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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How three laser-shooting spacecraft could reveal the birth of the universe
The first space-based mission to detect gravitational waves, LISA, could give us a brand new perspective into the universe’s past.
Your garden’s 2024 “hardiness zone” could change, thanks to warming climates
Hotter summers and warmer winters are changing the types of plants we’ll be able to successfully grow. Here’s how to adapt.
This startup is making natural gas from sunlight, water, and air
Terraform Industries is using sunlight, water, and air to create synthetic natural gas — and keep methane out of the atmosphere.
Scientists are deep-freezing corals to repopulate the ocean
Healthy corals could disappear by the 2030s if climate change is not curbed, so scientists are deep freezing specimens.
T-Minus: Counting down the 10 biggest “firsts” in space exploration
A special edition of Freethink’s weekly countdown of space news, featuring the 10 biggest milestones in humanity’s exploration of space.
One-shot gene therapy reverses vision loss in small trial
A gene therapy for wet AMD — the most common cause of severe vision loss in seniors — is now in phase 3 trials.
Retired coal plants can aid the energy transition — by going nuclear
Nuclear power is a proven way to decarbonize the grid, and a lot of infrastructure for it already exists at retired coal plants.
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Hard Reset
The tech of tomorrow: Haptics, Desktop CNC, Hyundai E-Corner
Would you use a desktop CNC? What about no-snow skis? Could a car with 90º wheels make parking easier? We went to the biggest tech event in the world to try out viral tech for ourselves.
Korea’s “artificial sun” sets nuclear fusion record
An upgrade to KSTAR, an “artificial sun” in Korea, enabled scientists to set a new world record in nuclear fusion.
Nuclear’s role in a net-zero world
Is nuclear power a necessary part of the transition away from fossil fuels? As the debate rages on, new technologies may be shift the balance.
“Stone wool”: lava-based material is more efficient, lasts longer than most insulation materials
Stone wool, a lava-based material, is more efficient and lasts longer than today’s most common insulation materials.
Hypersonic startup unveils its first aircraft
Hermeus just unveiled its first flight vehicle, putting it a major step closer to developing first-of-their-kind hypersonic aircraft.
China is one step closer to having a nuclear-powered spacecraft
Chinese researchers say they are making progress on a nuclear-powered spacecraft that could dramatically accelerate space travel.
How one startup is using the ocean to fight climate change
California startup Ebb Carbon wants to build the world’s largest marine CDR plant to capture CO2 in Port Angeles, Washington.
Psychedelic drugs and the law: What’s next?
The push to legalize magic mushrooms, MDMA, LSD, and other hallucinogens is likely to heighten tensions between state and federal law.
One shot recreates younger immune systems, in mice
An antibody treatment designed to revitalize an aging immune system delivers “surprising” results in elderly mice.
Does AI need a “body” to become truly intelligent? Meta researchers think so.
We’re finally starting to see what can happen when we put an advanced AI “brain” in a state-of-the-art robot “body” — and it’s remarkable.
Here’s what it’ll take to power Africa’s clean energy future
The renewable electricity revolution is well underway in Africa, but needs to be shared across borders, this research found.
How patients are using technology to kick-start a healthcare revolution
Susannah Fox, former chief technology officer for the HHS, explains how technology can empower a patient-led healthcare revolution.
AI “tastes” beer — then tells brewers how to make it better
An AI that can predict how to improve the taste of a beer could help brewers develop the next beloved brew.
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