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 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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Challengers
Hacking evolution to grow super coral
Coral reefs sustain life for 1 billion people around the world, but 90% will be extinct by 2050 if we don’t find a solution now.
Moms’ “super-antibodies” point the way to new antibody medicines
Pregnancy bestows on babies enhanced antibodies that can protect against a broader range of disease. Now, we know how.
Magic mushrooms evolved to scramble insect brains, send them on wild, scary trips
Researchers discovered that the way fungi independently gained the ability to produce psilocybin is because of horizontal gene transfer.
Future tech could 3D print objects inside your body
Direct sound printing could one day allow doctors to build medical implants inside patients’ bodies instead of surgically placing them.
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Catalysts
Reinventing your career in just 4 months
“How do you help give people a very understandable way to take 1, 2, 3, steps to be the change that they want to be in their own lives.”
A vaccine against mosquito saliva may be the key to stopping their diseases
University of Leeds researchers have identified a compound in mosquito saliva as a potential target to protect against multiple viruses.
Why Africa’s newest super-bridge is in the continent’s weirdest border zone
The Kazungula Bridge has turned a cartographic near-miss into a geopolitical marvel, with a chance to renew Africa’s economy.
New test tells you how many T cells for COVID-19 you have
A new blood test that measures a key indicator of COVID-19 immunity could help you assess your risk of a coronavirus infection.
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Heretics
“I believe nicotine is good,” John Coogan for Heretics
Is nicotine the stimulant of the future?
This compact electric vehicle wants to combine a scooter and a car
Nimbus is now taking pre-orders for its compact electric vehicle, which splits the difference between scooter and car.
New CRISPR-based map ties every human gene to its function
Researchers used a single-cell sequencing tool Perturb-seq on every expressed gene in the human genome, linking each to its job in the cell.
How facial recognition is identifying human trafficking victims
The technology is enabling law enforcement to shine a light on the darkest corners of the open internet.
Facial recognition ID’s missing kids with 99.85% accuracy
This tech is identifying missing children in minutes, not weeks.
The age reversal tech that billionaires are banking on
How long can a human being not only live but thrive? A race to find out involves some of the biggest names (and bank accounts) in tech.
Where does the plastic in our oceans come from?
Which countries and rivers emit the most plastic to the ocean? What does this mean for solutions to tackle plastic pollution?
A smart bomber for bacteria could help save antibiotics
Brown University researchers have developed a “smart” drug delivery system that only releases its payload when bacteria are present.
Handheld antibody tester could reveal if you’re immune to COVID
Hong Kong researchers have developed a handheld COVID antibody testing device more capable than current home tests.
Theory of mind: What chess and drug dealers can teach you about manipulation
Every social interaction is a game of chess, trying to get inside someone’s head to navigate what they are thinking or what they will do.
Pilotless German air taxi flies for first time
Volocopter’s four-seat air taxi — the VoloConnect — has completed its maiden flight and is on track for a 2026 commercial launch.
Washable smart fabric turns movement into electricity
NTU Singapore researchers have developed a washable, stretchy smart fabric that turns movement into electricity.
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