Materials
Though we live in a digital age, material science has shaped history—and it’s far from over. From quantum computers to fusion reactors, breakthroughs in materials will drive the next technological frontier.
Featured
How Ford built “an efficiency engine” around the Model T
An excerpt from author and structural engineer Brian Potter’s forthcoming book, “The Origins of Efficiency.”
The left–right twist that could rewrite tech
Scientists are harnessing chirality — the left- and right-handedness of molecules — to build better batteries, sharper displays, and more.
America’s path to maritime leadership is clear — but it demands urgency
America leads the world in aerospace, software, and clean energy. Here’s how it can lead in maritime, too.
More
Series|
Superhuman
These gloves can teach you to play the piano. And maybe heal your brain.
Through “passive haptic learning”, these gloves can teach you how to play the piano in an hour. Braille in four hours. Now researchers want to see if victims of traumatic brain injuries can use these gloves to re-learn critical skills.
Bionic prosthetic grants amputee musician a rocking encore
How might your life change if you lost an arm? After losing his right arm in an electrical accident, Jason wasn’t…
Researchers want to create a traffic cop for the sky
A new kind of radar could direct drone traffic safely around city skies.
Tesla and Uber fatalities show the limits of “semi-autonomous” cars
How can we make humans pay attention when a machine is doing our job for us?
Self-driving Uber fatality: Video shows tech failure & human error
The only way to make self-driving cars safer is to take the risk of more testing.
Series|
DIY Science
Electrifying classic cars
Starting with the classics, this unique shop is converting existing cars into all-electric road warriors.
Our cyborg future is coming (and that’s not a bad thing)
Hollywood loves to sensationalize merging the body with advanced tech. But will it really be so bad?
Series|
Coded
This research team wants to hack your car
What happens when an SUV going 75 miles-per-hour down a highway is hacked from a remote computer?
Series|
Superhuman
Father creates bionic organ for son
A father’s quest to help his son with diabetes could change the lives of millions of people who suffer from the disease.
This is our superhuman future
With Thanksgiving winding down, take some time to join us on a journey to the frontier of medical technology.
This week in ideas: Using drones for medicine, fighting Zika, re-imagining passwords
Reimagining how we get medicine to people, using genetically modified mosquitoes to fight Zika, and selfies as…
Self-driving cars are finally here. Sort of.
Uber rolled out self-driving cars in Pittsburgh, but they’re not totally autonomous. Yet. Under Pennsylvania law,…
Meet the wounded veteran using bionics to take back his independence
Jerral lost his left arm in Iraq. Now he’s working with a team from Johns Hopkins to test a prosthetic arm that…
This week in ideas: Reasons to feel good about humanity
A paralyzed woman runs a half marathon in an exoskeleton, Sri Lanka defeats malaria, incomes are rising. Here’s…
How do we scale bionic technology?
Right now, assistive bionic technology is really cool and really expensive. This is how it will get better and…
What to expect at the first Cyborg Olympics
The event will seek to answer one of the most interesting technology questions of the early 21st century: How close…
Meet the paralyzed man who can walk again
Robert is paralyzed from the chest down. But now a robotic exoskeleton is giving him what he calls “a second chance…
Assistive tech doesn't have to be high tech
The story of how 3D printing gave Ryan Hines a chance to regain his independence for $150. And how he’s now…
Superhuman season 5 | trailer
Our best original series is back! Watch now for a look into our Superhuman future.
Get inspired with the most innovative stories shaping the world around us.