Hard Tech

Clean Energy

3D-printed “superalloy” could make power plants more efficient

The material is both stronger and lighter than those used to make conventional turbines.

Sam Jarman

a flat, clear piece of rubber in a spiral shape with thin wires running through it

Brain

This soft brain implant unfurls its arms under the skull

A soft brain implant that unfurls under the skull could make implantation surgeries less costly and risky.

Kristin Houser

a closeup of a tiny LED in the middle of a microchip

Computer Science

MIT breakthrough creates world’s smallest holographic microscope

The world’s smallest holographic microscope foreshadows a future in which smartphones could be used for high-res microscopy.

Kristin Houser

Accessibility

Closed caption glasses: A new way to watch theater

4:01

London’s National Theatre made performances more accessible to patrons with hearing loss by creating a smart set of glasses that recognizes spoken words and adapts to stage cues to provide real-time captions.

Oceans

Removing water from underwater photography

A new algorithm for underwater photography makes marine life appear as clear as it would on land, and it’s helping scientists understand the ocean better.

B. David Zarley

Series| Uprising

The truth about self-driving cars

5:55

Self-driving cars have the potential to save thousands of lives and reduce carbon emissions. Will we be smart enough to hop on board?

Opinion

Freethink staff picks: Best of 2019

Fear of missing out on some of the year's most loved shows, books, and games? Here's a quick list of what the team at Freethink enjoyed most in 2019.

Robotics

Trash-talking robots get under our skin

Can robots control us? Probably not, but they can influence our actions, as this recent study on human-robot interaction by Carnegie Mellon shows.

B. David Zarley

Inventions

Robot bees could one day save your life

For the first time, a microbot powered by soft actuators has achieved controlled flight.

Teresa Carey

Series| Through the Looking Glass

Conquering fear with virtual reality exposure therapy

3:03

Whether a patient fears spiders or flying, VR technology allows therapists to treat anxiety disorders by simulating these experiences in a safe environment.

Series| Uprising

Killer robots will fight our wars: Can they be trusted?

6:01

The issue with completely taking humans out of warfare? Our ability to feel and evaluate complex situations, using human judgement and moral understanding, is not something an artificial intelligence can easily learn.

Surveillance

New tech can see through walls and ID people by the way they walk

A California-based lab is using gait recognition and radio frequency to create a surveillance system that can see behind walls.

B. David Zarley

Series| Uprising

Nick Bostrom on superintelligence and the future of AI

5:29

Beyond the brains of even the most intelligent human beings lies artificial superintelligence, which could pose serious threats to the human race. Nick Bostrom is attempting to fathom the unfathomable so we can be ready.

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