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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Why aren’t we moving faster on malaria vaccines?
COVID-19 shots were rolled out within weeks of approval. The malaria jab is being delayed until mid-2024. Why?
How I reinvented the future of the art market
This first-time entrepreneur didn’t find a gap in the art market — he reinvented it. Here’s how he made it happen.
What the science really says about vitamin D deficiency
When is low vitamin D a potential concern? And when might you need to get your levels tested? Here’s what the evidence says.
Why this startup is creating edible oil from sawdust
ÄIO’s main goal is to replace palm oil with oil upcycled from low-value industry organics in order to prevent further deforestation.
You’ll be able to buy this flying car for $190k in 2024 (Updated)
Startup Pivotal has unveiled the Helix eVTOL, a one-seater aircraft it plans to begin selling for $190,000 in 2024.
QBism and the philosophical crisis of quantum mechanics
Quantum interpretations generally fall into two categories: psi-ontological and psi-epistemic. Both have philosophical implications.
Disney’s new robot is a cartoon came to life
A highly expressive new Disney robot developed in a fraction of the time it usually takes could be the first of many expressive bots to come.
Baby star reveals new phase of planet formation for the first time
Astronomers have discovered a newborn star on the brink of planet formation, revealing a part of the process we’ve never seen before.
MIT study shows AI conversations are more positive if users think AI is empathetic, negative if they think it’s nefarious
Study shows users can be primed to believe certain things about an AI chatbot’s motives, which influences their interactions with it.
Stanford plans to put a 3D-printed human heart in a pig by 2028
Using 3D bioprinting, scientists are trying to construct perfect replacements for damaged organs, bones, and tissues.
Ever wonder how your body turns food into fuel? We tracked atoms to find out
New research offers new way to understand our metabolism in unprecedented detail, identifying four distinct phases of the process.
NASA’s Psyche mission is on its way to a metal asteroid
NASA has successfully launched its Psyche mission, sending a spacecraft on a 2.5-billion-mile journey to a metal-rich asteroid.
Monkey lives with CRISPR’d pig kidney for over two years
A monkey that survived for 758 days with a kidney from a gene-edited pig is a major step forward for xenotransplantation research.
T-Minus Weekly: A first for Europe, Musk’s Starship update, and more
Freethink’s weekly countdown of the biggest developments in space, featuring a first for Europe, Musk’s Starship update, and more.
Chandrayaan-3’s measurements of sulfur open the doors for lunar science and exploration
Data from Chandrayaan-3’s rover showed the lunar soil contained the expected metal elements, but also an unexpected surprise – sulfur.
See inside a first-of-its-kind smart gym, staffed by AI personal trainers
Lumin Fitness’s first-of-its-kind smart gym in Texas features AI trainers, motion-tracking sensors, and “gamified” classes.
CRISPR protects 9 out of 10 chickens from bird flu
UK scientists have used CRISPR to create gene-edited chickens that are highly resistant to the avian flu virus.
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Future of Cities
These cities are working alongside nature to become flood-proof
Barriers, floodgates, aqueducts, empty wells — how these cities are adapting to floods and droughts.
What does the evidence say about omega-3 fats for heart disease, dementia, and arthritis?
Are fish oil supplements as good for preventing heart disease, dementia, and other health conditions as we think? Or is eating fish better?
NASA’s asteroid sample contains an abundance of carbon and water
On October 11, NASA shared its first update on the Bennu asteroid sample brought to Earth by the OSIRIS-REx mission.
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