NASA is sending a robot surgeon to the ISS
A MIRA surgical robot is heading to the ISS in 2024 so developers can test its potential to help astronauts survive medical emergencies.
Yale team partially revives dead pig organs an hour after death
Yale’s OrganEx technology has been used to partially revive the organs of dead pigs an hour after their hearts stopped beating.
Latest Videos
Series | Just Might Work
Inside the lab creating human eggs from scratchWatch“In a 50 year timeframe this could become the default way that people choose to have children.”
Can this school change the world?5:30
“What if we had this education growing up? How much better would we be? Not only at our work but at life.”
Series | Heretics
“I believe consciousness can influence reality”4:12This consciousness researcher claims people can influence the physical world with their minds. If he’s right, it would upend our notion of reality.
Series | Hard Reset
Engineering oleophilic sponges to save the oceans 9:27“A new wave of material sciences could help us start cleaning the environment instead of just, well, using it as a trash can.”
Series | Catalysts
Applying Silicon Valley thinking to the fight against povertyWatch“Change happens from the bottom up.”
Series | Heretics
Polyamory is great. Monogamists can learn from it.WatchWhy monogamous relationships can be unsustainable, according to an evolutionary biologist.
Series | Ramen Profitable
The crowdfunded personal wind turbine that sold out in 5 daysWatchThis clean energy startup hit their fundraising goal in 1 hour. Here’s how crowdfunding brought Shine to life.
Series | Challengers
The new vehicle challenging cars, bikes and Uber WatchThis scooter is taking cities back from cars. The crazy part? You unlock it with an NFT.
Series | Catalysts
33% of women experience sexual trauma in their lifetime. 100% of women at Thistle farms survived. WatchFrom sexual exploitation and addiction to leading independent lives, see how Thistle Farms is empowering women survivors.
Series | Heretics
Should extreme biohacking be a human right? 6:28“I want to genetically modify humans. I want to create a coronavirus vaccine in my kitchen. Because I can. Because it’s beautiful and cool. But like, you can’t say that shit.”
Series | Ramen Profitable
The bootstrap entrepreneur taking on Google & Apple6:22He spent his life savings to launch a tech company rivaling Apple. Although 200 investors told him to give up, here’s why he didn’t.
Join us on Instagram for more stories
Their new perovskite-on-silicon solar cells do what’s theoretically impossible.
We can each change the world for the better.
“In a 50 year timeframe this could become the default way that people choose to have children.”
It involves large spinning cones and a “space train” component.
“What if we had this education growing up? How much better would we be? Not only at our work but at life.” We created this story in partnership with @higherground_education.
New to Freethink?
We focus on solutions: the smartest people, the biggest ideas, and the most groundbreaking technology shaping our future.
Latest on COVID-19
Long COVID-19 and chronic conditions after viral infections may stem from an overactive immune response
Understanding the immunological mechanisms underlying long COVID-19 is the first step to addressing a quickly worsening public health problem.
- 08.03.22A cheap nasal spray cuts COVID-19 risk by 62%
- 07.18.22Nasal COVID-19 vaccines prepare for infection right where it starts – in your nose and throat
- 07.17.22FDA authorizes new COVID-19 vaccine — and it’s not like the others
- 06.18.22We may want to rethink how we deliver COVID-19 vaccines
- 06.16.22New test tells you how many T cells for COVID-19 you have
- 06.13.22Handheld antibody tester could reveal if you’re immune to COVID
- 06.09.22The US Civil War drastically reshaped how Americans deal with death – will the pandemic?
- 05.23.22Nanoparticles are the future of medicine
- 05.22.22Will new vaccines be better at fighting coronavirus variants?
Building a Solarpunk Future
Data centers need to be greener — Microsoft is leading the way
Microsoft’s plan for sustainable data centers includes more renewable energy, better temperature control, and new construction materials.
Climate tech is booming — and this is better news than COP26
It’s estimated that 65% of emissions reductions can be achieved by existing technologies. The other 35% will need to come from tech breakthroughs.
Coexisting with AI
Nike is betting you’ll want to wear Air Jordans in the metaverse
Nike is laying the groundwork to begin selling digital goods in the metaverse, joining what could soon be a multibillion dollar economy.
Crypto and traditional art are merging — and the result is fantastic
The addition of a physical component could help crypto art go mainstream.
DeepMind AI cracks the code of protein structures
A protein’s structure is crucial to its function. Predicting how a protein will fold was a challenge decades in the making — and answered by DeepMind.
Feature
We now know the big bang theory is (probably) not how the universe began
The Big Bang still happened a very long time ago, but it wasn’t the beginning we once supposed it to be.
Hacking Biology
Scientists relieve depression with magnetic brain stimulation
Researchers at Stanford University believe they’ve developed an effective and quick-acting technique to treat challenging cases of depression — using magnetic brain stimulation.
Lizard regenerates perfect tail thanks to stem cells
A USC study that prompted lizards to regenerate tails that were “perfect” could help facilitate breakthroughs in human regeneration.
Original Series
Meet the people whose bold ideas might sound crazy… but also Just Might Work.
Harnessing Psychedelics
Could VR change how you trip on ketamine?
Virtual reality meets ketamine therapy to help treat pain, anxiety, and depression, to name a few.
MDMA therapy and the promise of psychedelics
Despite years of work with a “stellar” therapist, Charlotte needed more. She turned to MDMA therapy.
Ibogaine: The psychedelic cure?
Ibogaine, an African psychedelic drug which comes from the iboga plant, is used for both religious rites and drug addiction treatment.
One ayahuasca experience could have lasting effects on the brain
Researchers believe just one ayahuasca experience may be enough to have a lasting effect on the brain.
Freethink Favorites
Stories focused on interesting solutions to big problems.
Prev
Next
Series | Just Might Work
Biohackers take aim at big pharma’s stranglehold on insulin5:55These biohackers plan to give away their instructions for how to make insulin for free.
Farming robot kills 100,000 weeds per hour with lasers
Carbon Robotics’ Autonomous Weeder is a smart farming robot that identifies weeds and then kills them using high-power lasers.
Supercentenarians’ DNA reveals clues to human longevity
A human longevity study involving people over the age of 105 has found that genetic variants linked to DNA repair appear to contribute to a longer life.
Series | Just Might Work
How robots could end animal captivity in zoos and marine parks7:45Could robotic dolphins help marine parks become more humane spaces where people can learn about and connect with nature?
Twisty nuclear fusion reactor gets twice as hot as the sun
Physicists optimized a nuclear fusion reactor to overcome a problem that causes heat loss and prevents the device from sustaining fusion.
Series | Coded
Tractor-hacking farmers take on John Deere 5:46Tractor hacking is a fast-growing trend in the farming community — but it’s not outsiders breaking in.
Japan breaks world record for fastest internet speed
Engineers in Japan have set a new world record for fastest internet speed — 319 Tb/s — using a specially developed fiber-optic cable.
Sophia the Robot will be mass-produced this year
Hanson Robotics is going to begin mass-producing Sophia the robot in 2021, making the social robot available to help combat the pandemic.
Series | Challengers
This DIY laptop is challenging tech giants like Apple & Microsoft6:01Disposable tech is part of big tech’s business model. This engineer is fighting back by creating a DIY laptop anyone can repair on their own.
Prisoners will get a $2,750 check when they leave prison
A non-profit is experimenting with providing prisoners a $2,750 check when they leave prison. The goal is to reduce recidivism and help people get a fresh start.
Series | Hard Reset
How mirrors could power the planet… and prevent wars09:28If adopted globally, concentrated solar power could make major waves in manufacturing, not to mention prevent wars over oil and mitigate climate change.
