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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World’s first GM banana approved in Australia
Australian regulators have approved a GM banana modified to resist Panama Disease, a devastating fungal infection.
How our “junk DNA” led to humans being tailless
A CRISPR study out of NYU suggests that junk DNA likely led humans to evolve to be tailless millions of years ago.
Why the US has artificial reefs made from sunken ships and voting machines
Not all underwater reefs are made of coral − there are also artificial reefs made of sunken ships, radio towers, and more.
Clinical trials can save more lives, and faster, with AI
The type of AI powering ChatGPT could help accelerate drug development by matching patients with clinical trials and vice versa.
Serotonin plays a key role in patience and impulse control, research says
Evidence suggests that there is in fact a neurological factor to the brain’s ability to control impulses and manage patience.
Cancer vaccine for dogs appears to nearly double survival rate
Yale researchers have developed a cancer vaccine for dogs that appears to increase their 12-month survival rate from 35% to 60%.
3D-printed skin could heal wounds with less scarring
Penn State scientists have 3D-printed skin directly on top of open wounds — an achievement that could improve reconstructive surgery.
Flowers grown floating on polluted waterways can help clean up nutrient runoff and turn a profit
Flowers grown on inexpensive floating platforms can help clean polluted waterways and even make a profit from cut flower sales.
T-Minus: An exploding asteroid, Odie’s final transmission, and more
Freethink’s weekly countdown of the biggest space news, featuring a new DART simulation, the end of Odysseus, and more.
How marine permaculture could revolutionize ocean farming
Marine permaculture could contribute to ecosystem restoration and pollution reduction, as well as empower local communities.
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Hard Reset
Large-scale, lab-grown meat: Step inside a cultivated meat factory
Have your buffalo wings, save the chicken. Step inside a lab-grown meat factory with us to see the future of food.
Safer skies with self-flying helicopters
Engineers start with an existing helicopter model and add control, sensing, and other software systems to make it autonomous.
Running or yoga can help beat depression, research shows – even if it’s the last thing you feel like
Exercise can be just as impactful in treating depression as therapy, but it matters what type of exercise you do and how you do it.
Elon Musk sues OpenAI and claims it has achieved AGI
Elon Musk is suing OpenAI, claiming it has breached its agreement to develop artificial general intelligence for the benefit of all humanity.
Robots who share your accent are more trusted, study shows
What makes a robot seem competent and trustworthy might be different for different people.
How three students wrote history by winning the Vesuvius Challenge
Thanks to the Vesuvius Challenge, we may be on the verge of the biggest literary discovery of the ancient world in decades.
Animation may be entering a new renaissance. Here’s why.
Popular animated films have been rendered in an increasingly realistic style recently. Here’s where animation is heading in the future.
AI solves huge problem holding back fusion power
Princeton researchers have trained an AI to predict and prevent a common problem during nuclear fusion reactions.
How scientists are using sound waves to hack the brain
Korean researchers have developed a new form of ultrasound brain stimulation that could help the brain form new connections.
Doomerism’s “tipping point” and why existentialism isn’t the solution to the climate crisis
We can’t afford to lose optimism over averting the worst consequences of this crisis; without it, we’re trapped in a response of inaction.
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