Inventions
A playbook for the next century of progress
To build a bold, abundant future, we must reform the laws, institutions, and culture that once powered human progress.
Progress is a grand project for humanity
Progress offers meaning, demands virtue, and calls builders to turn bold ideas into wonders that uplift human life.
We used to celebrate science and innovation
From the Brooklyn Bridge to the polio vaccine, society once honored signs of progress with parades, fireworks, and festivals.
Problem-solving is fundamental to human nature
Believing in the next solution is not blind optimism or even wishful thinking — it is a recognition that humans are problem-solving animals.
Shining a light on oil fields to make them more sustainable
Sensors and analytics give oil well operators real-time alerts when things go wrong, so they can respond before they become disasters.
Toward truly compostable plastic
Materials scientists are cooking up environmentally friendly plastics from natural sources like silk, plant fibers and whole algae.
3D processors could lead to a new era in wireless communication
New 3D processors could unlock more frequencies for wireless communication, unblocking congestion and unleashing new technologies.
Implantable solar cells could one day help restore vision
Australian researchers are developing tiny implantable solar cells that could be inserted into the eye to help restore vision.
New “spiral” contact lenses let you see up close and far away
New spiral-shaped multifocal lenses bend light in a way that corrects problems seeing up close and far away, even in poor lighting.
Man feels hot and cold again with prosthetic hand breakthrough
Researchers have built a device that helps users feel temperature through a prosthetic arm. A new study shows it works with high accuracy.