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.
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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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Wounds of kids with “butterfly disease” healed by DNA gel
A topical gene therapy helped heal the wounds of people with “butterfly disease,” a painful disorder that makes the skin incredibly fragile.
This bird-like drone can perch on branches, catch objects
Inspired by birds’ perching abilities, researchers developed a drone with a bird-like structure that can land on a wide array of objects.
Hubble smashes record for farthest star ever seen
NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope has smashed its own record for farthest star ever seen with the detection of “Earendel.”
Reversing hearing loss with regenerative therapy
MIT spinout Frequency Therapeutics’ drug candidate stimulates the growth of hair cells in the inner ear.
Cancer is addicted to iron. It could be a fatal weakness.
By homing in on the high levels of iron in certain cancer cells, researchers have created a more targeted anticancer drug.
High schoolers create $1 filter to remove lead in water
Maryland high schoolers have created a filter that removes lead in water. It costs just $1 and alerts users when it needs to be replaced.
ESA space telescope snaps pic of new NASA neighbor
ESA’s Gaia observatory has snapped a photo of NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, its new neighbor at Earth’s second Lagrange point.
AI maps psychedelic “trip” experiences to regions of the brain – opening new route to psychiatric treatments
To better understand how these effects manifest in the brain, we analyzed over 6,000 written testimonials of hallucinogenic experiences.
Researchers scheme how they could ride a laser to Mars
Researchers have proposed an idea that will cut travel time to Mars down to just 45 days. All it takes is hitching a ride on a giant laser.
Combining crops and solar panels is allowing Kenya to “harvest the sun twice”
The panels are mounted high enough for crops to be grown underneath, sheltering them from the sun and allowing rainwater harvesting.
How tattoo machines could revolutionize vaccination
A tattoo machine may be a better delivery method for DNA vaccines than the standard syringe and hypodermic needle.
ESA plans to make the first oxygen on the moon
ESA plans to send a device that pulls oxygen from lunar regolith to the moon by 2025 and then build an oxygen-producing plant in the 2030s.
Male birth control pill to enter human trials in 2022
Clinical trials of a male birth control pill that was 99% effective at preventing pregnancy in mice are expected to launch in 2022.
A physician didn’t shower for 5 years. Here’s what he found out.
Hygiene rituals are as old as recorded civilization, but capitalism has spurred us to use increasingly elaborate and expensive regimens.
Radical new “Flying-V” plane aims to transform flight
The Flying-V airplane doesn’t look like anything you’ll find at today’s airports, but it could be the future of aviation.
Your pet dog could help people live longer, healthier lives
The Dog Aging Project is studying tens of thousands of dogs in the hope of helping pets and people live longer, healthier lives.
Internet-connected “smart” traps help cities combat rats
Internet-connected rat traps are bringing rodent control into the 21st century, helping cities leverage data in the battle against rats.
Vaccine used to treat COVID-19 for first time
A man whose persistent coronavirus infection kept him isolated for 7 months finally tested negative after receiving a COVID-19 vaccine.
This “family tree of all of humanity” shows how all of us are linked
Researchers have mapped the genetic ties between every person who ever lived, in the “first draft” of our shared family history.
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