5 ways CRISPR will reshape humanity and the world

A transformational tool for the future of the world.

  • The 'cut and paste' DNA tool CRISPR will one day eliminate deadly diseases.
  • The technology will give us the capability to genetically design our children and perhaps one day ourselves.
  • CRISPR is already revolutionizing certain fields of medicine.
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NASA just invested in 10 new visionary space technologies

Revolutionary space technology that'll take us into the future.

  • NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) program invests in new space technology concepts every year.
  • This year's technologies range from smart space suits to Venus aircraft.
  • These concepts will be put to the test to see if they are viable.
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America’s education system is centuries old. Can we build something better?

The Lumina Foundation lays out steps for increasing access to quality post-secondary education credentials.

  • America's post-high school education landscape was not created with the modern student in mind. Today, clear and flexible pathways are necessary to help individuals access education that can help them lead a better life.
  • Elizabeth Garlow explains the Lumina Foundation's strategy to create a post-secondary education system that works for all students. This includes credential recognition, affordability, a more competency-based system, and quality assurance.
  • Systemic historic factors have contributed to inequality in the education system. Lumina aims to close those gaps in educational attainment.
  • In 2019, Lumina Foundation and Big Think teamed up to create the Lumina Prize, a search to find the most innovative and scalable ideas in post-secondary education. You can see the winners of the Lumina Prize here – congratulations to PeerForward and Greater Commons!
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New vaccine (for cats) nixes allergic reactions for humans

You want one. Now you may be able to survive one.


Photo credit: Jie Zhao / Getty contributor
Technology & Innovation
  • Cats live in a quarter of Western households.
  • Allergies to them are common and can be dangerous.
  • A new approach targets the primary trouble-causing allergen.
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animals vaccines illness health human body health care cats allergy feline medical research

The surveillance technology that will watch us all, all the time

Wide Angle Motion Imagery (WAMI) is a surveillance game-changer. And it's here.

Photo by Stanislav Krasilnikov\TASS via Getty Images
Technology & Innovation
  • In his new book, Eyes in the Sky, Arthur Holland Michel details the evolution of aerial surveillance technology.
  • Cameras aboard drones can monitor the entirety of 50 square kilometers for hours without refueling.
  • New aerial technologies are going to create the privacy fights of the future.
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First solar roadway in France turned out to be a 'total disaster'

French newspapers report that the trial hasn't lived up to expectations.

Image source: Charly Triballeau / AFP / Getty Images
Technology & Innovation
  • The French government initially invested in a rural solar roadway in 2016.
  • French newspapers report that the trial hasn't lived up to expectations.
  • Solar panel "paved" roadways are proving to be inefficient and too expensive.
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renewable electricity solar energy climate change innovation