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Drugs
Psychedelics are helping dying patients overcome their existential distress
End of life patients face existential and spiritual challenges other patients do not. Psychedelics may be uniquely suited to helping them.
B. David Zarley
a hand holding a flat, squarish white battery with two holes in it
Clean Energy
These 3D-printed batteries could be the future of clean energy
Silicon Valley startup Sakuu has developed a 3D-printing platform that it says can mass produce solid-state batteries, in any shape and size
Kristin Houser
a colorful brain scan
Medicine
New MS treatment targets the gut microbiome
We may be able to prevent chronic inflammation in multiple sclerosis patients by manipulating their gut microbiomes.
Kristin Houser
a black silhouette of lungs on a background of white powder
Coronavirus
Inhaling this powder shields lungs from infection
An inhalable powder that acts as an “invisible mask” for the lungs could potentially help end the COVID-19 pandemic.
Kristin Houser
brightly colored cancer cells
Medicine
New light therapy could make cancer treatment better and safer
A new light-activated cancer treatment developed in the UK could make existing therapies better and safer.
Kristin Houser
a stroke survivor cutting into a steak
Neuroscience
First: Spinal cord stimulation helps stroke survivors control arms again
Spinal cord stimulation has been shown to improve upper-limb mobility in stroke survivors for the first time.
Kristin Houser
three metal scaffolds
Aerospace
NASA’s new balloon-borne telescope was designed with AI
An AI-powered technique called “generative design” is helping NASA engineers design better hardware, more quickly.
Kristin Houser
an illustration of a microreactor
Clean Energy
These “microreactors” could be the future of nuclear power
Microreactors that can be built and deployed much faster than traditional nuclear power plants could be the future of nuclear energy
Kristin Houser
a Zoox robotaxi
Transportation
Zoox deploys first-of-their-kind robotaxis in California
Amazon subsidiary Zoox hits a new milestone, transporting passengers in its driverless robotaxis on open public roads.
Kristin Houser
two tree seedlings
Climate Crisis
Startup plants first GMO trees designed for carbon removal
Living Carbon is ready to begin planting thousands of GMO trees engineered to pull 27% more carbon from the air.
Kristin Houser
a thin, silver piece of material on a colorful background
Wearables
This tiny device lets you see your heart while exercising
A new wearable heart monitor powered by AI provides accurate and continuous measurements of cardiac performance at all times.
Peter Rogers
An IV bag with a psychedelic background
Drugs
DMT therapy appears effective for depression in phase 2 clinical trial
London-based Small Pharma has released positive top-line results for their phase 2a trial of DMT as an antidepressant.
B. David Zarley
Keanu Reeves surrounded by fungi
Medicine
New compound can go Keanu Reeves on fungal infections
B. David Zarley
a 3D illustration of the Balamuthia mandrillaris amoeba
Medicine
“Brain-eating” amoeba beaten by old European drug
A man infected by a deadly brain-eating amoeba is on the road to recovery thanks to a decades-old drug used to treat urinary tract infections.
Kristin Houser
3D-printed skin in the shape of a hand
Medicine
Skin grafts can now be 3D-printed to fit “like a glove”
Bioprinted skin grafts come in sheets, not the contours of the body. New research from Columbia envisions grafts which fit like a glove.
B. David Zarley
Professor Enrique Jiménez studying a cuneiform tablet
AI
AI is helping decode the oldest story in the world
A new algorithm is helping decode ancient cuneiform tablets — including those containing the oldest known work of world literature.
Kristin Houser
A Pelican plane on a runway
Transportation
World’s largest electric cargo plane can carry up to 400 pounds
The Pelican is an autonomous electric cargo plane capable of transporting 400 pounds of cargo 200 miles in less than three hours.
Kristin Houser
Google logo on the notification icon
AI
Google announces Bard, a ChatGPT-like AI (Updated)
Google has announced Bard, a conversational AI similar to ChatGPT, and plans to integrate similar AI into its search platform “soon.”
Kristin Houser
a nasal swab being taken
Virology
Yale researchers have found a way to spot new viruses
By screening negative nasal swabs for a specific antiviral protein, a Yale team believes we may be able to find hidden viruses before they emerge.
B. David Zarley
A grid of fans pulling carbon from the air
Climate Crisis
World’s biggest direct air capture plant is trapping CO2 in Iceland
Direct air capture technology is starting to take off, with ever-larger CO2 removal facilities opening across the globe.
Kristin Houser
A foot wearing a Moonwalker shoe on a colorful background
Wearables
World’s fastest “shoes” increase walking speed by 250%
Shift Robotics is taking pre-orders on Moonwalkers — $1,400 “shoes” that let you walk 2.5x faster without expending any extra energy.
Kristin Houser
Bacteria-killing lysozyme protein
AI
ChatGPT-like AI creates new bacteria-killing proteins
Using a large language model AI, biotech startup Profluent has created new antimicrobial proteins.
B. David Zarley
A 3D illustration of a macrophage engulfing bacteria
Biology
mRNA could train our blood cells to stop chronic inflammation
A new study has identified the substance used by our white blood cells to reduce inflammation when it is no longer needed.
Sam Jarman
An artist's depiction of NASA's Lucy spacecraft with asteroids in the background.
Asteroids
NASA’s “Lucy” will take a 40,000-mile detour to visit this asteroid
NASA has added a tenth asteroid flyby to the record-breaking Lucy mission so that it can test a new asteroid-tracking system.
Kristin Houser
An image of the rubble pile asteroid Itokawa.
Asteroids
This near-Earth asteroid is 4.2 billion years old and nearly indestructible
By analyzing just three dust particles, researchers learned that the rubble pile asteroid Itokawa is 4.2 billion years old and hard to kill.
Kristin Houser
speech bcis
Neuroscience
New brain implant breaks record for turning thoughts into text
Stanford researchers have developed a brain-computer interface that allowed a woman to “type” 62 words per minute using only her thoughts.
Kristin Houser
AI
In Japan, humanoid robots could soon become part of the family
More than any other nation, Japan tends to feel comfortable with the idea of humanoid robots entering the home.
Orly Lobel
risc-v
Computer Science
An open-source option is shaking up the microchip industry
The RISC-V architecture for microchips is transitioning from a novelty to a major player in the tech world.
Kristin Houser
atalante exoskeleton
Robotics
First-of-its-kind exoskeleton for stroke rehab cleared by FDA
The FDA has cleared Wandercraft's self-balancing, hands-free Atalante exoskeleton for use during stroke rehab.
Kristin Houser
small modular nuclear reactor
Clean Energy
First small modular nuclear reactor certified in US
The US’s first certification of a small modular reactor design could lead to cheaper, safer nuclear power plants.
Kristin Houser
Cars
Autonomous race cars go head-to-head, break records in Las Vegas
Autonomous race cars took to the track at CES, opening new forms of competition and setting speed records.
B. David Zarley
two-story 3d-printed house
3D Printing
Two-story 3D-printed house is first of its kind in the US
The US’s first two-story 3D-printed house is being built in Houston, Texas, from a mix of concrete and wood.
Kristin Houser
mrna vaccine factory
Coronavirus
New mRNA vaccine factory is made from shipping containers
BioNTech is sending a modular mRNA vaccine factory that can produce 50 million COVID-19 vaccines annually to Africa.
Kristin Houser
Engineering
Treating broken bones in war zones made easier with low-cost device
The device performs similarly to its commercial counterparts but costs one-tenth the price.
Stephen Johnson
new space telescope
Astronomy
NASA announces alien-hunting Habitable Worlds Observatory
NASA has announced that it is developing the Habitable Worlds Observatory, a new space telescope optimized to hunt for extraterrestrial life.
Kristin Houser
drive pilot
Transportation
Mercedes-Benz wins race to bring Level 3 autonomous cars to US
Mercedes-Benz has permission to deploy its Level 3 autonomous driving system, DRIVE PILOT, in Nevada, and California could soon follow.
Kristin Houser
Engineering
World’s largest plane sets new flight record
A new test flight puts the world’s largest plane one step closer to helping the US develop — and respond to — hypersonic weapons.
Kristin Houser
Coronavirus
Stanford nasal study could lead to “morning after” virus spray
A “morning after” antiviral nasal spray could be created using new knowledge about how SARS-CoV-2 invades your nose.
B. David Zarley
starlink astronomy
Astronomy
SpaceX puts Starlink promises to astronomers in writing
SpaceX has signed an agreement with the National Science Foundation detailing its plans to minimize Starlink’s impact on astronomy.
Kristin Houser
MRI-guided focused ultrasound
Brain
New brain cancer treatment trialed in children for the first time
MRI-guided focused ultrasound has been used to deliver chemo into the brain of a pediatric cancer patient for the first time.
Kristin Houser
agricultural robot
Robotics
New AI-powered farming robot covers 50 acres of crops per day
French startup Meropy has developed an agricultural robot that can autonomously inspect crops from above and below.
Kristin Houser
crispr-Cas12a2
CRISPR
New killer CRISPR system is unlike any scientists have seen
CRISPR-Cas12a2 — a system that causes cells to self-destruct — could lead to new cancer treatments, better diagnostic tests, and more.
Kristin Houser
Animals
The first ever honey bee vaccine has arrived
The USDA has conditionally approved a honey bee vaccine to protect the important insects from American foulbrood, a brutal bacterial infection.
B. David Zarley
partial reprogramming
Aging
A single injection of gene therapy made old mice live 7% longer
Biotech startup Rejuvenate Bio says it has extended the lives of elderly mice by 7% using a technique called “partial reprogramming.”
Kristin Houser
new alzheimer's medication
Medicine
FDA approves new Alzheimer’s medication
Lecanemab, a new Alzheimer’s medication shown to slow cognitive decline in patients, has been granted accelerated approval by the FDA.
Kristin Houser
Global Development
How to bring the entire world online
In partnership with Cisco
500 billion devices will be online by 2030. Here’s how that connectivity can power a sustainable future.
3d printing homes
3D Printing
This 3D-printed home is made entirely of bio-based materials
Maine researchers are testing a new approach to 3D printing homes, swapping out the standard concrete “ink” for a material made of wood waste.
Kristin Houser
satnav moon
Aerospace
NASA and ESA are racing to bring GPS to the moon
Two upcoming space missions by NASA and ESA could help bring satellite navigation (satnav) to the moon and cislunar space.
Kristin Houser
artificial penis tissue
Biology
Artificial penis tissue restores erections in injured pigs
Artificial penis tissue that restored erections in injured pigs might one day do the same for people with erectile dysfunction.
Kristin Houser
AI
Microsoft plans to use ChatGPT in Bing. Here’s why it could be a threat to Google.
Language models could transform the ways we engage with search engines.
Stephen Johnson
mtdna
Medicine
Mother’s mitochondria used to treat her child’s rare genetic disorder
A new therapy that treats children with rare mtDNA mutations using mitochondria sourced from their mothers has now been tested in patients.
Kristin Houser
Virology
New mRNA universal flu vaccine against all known subtypes takes promising first steps
A new universal flu vaccine candidate that uses mRNA to target all known flu subtypes looks promising in animal models.
B. David Zarley
Climate Crisis
The mail is finally going electric (its trucks, anyway)
After withering criticism from the EPA, Biden officials, and 16 states, the USPS has announced it will order more electric delivery vehicles.
B. David Zarley
automated restaurant
Robotics
McDonald’s opens its first automated restaurant in Texas
McDonald’s has opened a new highly automated restaurant, giving customers a first look at the potential future of fast food.
Kristin Houser
AI
We gave ChatGPT a college-level microbiology quiz. It blew the quiz away.
A microbiologist devised a quiz that would be appropriate as a final exam for college-level microbiology students. ChatGPT blew it away.
Alex Berezow
pictures of snowflakes
Art
World’s highest-res pictures of snowflakes combine art and tech
Former Microsoft CTO Nathan Myhrvold custom built a camera system to take the world’s highest-resolution pictures of snowflakes.
Kristin Houser
producing hydrogen leds
Clean Energy
New experiment produces hydrogen with LEDs
Quantum simulations have identified a cheap way of extracting hydrogen fuel from liquid ammonia using LED light.
Sam Jarman
space missions 2023
Aerospace
The 12 most exciting space missions of 2023
2023 will see the launch of new rockets, the return of OSIRIS-REx, and a mission to Jupiter that could help us find extraterrestrial life.
Kristin Houser
far-uvc light
Medicine
Seven science and tech breakthroughs you may have missed this year
A roundup of major science and tech achievements that flew under the radar in 2022, including new vaccines, advanced solar cells, and more.
Kristin Houser
chatgpt search engines
AI
Search engines and AI will make each other better
The tech behind ChatGPT isn’t ready to overthrow Google, but it could fix what’s wrong with search engines.
Shubham Agarwal
Medicine
Engineered bacteria may one day prevent kidney stones
In a small proof-of-concept study, an engineered E. coli was able to reduce levels of a kidney stone-causing chemical.
B. David Zarley
Brain
Researchers have developed a way to “decode” depression
Baylor College of Medicine researchers have developed an electrode-based “mood decoder” capable of mapping brain activity to mood.
B. David Zarley
gamma waves
Neuroscience
MIT is testing light and sound to combat Alzheimer’s
MIT researchers are developing a therapy that uses 40-Hz light and sound to alter Alzheimer’s patients’ gamma waves.
Kristin Houser
cultivated meat factory
Food
World’s biggest cultivated meat factory is being built in the US
Israeli startup Believer Meats is building the world’s biggest cultivated meat factory in Wilson, North Carolina.
Kristin Houser
AI
Generative AI: The technology of the year for 2022
It's made headlines so often that there is no question that 2022 will be remembered as the year that Generative AI stunned the world.
Louis Rosenberg
energy storage
Clean Energy
New battery is cheaper than lithium-ion with four times the capacity
A new type of room temperature sodium-sulfur (RT Na-S) battery could help solve the renewable energy storage problem.
Kristin Houser
neeva search engine
AI
Ad-free search engine to launch ChatGPT-like AI feature
The ad-free Neeva search engine is adding an AI feature that will answer user queries with conversational text, rather than lists of links.
Kristin Houser
car t-cell therapy
Medicine
First-of-its-kind therapy sends girl’s incurable cancer into remission
A first-of-its-kind CAR T-cell therapy sent a UK girl’s blood cancer into remission when all other treatments failed.
Kristin Houser
neo surveyor
Asteroids
World’s first asteroid-hunting spacecraft to launch in 2028
NASA has announced plans to launch the world’s first asteroid-hunting spacecraft — the $1.2 billion NEO Surveyor — in 2028.
Kristin Houser
mrna cancer vaccine
Medicine
Moderna’s mRNA cancer vaccine reduces risk of recurrence or death by 44%
Moderna’s new mRNA cancer vaccine reduced melanoma patients’ risk of recurrence or death by 44% compared to a standard treatment alone.
Kristin Houser
lunar lander
Aerospace
SpaceX launches groundbreaking Japanese lunar lander
A lunar lander built by Japanese aerospace startup ispace is poised to be the first private spacecraft to soft land on the moon.
Kristin Houser
prevent COVID-19
Coronavirus
Cheap liver drug can prevent COVID-19
A cheap, readily available drug used to treat liver disease could also prevent COVID-19 infections — regardless of the variant.
Kristin Houser
gene drive
CRISPR
New CRISPR tech makes it possible to wipe out invasive mice
Australian researchers have developed a gene drive that renders female mice infertile, opening the door to a new type of pest control.
Kristin Houser
protein folding AI
AI
“DALL-E 2 of biology” designs proteins for new drugs
The Chroma AI's ability to design proteins with structures no one has ever seen before could revolutionize medicine.
Kristin Houser
new minerals
Astronomy
Scientists discover two brand new minerals in massive meteorite
A massive, 4.5-billion-year-old meteorite located in Somalia contains two new minerals never seen before in nature.
Kristin Houser
flying taxis
Transportation
Startup unveils flying taxis expected to soar over NYC in 2025
Startup Archer Aviation has just unveiled Midnight, its first electric vertical take off and landing (eVTOL) vehicle.
Kristin Houser
using chatgpt
AI
Five creative ways people are using ChatGPT
Internet users are getting creative with OpenAI’s new chatbot, ChatGPT, using it to plot movies, write menus, and more.
Kristin Houser
genetically engineered houseplant
Biology
Startup unveils $179 houseplant engineered to purify your air
Neoplants' $179 genetically engineered houseplant pulls VOCs from the air 30 times more efficiently than plants found in nature.
Kristin Houser
fecal transplant therapy
Medicine
FDA approves US’s first fecal transplant therapy
The FDA has approved Rebyota, a slurry used during fecal transplant therapy to treat recurrent C. difficile infections.
Kristin Houser
medical robots
Brain
Magnets pull these tiny medical robots deep into the brain
LA-based startup Bionaut Labs is developing micro-sized medical robots that are guided through the body by magnets.
Kristin Houser
1784 naver labs
Robotics
“Korean Google” opens the world’s first robot-friendly building
Tech giant Naver Corporation designed its new headquarters, 1784, to be a "robot-friendly" testing ground for its latest technologies.
Kristin Houser
ai chatbot
AI
An interview with ChatGPT about itself
Freethink interviews OpenAI’s ChatGPT, an AI chatbot capable of generating conversational text, code, and more in response to prompts.
Kristin Houser and Daniel Bier
hydrogen fuel
Aerospace
Rolls-Royce tests its first hydrogen-powered plane engine
Rolls-Royce and easyJet have demonstrated for the first time that a modern plane engine can be safely powered by hydrogen fuel.
Kristin Houser
Hard Reset Gift Guide
Exploring "Hard Reset," we've discovered amazing technologies and products. With the year's end and gift-giving in mind, we've created a gift guide. Each item encourages rethinking aspects of life, just like our show. These gifts will inspire and spark conversations, offering fresh ideas for loved ones.
5 Episodes
AI
Diplomacy game AI can negotiate, form alliances, and persuade people
The game of Diplomacy, based on social skills, has long been seen as a tough challenge for AI. But Meta’s CICERO has proven itself up to the task.
B. David Zarley
gas giant Wasp-39b
Aerospace
Astronomers detect “mystery molecule” in exoplanet’s atmosphere
Thanks to the James Webb Space Telescope, we now know more about the atmosphere of WASP-39b, a distant gas giant, than any other exoplanet.
Kristin Houser
ultra-thin solar cells
Aerospace
New ultra-thin solar cells could be the future of space power
Ultra-thin solar cells could extend the operational lifetimes of satellites while also making missions less costly and more efficient.
Sam Jarman
rocket engine
Aerospace
Australia’s first rocket set to launch in 2023
Gilmour Space expects to launch its first rocket in 2023, which will add Australia to the short list of nations to send rockets to space.
Kristin Houser
brain cancer vaccine
Medicine
New brain cancer vaccine completes clinical trial
Northwest Biotherapeutics reports that its new brain cancer vaccine can extend glioblastoma patients’ lives by months or even years.
Kristin Houser
mining truck
Clean Energy
Construction juggernaut unveils huge electric mining truck
Construction equipment manufacturer Caterpillar has demonstrated its first battery-electric large mining truck.
Kristin Houser
chemo pump
Medicine
New chemo pump for brain tumors could avoid side effects
A fully implantable chemo pump could help extend the lives of people with deadly brain tumors while minimizing treatment side effects.
Kristin Houser
hemophilia b treatment
Medicine
$3.5 million treatment for hemophilia wins FDA approval
The FDA has approved biotech company CSL Behring's Hemgenix, a hemophilia B treatment that costs $3.5 million per dose.
Kristin Houser
holocaust photos
AI
AI is helping to ID victims in Holocaust photos
The new website From Numbers to Names uses facial recognition tech to identify previously anonymous faces in Holocaust photos.
Kristin Houser
permanent magnets
Clean Energy
This meteorite material could power our clean energy future
A lab-made version of tetrataenite, a mineral found in meteorites, could replace rare earth elements in the production of permanent magnets.
Kristin Houser
binge eating disorder
Neuroscience
Electrically stimulating the brain helps stop binge eating
Two people with binge eating disorder reported that deep brain stimulation helped them control their eating and lose weight in a small study.
Kristin Houser
crispr cancer treatment
CRISPR
New CRISPR cancer treatment tested in humans for first time
A new personalized CRISPR cancer treatment modifies the immune system's T cells to help them recognize a specific patient's tumor cells.
Kristin Houser
orion spacecraft
Aerospace
NASA’s Orion spacecraft sends back first images
NASA has shared the first images from its Orion spacecraft, which is expected to do a lunar flyby on November 21.
Kristin Houser
lab-grown chicken
Food
Lab-grown meat clears major FDA hurdle
Startup UPSIDE Foods’ lab-grown chicken has passed a key FDA checkpoint, putting cultured meat one step closer to sale in the US.
Kristin Houser
An open source tool to unlock cures
In partnership with Chan Zuckerberg Initiative
There are 37 trillion cells in your body. This discovery platform lets scientists map them.
Virology
Moderna to develop mRNA vaccines for Ebola
Moderna is reportedly nearing a deal with the DoD to develop mRNA vaccines for biological threats like Ebola
B. David Zarley