Subscribe

The Material World

A person soldering components onto a blue circuit board under a focused light.

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
Black and white photo of the Eiffel Tower during the 1889 Exposition Universelle in Paris, with crowds, pavilions, and a Ferris wheel in the background.
Engineering
The Eiffel Tower was considered techno-dystopian
Before completion for the 1889 World’s Fair, the Eiffel Tower project was treated by some as an industrialist “Tower of Babel.”
a sleek Cover unit with a patio and flowers in the foreground
Construction
Fire-resilient prefabs are helping LA build back better
Victims of LA’s wildfires are opting for tech company Cover’s prefab homes over traditional new builds. Here’s why.
A construction worker balances on the wooden beams of a house frame, using a tool, with a red-tiled roof in the background under a blue sky, reflecting efforts to address the housing crisis.
Urban Living
The US needs another 4 million houses. Here’s how it could get them.
Restrictive zoning policies helped create America’s housing shortage. Zoning reform could help end it.
More
Get inspired with the most innovative stories shaping the world around us.
Subscribe to Freethink on Substack
Explore all free newsletters