Futurology

an illustration of another planet with Earth-like features being added to it

Can “terraforming” turn Mars or the moon into Earth 2.0?

Terraforming — the hypothetical process of making another place “Earth-like” — offers the hope of turning Mars or the moon into Earth 2.0.

Kristin Houser

an illustration of a person looking at a baby growing in an artificial womb

Biology

Scientists are growing animals in artificial wombs. Humans might be next.

Artificial wombs promise to give people a way to have biological children without putting their own health at risk.

Kristin Houser

The silhouette of a tree against the full moon.

Agriculture

Here’s how growing plants on the Moon could benefit Earth

Making plants grow on the Moon could be instrumental in helping gardens to grow greener on Earth in the face of climate change.

Monica Grady

Art

The "Creative Singularity" came and went. Now what should we do?

The emergence of generative AI signals an important inflection point for artists.

Jesse Damiani

3D Printing

3D printing promises to transform architecture forever

Large-scale additive manufacturing, like 3D printing, involves building objects one layer at a time, transforming architecture as we know it.

James Rose

Engineering

Researchers turned superglue into a recyclable, cheap, oil-free plastic alternative

Researchers discovered a way to turn superglue into strong, clear plastic that can be made into many shapes.

Scott Phillips and Allison Christy

Genetics

A new look at the strange case of the first gene-edited babies

Did He Jiankui "Make People Better"? A new documentary leans toward a different narrative about gene-editing than we've heard before.

G. Owen Schaefer

Engineering

How do floating wind turbines work?

Several full-scale demonstration projects with floating wind turbines are already operating in Europe and Asia. How do they stay afloat?

Matthew Lackner

Sustainability

Pricing groundwater will help solve California’s water problems

The state’s Sustainable Groundwater Management Act is a great opportunity — but only if it goes far enough.

Ellen Bruno | Knowable Magazine

Engineering

UK test-fires its first high-energy laser weapon

The UK has successfully test-fired the $115 million DragonFire, its first high-powered, long-range laser weapon.

Kristin Houser

Biology

What ever happened to the first cryogenically frozen humans?

For decades, people have arranged to freeze their bodies after death, dreaming of resurrection by advanced future medicine.

Tom Hartsfield

You can “see the future” with these smart contact lenses

Mojo Vision’s smart contact lens has finally made the leap to human testing, bringing the future of AR a major step closer.

Kristin Houser

Series| Future Explored

Hack your gut microbiome, live to 110

Watch

Does this group of Japanese 107-year-olds hold the key to stopping aging? Let's explore that, with host Tom Carroll.

Tom Carroll

Sections

Video

Freethink

We focus on solutions: the smartest people, the biggest ideas, and the most ground breaking technology shaping our future.