scientists are cooking up environmentally friendly plastics from natural sources like silk, plant fibers and whole algae.
World’s biggest battery maker unveils grid-scale storage system
CATL, the world’s biggest battery manufacturer, just unveiled TENER, a new energy storage system for utility companies.
Subscribe to the newsletter