The Digital Frontier
30 years ago, the Internet opened up a new frontier, and today we’re all citizens of a digital Wild West, where how we live, work and govern is changing everyday.
Featured
Skype is dead. Here’s why it almost wasn’t born.
Threatened by their low cost, traditional telephone companies tried to get long-distance internet phone services banned in the 1990s.
All PCs will be AI PCs “pretty soon,” says Intel exec
Manufacturers are now equipping their PCs with the hardware needed to run the latest AI applications locally. Here’s what that means for you.
We’re able to create new creatures through gene editing. What’s stopping us?
The question isn’t whether we can sculpt new life. The question is what comes next.
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Google announces cheaper alternatives to college degrees
Google’s new certificate program provides alternatives to college degrees that are cheaper to obtain, but potentially worth the same in the job market.
Elon Musk: Neuralink brain implant detects pigs' movements
During a livestream, CEO Elon Musk presented the latest Neuralink brain implant, as well as what he claimed were several pig recipients of the device.
How to radically biohack your mind
Brain-computer interfaces could enable humans to “merge with AI.”
Fecal transplant cures man whose gut made him drunk
A fecal transplant cured a man of auto-brewery syndrome, a rare condition in which the gut converts carbs into alcohol, making a person feel drunk.
Is it possible to predict the next black swan event?
Extremely rare but massively disruptive, no one sees a black swan event coming. But researchers are building a method that may change that.
An invite to hack voting machines
Voting machines may have security vulnerabilities, so the largest supplier is inviting pro hackers to find them.
Hack your dreams to improve your waking life
These scientists want to hack your dreams to improve your creativity and memory.
How thread became critical in a pandemic
Tech giants have teamed up to help innovate the PPE supply chain and lessen the risk of future shortages, starting with the world’s leading thread supplier.
Is quantum hacking the biggest threat to encryption?
While some security experts prepare for quantum hacking, others argue that the EARN IT Act is the threat to encryption we need to address right now.
New tech startup aims to teach more girls to code
This start-up just launched an at-home coding kit that aims to get more girls into tech.
White hat hackers are defending hospitals from rising cyber attacks
Criminals are exploiting COVID-19 to launch cyber attacks. These volunteers have grouped together to fight back.
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Biohackers
DIY biohacking: Do(n’t) try this at home
Dr. Josiah Zayner believes scientists are dragging their feet on realizing CRISPR’s potential, so his do-it-yourself CRISPR kit allows people to experiment with gene editing at home.
Fighting child exploitation with big data
Last year, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received 18 million reports of images and videos depicting child sexual abuse. Now, they’re using a new technology to confront this issue with the force necessary to eradicate it.
Face masks made from… LEGO?
The popular toy company that’s mass-producing PPE, how to fight the coronavirus from your computer, and more top stories in our weekly Progress Report.
Disease detectives: tracking invisible killers
Disease detectives on the frontlines of coronavirus track the person-to-person spread.
Hackers leak thousands of coronavirus research papers
Potentially life-saving medical research is often hidden behind expensive paywalls, limiting access for those in the developing world. So one modern-day Robin Hood illegally downloaded and shared over 5,000 coronavirus research papers on Reddit.
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Catalysts
Learning to code in prison
This progressive organization is on a mission to break the cycle of recidivism, using coding. Incarcerated individuals can now spend their sentences acquiring marketable skills.
Genetic evidence debunks coronavirus conspiracy theories, scientists say
A team of researchers analyzed the COVID-19 coronavirus. Their findings debunk the conspiracy theory that the virus was lab-made.
Misinformation is as contagious as coronavirus
Fighting misinformation is now a crucial aspect of responding to disease, and health information expert Adrienne Holz Ivory explains why.
How deadly is the coronavirus? The numbers may not mean what you think.
Your guide to understanding the confusing and contradictory coronavirus fatality rates.
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