The Future
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U.S. plans to put nuclear-powered spacecraft in orbit by 2026
Experts believe they could cut the time it takes a rocket to reach Mars by up to 25%, shaving about two months off the trip.
A groundbreaking solution could help unleash our hydrogen future
A "bio-battery" made from genetically engineered bacteria could store excess renewable energy and release it as needed.
Google has not created sentient AI — yet
AI systems can carry on convincing conversations, but they have no understanding of what they're saying. Humans are easily fooled.
How to be a techno-optimist
Technology will not save the world, and it is inherently neither good nor bad. But, when tech is coupled to human virtue, good will prevail.
Over 100 years of Antarctic agriculture is helping scientists grow food in space
Preventing scurvy is not just a problem in the Antarctic.
How “big history” can help historians imagine the future
The strangest thing about trying to predict the future is that our only clues lie in the past.
MIT invents $4 solar desalination device
It could make enough drinking water for a family of four.
MIT’s new heat engine beats a steam turbine in efficiency
It has no moving parts and could allow us to tap into renewable energy year round.
Discovery of “impossible” superconductor promises 100x faster electronics
In a major advance, scientists have found a new and groundbreaking way to force electrons to flow only in one direction in a superconductor.
Elon Musk’s Hyperloop is possible. How badly do we want it?
The Hyperloop is physically possible, but engineering challenges will make its construction very difficult. Also, accidents would be catastrophic.
How electric eels inspired the first battery two centuries ago
Now they're pointing the way to future battery technologies.
Alexa and her friends know you all too well
But does Amazon know when you're tired or hungry?
How to use human energy to heat buildings
Capturing energy from clubbers could help power homes and buildings.
Solar + battery hybrids are poised for explosive growth
Meet the power plant of the future.
Dream hacking: Is this the dystopian future of advertising?
A team of scientists has warned that marketers seek to advertise in our dreams. Will our sleep be commercialized against our wishes?
How Big Data democracy and nanofabricators could overturn society
Today, we could use Big Data to radically reform democracy. Tomorrow, we could build nanofabricators and usher in an era of abundance. Is society ready?
Nanofabricators: a “Star Trek” vision of the future
Nanofabricators could quickly synthesize whatever we need, molecule by molecule.
Evil twins and digital elves: How the metaverse will create new forms of fraud and deception
The metaverse may leave us perpetually unsure whether the people we encounter are authentic or high-quality fakes.
SpinLaunch to fling a NASA payload toward space
Spin, spin, spin — fire! The startup’s radical system could make satellite launches cheaper and cleaner.
How an accidental discovery made this year could change the world
A lucky discovery involving lithium-sulfur batteries has a legitimate chance to revolutionize how we power our world.
Why the metaverse can’t exist without a blockchain
If the metaverse is money, then companies will certainly want to play, too.
“GeoGrid” helps cut home energy bills to just $1 per month
A community in Austin, Texas is using geothermal energy to keep homes warm in the winter and cool in the summer.
From drugs to chemical weapons with the flip of an AI switch
One research group's AI-based drug discovery platform could be redesigned to discover VX nerve agent and 40,000 similar chemical weapons.
Radical new “Flying-V plane” aims to transform flight
A radical redesign of commercial aircraft, called the flying-V plane, could increase fuel efficiency by 20%, greatly reducing emissions.
The subtle art of language: why artificial general intelligence might be impossible
Until robots understand jokes and sarcasm, artificial general intelligence will remain in the realm of science fiction.
Michio Kaku makes 3 predictions about the future
Michio Kaku predicts, among other things, how we'll build cities on Mars and why cancer will one day be like the common cold.
Drones and AI recover a meteorite for the first time
Aerial drone footage was sent to an AI trained to track down space rocks.
Future evolution: from looks to brains and personality, how will humans change in the next 10,000 years?
Discussions of human evolution are usually backward looking, as if the greatest triumphs and challenges were in the distant past.