Exploring how computers, AI, and other technologies are impacting our lives.
Every time a subway screeches to a stop, we usually chalk it up to another moment in the daily grind … if we even notice it. Commuters pour out, new riders pile in. Just another day on the rails. But what if that screech, that everyday chaos, could do more than
When we talk about the circular economy, we picture batteries stripped for their metals, factory floor scraps spun into sweaters, and agricultural waste transformed into biogas. We don’t picture mucking out the barn to collect material for surgical masks and food packaging. Engineers are constantly looking for ways to
Imagine a world where the homes we live in, the clothes we wear, and even the sensors in our electronics weren’t manufactured, but grown. Mycelium, the root structure of fungi, is shaking up everything from sustainable construction to meatless bacon. It’s turning agricultural waste into walls, hemp into
It’s no secret that tech companies are racing to build “artificial general intelligence,” or AI that can match a human brain without needing a lifeline. But here’s the kicker: our brains already have the home field advantage. They do the same heavy lifting with just a fraction of
You’ve seen the headlines. The viral demos. AI writing essays, generating photorealistic images, even creating entire videos. It feels like we’re living in a sci-fi future ... or dystopian one. But while we’ve been mesmerized by chatbots and deepfakes, something much more important is happening behind the scenes.
Freshwater may soon flow from the depths of the ocean to drought-stricken coastal cities. A handful of companies are betting that crushing deep-sea pressures can replace the energy-hungry pumps and toxic chemicals that are desalination’s inconvenient truth. By going the extra quarter-mile into the ocean, they’re pioneering a
What if I told you your fridge — that humming box in the kitchen — could be cooled without gas, without chemicals … just magnets? It sounds futuristic, but researchers are already making it happen. It not only promises higher efficiency, but solves a critical problem with the status quo…yes, a critical
Heat from ice? It sounds like a joke—or maybe a paradox. But what if the future of warm, cozy homes lies in freezing water? As outlandish as it seems, an English research team is working on a heat pump that runs off actual ice … well, more like slushies. It’
As the new wave of generative AI scales up, so does its hunger for energy. Data centers are expanding at an unprecedented rate, putting immense strain on power grids and worsening years-long backlogs for electrical connections. With AI adoption accelerating across industries, big tech companies are tapping nuclear power as
CES can be a mixed bag, but it’s also a fascinating glimpse into where the tech industry thinks it’s heading. Beyond the overused trend of slapping AI onto everything—often to the point where it loses all meaning—there were several other exciting developments. Some of these ran
Industries have long been criticized for their environmental impact, but some companies are starting to break away from the pack and set new standards for sustainability and innovation. These companies aren’t just cutting back on emissions and waste, but reinventing the entire life cycle of their products. And who
I talk about heat pumps a lot. They really are the most energy efficient way to heat and cool things, but they’re not the only way. There’s another form of cooling that’s been getting a lot of attention in recent years that might just lie in these