Showing 539 results
T-Minus: Starship reaches new heights, volunteers discover “active” asteroids, and more
Freethink counts down the biggest space news, featuring Starship's third test flight, a new Mars volcano, and more.
Technology expert tells us why the AI “doomer” narrative is all wrong
Alex Kantrowitz believes “doomerism” is born of our misplaced and exaggerated human propensity for fear. Plus, fear sells.
A look at innovative, single-incision procedures
In partnership with Intuitive
With a single incision, some surgeons can now accomplish just as much as they previously did with four.
AI narrates 5,000 free audiobooks for Project Gutenberg
A new text-to-speech system developed by Microsoft and MIT was used to create nearly 5,000 audiobooks for Project Gutenberg.
Watch a Neuralink robot insert electrodes into a dummy brain
During a livestreamed event, a Neuralink robot precisely inserted 64 electrode-packed threads into a dummy brain in just 15 minutes.
Researchers release open-source space debris model
The MIT Orbital Capacity Assessment Tool lets users model the long-term future space environment to map space debris.
These “Kanga and Joey” bots will dive into the sewers, so we don’t have to
A new generation of smart, miniature robots could soon carry out the vital inspections and repairs needed to keep the sewer system afloat.
NASA’s last “Great Observatory” could be coming out of retirement
A startup’s audacious plan to revive NASA’s retired Spitzer Space Telescope just secured a $250,000 Space Force contract.
“Robot rooms” could be the future of homes and offices
Integrating robots into walls, ceilings, furniture, and appliances could radically change our indoor spaces.
Medical robot to treat injured soldiers on the battlefield
A VR-controlled medical triage robot is being built to help trained techs attend to injured soldiers on the battlefield.
Could 3D printing help solve the US housing crisis?
3D printing could help solve the nation’s housing crisis, as it's cheaper, faster, and more sustainable than conventional construction methods.
T-Minus: Counting down 10 upcoming moon missions
A countdown of 10 upcoming moon missions, all leading up to the one expected to return NASA astronauts to the lunar surface.
Students build reusable rocket, win $5,000 from NASA
The University of Alabama in Huntsville has won Student Launch 2023, NASA’s annual rocket-building competition.
Elon Musk demos humanoid robot, which will cost less than $20K
CEO Elon Musk unveiled two prototypes of the humanoid Tesla robot, expected to cost less than $20,000, at his company’s second annual AI Day.
Magnets pull these tiny medical robots deep into the brain
LA-based startup Bionaut Labs is developing micro-sized medical robots that are guided through the body by magnets.
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Challengers
Sniper robot treats 500k plants per hour with 95% less chemicals
This “intelligent sharpshooter” farming robot distinguishes crops from weeds — and it could help feed 10 billion people.
Farming robot kills 200,000 weeds per hour with lasers
Carbon Robotics’ LaserWeeder is a smart farming robot that identifies weeds and then kills them using high-power lasers.
Chinese robot helps convert moon dust into fuel and oxygen
Chinese researchers have built an autonomous robot to set up an ISRU system for converting lunar soil into fuel and oxygen.
First-of-its-kind exoskeleton for stroke rehab cleared by FDA
The FDA has cleared Wandercraft's self-balancing, hands-free Atalante exoskeleton for use during stroke rehab.
Watch the first AI vs. human dogfight using military jets
An AI fighter pilot faced off against a human pilot in a “dogfight” using actual planes — a huge milestone in military automation.
Robotic surgery is a game changer for minimally invasive surgery
In partnership with Intuitive
More and more surgeons are using robotic surgical systems. Here’s why.
Watch a robot barista create latte art
New funding will allow Seattle-based startup Artly Coffee to bring its robot barista to more US locations.
Target is now offering the world’s first “robot manicure”
A robot that uses AI and 3D cameras to paint fingernails is now giving Target customers 10-minute manicures for just $8.
This prefabricated construction company aims to make buying a home as simple as buying a car
In partnership with Million Stories
Cover is a Los Angeles-based prefabricated home company that builds housing components in an off-site facility and then assembles them at the house site.
Science fiction books that predicted the future with terrifying accuracy
Science fiction writers have anticipated a variety of modern inventions, from cars to organ transplants. Some books barely seem like fiction.
Flexible brain implant tested in people for the first time
Startup Precision Neuroscience has tested its flexible, ultra-thin brain implants in people for the first time.
These are the next big breakthroughs in medicine
In partnership with Intuitive
These companies are working to change the future of health care.
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Hard Reset
Hacking the Anthropocene with survivalist robots
80% of our ocean floors have never been studied. This robot sailboat is unlocking the most treacherous parts.
World’s fastest “shoes” increase walking speed by 250%
Shift Robotics is taking pre-orders on Moonwalkers — $1,400 “shoes” that let you walk 2.5x faster without expending any extra energy.
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Operation: Reimagine Surgery
The visionaries bringing you the future of surgery
In partnership with Intuitive
Here’s what it’s like to use a robotic surgical system.
How low-cost surgical training programs could save lives in low-resource countries
In partnership with Intuitive
Lack of access to surgery leads to millions of deaths every year around the world. Meet the innovators who are working to reduce this toll.
T-Minus: Missing space tomato found, a stellar remnant revealed, and more
Freethink's weekly countdown of the biggest space news, featuring NASA's missing space tomato, Webb's new stellar remnant image, and more.
First person with a Neuralink brain implant reveals how he uses it
Elon Musk’s Neuralink has revealed the identity of the first person to receive its brain implant — and the man says it has changed his life.
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Operation: Reimagine Surgery
This amazing gel may help in the fight against cancer
In partnership with Intuitive
“Instead of thinking about a treatment, we can, really for the first time, think about a cure.”
See inside NASA’s simulated Mars base for the first time
NASA has unveiled Mars Dune Alpha, a simulated Mars base where volunteers will live like Mars astronauts for a year at a time.
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Hard Reset
The robot solving America’s trash crisis
This robot sorts trash with 99% accuracy.
Elevator technology is going up
A new generation of elevator technology may soon change the way you ride.
Watch NASA’s flying space bots work alongside astronauts
The three Astrobee robots aboard the ISS foreshadow a future in which autonomous bots are NASA astronauts’ partners in space.
NASA is sending a robot surgeon to the ISS (Updated)
A MIRA surgical robot is heading to the ISS in 2024 so developers can test its potential to help astronauts survive medical emergencies.
How digital intelligence is helping to train the next generation of surgeons
In partnership with Intuitive
To optimize training, many surgeons have turned to robots and artificial intelligence.
T-Minus: How will solar storms affect Mars astronauts?
Freethink’s breakdown of the biggest space news, featuring NASA's efforts to protect astronauts from intense solar storms.
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.
The AI behind ChatGPT is bringing this toy to life
Pop artist Grimes and Silicon Valley startup Curio have created an AI toy that can understand and talk to kids.
NASA funds AI lasers to zap space junk
NASA is funding the development of AI space lasers to protect its spacecraft and astronauts from potentially deadly space junk.
Sophia the robot becomes first humanoid to be signed by a gaming org
Sophia the robot has signed to XSET, a gaming organization and lifestyle brand focused on diversity and inclusion.
China plans to build moon bases using robot masons and lunar dirt
China plans to start testing an ambitious plan to build moon bases using a robot mason and dirt bricks as soon as 2028.
Sophia the robot talks Elon Musk, climate change, and more
Celebrity humanoid Sophia the robot shares her “thoughts” on climate change, Elon Musk, and more with Freethink.
I used generative AI to create pictures of painting robots, but I’m not the artist — humanity is
Generative AI systems are incredible and hugely important, but they are not creative. In fact, they’re not even intelligent.
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Hard Reset Gift Guide
LEGO, Mark Rober class & CRISPR kit: 5 futuristic gifts from Hard Reset
The LEGO BOOST toolbox, a Mark Rober Arduino course, and more — here are 5 great gifts for lifelong learners.
Tiny robots completely clear out deadly pneumonia infection in mice
Researchers have created microscopic robots capable of clearing pneumonia from the lungs of mice.
How AI played an instrumental role in making mRNA vaccines
Years before Moderna created an effective mRNA vaccine against COVID, the company put into place AI systems to accelerate the research process.
Media has a blind spot when covering the AI panic
When news outlets quote warnings of an impending AI catastrophe, they rarely mention the two main movements behind this narrative.
NASA is spending $850,000 to make a bag for space trash
TransAstra has secured a $850,000 NASA contract to build an inflatable bag for capturing space trash, which could then be recycled in orbit.
New AI algorithm transforms 2D photos into 3D maps
A new method named MonoXiver uses AI to build up reliable 3D maps of a camera’s surroundings based only on 2D photos.
Tiny robotic crab, controlled by lasers, can run, twist, and jump
A new robotic crab has a sophisticated structure for its size, but it can still be manufactured using a relatively simple process.
Self-healing robot skin created out of human cells
University of Tokyo researchers have created a living skin, made from human cells and collagen, for a robotic finger.
Space elevators are inching closer to reality
Tremendous progress has been made developing the materials necessary for a space elevator — but our need for one could soon disappear.
New harvesting robots are gentle enough to pick this fruit
A pair of harvesting robots are picking raspberries in Portugal, demonstrating the ability of tech to help combat seasonal labor shortages.
The biggest AI breakthroughs of the last year
Last year saw breakthroughs from AI tools such as ChatGPT, DeepMind, and DALL-E, which generate text and code.
How “InstructGPT” lobotomizes the insanity of raw GPT
OpenAI has created a version of GPT, called "InstructGPT," that cuts down on the AI’s bizarre and irrational responses.
This little robot is cleaning up beaches, one cigarette butt at a time
Robot litter picker, the BeachBot, uses artificial intelligence to detect trash like cigarette butts and help clean up beaches.
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.
From robotic dogs to magnetic slime: 6 ways robots are helping humans
Robots are helping humans in a growing number of places - from archaeological sites to disaster zones to sewers.
Is our world ready for mind-controllable robotic body parts?
Advanced neuroprosthetics are here, and they could hook our brains into the Internet of Things.
These “AI Artists” don’t want to ape existing art — they want to create something new entirely
We sat down with two prominent AI artists to talk about their projects and their quest to create new genres.
Why AI playing video games is a big deal
Google's SIMA can follow human instructions to play 3D video games. Researchers hopes the platform can one day help AI navigate real-world environments.
DeepMind’s pricey robot simulator is now available for free
AI research lab DeepMind, a sister company of Google, has purchased and open-sourced the powerful robot simulator MuJoCo.
3D printing promises to transform architecture forever
Large-scale additive manufacturing, like 3D printing, involves building objects one layer at a time, transforming architecture as we know it.
Gates-backed company is using robots to build mega solar farms
With new capital from a Bill Gates-backed VC firm, Terabase wants to automate solar farm construction.
How three students wrote history by winning the Vesuvius Challenge
Thanks to the Vesuvius Challenge, we may be on the verge of the biggest literary discovery of the ancient world in decades.
NASA’s Habitable Worlds Observatory to finally answer the epic question: “Are we alone?”
The Nancy Roman Telescope is already being built with a goal no smaller than to find inhabited planets beyond Earth.
Should we turn the electricity grid over to AI?
AI could one day be woven throughout the grid management system — here are the pros and cons.
Persistent “hiccups” in a far-off galaxy draw astronomers to new black hole behavior
Scientists have found a large black hole that “hiccups,” giving off plumes of gas, revealing another black hole.
NASA spots an enormous water plume erupting on Saturn’s ocean moon
Using the James Webb Space Telescope, researchers are gaining new insights into Enceladus, which holds a sea beneath its icy surface.
3 ways autonomous farming is driving a new era of agriculture
Could autonomous tractors, drones, and seed-planters fill the growing labor shortage in the agricultural industry?
How to prevent mass extinction in the ocean using AI, robots, and 3D printers
There is currently no possibility of the world reaching the 30% target for marine protected areas with existing policies. Tech to the rescue?
$26K solar car now has a factory
Solar car startup Aptera has purchased a factory where its vehicles will be carried from station to station by autonomous robots.
From besting Tetris AI to epic speedruns – inside gaming’s most thrilling feats
Gaming embraces design elements that promote social connection, creativity, a sense of autonomy – and, ultimately, the sheer joy of mastery.
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Just Might Work
“Art exoskeleton” lets you feel opera
This Philadelphia theater puts robotic suits on guests before they watch Opera.
Watch: Incredible jumping robot triples world record
A new jumping robot that can soar nearly 100 feet into the air might use the ability to explore the moon for NASA.
Why aliens are likely to be AI
Fundamental biological limitations will make long-distance space travel all but impossible for organisms. AI is more suitable.
What are “meta-skills” and how can they supercharge your life?
There are many meta-skills out there, but feeling, seeing, dreaming, making, and learning are likely the most important in the modern world.
The AGI economy is coming faster than you think
The impact of AGI on the economy will be big, it’ll happen fast, and it’ll be disruptive. Here's how the disruption could play out.
Why AI today is more toddler than Terminator
In "Raising AI," author De Kai argues that AIs are more like society's children than machines under our control.
Study: If there is a maximum human lifespan, we’ve yet to reach it
The current record for longest life is likely to be broken in the coming decades, according to a new study on the maximum human lifespan.
Chinese robot clones pigs with no human help
A robot that automates a common technique for animal cloning has been used to produce a litter of pigs in China.
Joystick-operated robot could help surgeons treat stroke remotely
With a modified joystick, surgeons in one hospital may control a robotic arm at another location to safely operate on a patient.
Aerospace engineer explains why AI can’t replace air traffic controllers
For everyone's safety, humans are likely to remain a necessary central component of air traffic control for a long time to come.
Can your mind ever “own” an extra body part?
A robotic finger can feel like a part of our hand after just a short time using it, suggesting that our brains can "own" extra body parts.
Generative AI: The technology of the year for 2022
It's made headlines so often that there is no question that 2022 will be remembered as the year that Generative AI stunned the world.
Xwing puts autonomous flight on the runway to approval
Autonomous flight startup Xwing has filed for approval to do crewless cargo flights, a first step towards pilotless commercial aviation.
We need more than ChatGPT to have “true AI.” It is merely the first ingredient in a complex recipe
LLMs might be one ingredient in the recipe for true artificial general intelligence, but they are surely not the whole recipe.
A “magnetic tentacle robot” could hunt down cancer deep in your lungs
UK researchers have developed a small, flexible, snake-like "magnetic tentacle robot" to navigate deep into the lungs.
Pantheon creator Craig Silverstein on uploading our brains to the internet
How the cult hit sci-fi show imagines a “techno-realist” future.
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.
Google AI discovers 2.2 million new materials for a host of technologies
Google's AI GNoME has predicted 2.2 million novel inorganic crystal structures. If synthesized in labs, they may pave the way for new technologies.
Magnetic robot can save lives after a brain hemorrhage
Researchers have developed a microbot-containing, magnetically controlled catheter for removing blood from brain hemorrhages.
AI for better crops
AI technology could transform how growers protect their harvests, by detecting plant diseases very early on.