Gene Therapy Is Successfully Treating a Common Form of Inherited Blindness . K.L. always knew he might be completely blind before reaching adulthood. Even as a child he realized something was wrong with his eyes. Although he could see enough to navigate

The World’s First Open-Source Nuclear Reactor Blueprint Is Coming Online . Nuclear power’s role in combating climate change is a contentious topic, but a Silicon Valley entrepreneur thinks he can sway the debate by releasing open-source designs for a smal

For the First Time Ever, the World Is Mostly Middle Class and Largely Old . When it comes to economic development, positive change is typically gradual and only noticeable over long periods of time; by contrast negative developments—economic crises—are of

AI Is an Energy-Guzzler. We Need to Re-Think Its Design, and Soon . There is a saying that has emerged among the tech set in recent years: AI is the new electricity. The platitude refers to the disruptive power of artificial intelligence for driving advan

For a Bright Future of Work, We Must Get Better at Collaborating With Machines . Headline after headline tells us technological unemployment is on its way. Yet the facts tell a different story. Let’s consider the US job market: Unemployment is under fou

How to Battle an Epidemic? Digitize Its DNA and Share It With the World . A nightmarish scene was burnt into my memory nearly two decades ago: Changainjie, Beijing’s normally chaotic “fifth avenue,” desolate without a sign of life. Schools shut, subways e

How to Battle an Epidemic? Digitize Its DNA and Share It With the World . A nightmarish scene was burnt into my memory nearly two decades ago: Changainjie, Beijing’s normally chaotic “fifth avenue,” desolate without a sign of life. Schools shut, subways e

Tesla Is Clearing a Forest Outside Berlin for Its First European Gigafactory . Tesla is having a banner year, and we’re not even two months in. After reaching what was an all-time high in December at a value of $393.15 per share, last Wednesday the compan

Tesla Is Building Its First European Factory— But It Has to Clear a Forest First . Tesla is having a banner year, and we’re not even two months in. After reaching what was an all-time high in December at a value of $393.15 per share, last Wednesday the co

How the Supply of 23 Rare Minerals Could Derail US Tech Manufacturing . A host of high-tech products rely on a small set of scarce minerals. New research suggests that 23 of these face worrying risks to their supply chains that could derail US technologic