“Passive cooling” could reduce indoor temps by up to 25 F in a heat wave
University of Oregon researchers have discovered that simple acts like drawing shades during peak sun and opening windows at night may help save lives during heatwaves.
Do optimists really live longer? Here’s what the research says
Research shows if you cultivate a more optimistic mindset, you might further increase your chances for a long life.
Latest Videos
Series | Ramen Profitable
The story of Toybox: Designing a 3D printer so simple, a kid could use it7:26Printing toys, burning cash, and selling out on SharkTank – this is the perilous story of Toyox Labs, building 3D printers for kids.
Series | Future Explored
Hack your gut microbiome, live to 110WatchDoes this group of Japanese 107-year-olds hold the key to stopping aging? Let’s explore that, with host Tom Carroll.
Series | Heretics
“I work on dog lifespan extension”4:05Are you ready for drugs that make you live longer?
Series | Ramen Profitable
How a poker prodigy accidentally created a booming vertical farm 7:36“Everybody says that 9 out of 10 startups fail. So my mind translates that to as, ‘I just have to start 10 companies.’”
Series | Challengers
Hacking evolution to grow super coralWatchCoral reefs sustain life for 1 billion people around the world, but 90% will be extinct by 2050 if we don’t find a solution now.
Series | Catalysts
Reinventing your career in just 4 monthsWatch“How do you help give people a very understandable way to take 1, 2, 3, steps to be the change that they want to be in their own lives.”
Series | Heretics
“I believe nicotine is good,” John Coogan for Heretics5:29Is nicotine the stimulant of the future?
Facial recognition ID’s missing kids with 99.85% accuracy 7:04
This tech is identifying missing children in minutes, not weeks.
Series | Just Might Work
Cow burps are dangerous. Let’s hack them.WatchCows belch a greenhouse gas called methane, which is 30x more potent than carbon dioxide.
Series | Heretics
The rogue geoengineer fertilizing the ocean with iron5:39This eco-pirate scientist says the solution to climate change is easy & cheap – so why are governments trying to stop him?
Series | Hard Reset
This slime is 10x more fireproof than water8:59A one-armed surfer invented this fireproof slime when a disaster tried to take his town.
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Most forests in the world may become fireproof in just ten years with this technology.
The case for the occult, according to alternative spirituality historian Mitch Horowitz.
Printing toys, burning cash, and selling out on SharkTank – this is the perilous story of Toybox Labs, building 3D printers for kids. We created this story in partnership with…
We recently sat down with John Coogan, founder of the controversial nicotine brand, Lucy, where he posits "nicotine is good," and may even be a better stimulant than coffee. Our…
Manual animal cloning is a tedious, time-consuming process with a 10% success rate. Researchers at Nankai University have now built a robot that can autonomously perform somatic cell nuclear transfer…
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We focus on solutions: the smartest people, the biggest ideas, and the most groundbreaking technology shaping our future.
Latest on COVID-19
We may want to rethink how we deliver COVID-19 vaccines
An inhaled vaccine outperformed a nasal spray in an animal study, suggesting that the delivery method could deserve more attention.
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- 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?
- 05.08.22Moderna expects to have Omicron booster ready by Fall 2022
- 04.30.22Moderna applies for approval of COVID-19 vaccine for children
- 04.28.22America’s “Test to Treat” has failed. Here’s how to fix it.
- 04.27.22WeChat users try to keep Shanghai lockdown protest video ahead of censors
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.
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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.
