T-Minus: How to not die on (the way to) Mars

A breakdown of the five biggest threats to future Mars astronauts and what NASA scientists are doing to overcome each one. | Continue reading


@freethink.com | 1 day ago

Why ChatGPT feels more “intelligent” than Google Search

There will be a moment, coming soon, when AI makes the leap from tool to entity. | Continue reading


@freethink.com | 4 days ago

Which technologies will enable a cleaner steel industry?

Technologies like hydrogen-based direct reduction of ore, electrolysis, and advanced furnace technologies could reduce steel emissions. | Continue reading


@freethink.com | 6 days ago

Life on Mars, together

Researchers spent two weeks at the Mars Desert Research Station conducting an analog mission for potential future trips to Mars. | Continue reading


@freethink.com | 7 days ago

Are weight-loss meds the next wonder drugs?

Evidence is mounting that GLP-1 agonists could treat many health issues — including ones that aren’t obviously related to weight. | Continue reading


@freethink.com | 8 days ago

NASA hopes private space companies can rescue its $11 billion Mars rock mission

If this ambitious NASA mission unraveled, scientists would lose their chance to learn much more about the red planet. | Continue reading


@freethink.com | 8 days ago

T-Minus: New SpaceX fashion, a Mars mystery, and more

Freethink’s weekly countdown of the biggest space news, featuring new spacesuits, a mission to the dark side of the moon, and more. | Continue reading


@freethink.com | 8 days ago

“Cybersecurity shortage” could reach 85 million workers by 2030

The global talent shortage could reach 85 million workers by 2030, causing approximately $8.5 trillion in unrealized annual revenue. | Continue reading


@freethink.com | 9 days ago

Can underground tunnels make instant delivery possible?

McNuggets delivered in < 10 min for just $1? This underground “Amazon Prime”-like delivery service is the closest thing humans have to teleportation. | Continue reading


@freethink.com | 9 days ago

New AI generates CRISPR proteins unlike any seen in nature

An AI that generates CRISPR proteins is opening the door to gene editors with capabilities beyond what we’ve found in nature. | Continue reading


@freethink.com | 9 days ago

Plant sensors could act as an early warning system for farmers

Using sensors made from carbon nanotubes, researchers discovered signals that help plants respond to stresses like heat, light, or attack. | Continue reading


@freethink.com | 10 days ago

How Brilliant Labs CEO is creating a “symbiosis of humanity and artificial intelligence”

CEO Bobak Tavangar discusses the philosophy behind Brilliant’s latest device, Frame, and his vision for the future of AI. | Continue reading


@freethink.com | 10 days ago

Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft was set to launch on May 6 — but was delayed again

Boeing’s Starliner launch – delayed again – will be an important milestone for commercial spaceflight if it can manage to launch. | Continue reading


@freethink.com | 11 days ago

Why AI playing video games is a big deal

Google's SIMA can follow human instructions to play 3D video games. Researchers hopes the platform can one day help AI navigate real-world environments. | Continue reading


@freethink.com | 11 days ago

Synthetic diamonds may have just gotten way easier to make

Scientists in South Korea have developed a new technique for creating synthetic diamonds that works under ambient pressure. | Continue reading


@freethink.com | 12 days ago

“Bionic eye” discovers Plato’s final resting place

Plato’s final resting place has been identified thanks to a “bionic eye” built to read the Herculaneum scrolls. | Continue reading


@freethink.com | 13 days ago

What hybrid mouse/rat brains are showing us about the mind

Modified mice with hybrid brains that include rat neurons could one day lead to new breakthroughs in neuroscience. | Continue reading


@freethink.com | 13 days ago

“I’m not interested in reality”: AI artist Refik Anadol on creative coding, hallucinations, and the future of art

By painting with code and bits of data, AI artist Refik Anadol reveals surprisingly deep insights into what it means to create art. | Continue reading


@freethink.com | 14 days ago

With inspiration from “Tetris,” MIT researchers develop a better radiation detector

A new detector system based on the game “Tetris” could enable inexpensive, accurate radiation detectors for monitoring nuclear sites. | Continue reading


@freethink.com | 14 days ago

DARPA is testing this autonomous tank with glowing “eyes”

DARPA just tested an autonomous tank that could help keep soldiers safe — and even more self-driving military vehicles are on the horizon. | Continue reading


@freethink.com | 14 days ago

Milk could overcome one of the biggest hurdles to RNA therapies

RNA therapies typically break down if administered orally, but particles found in cows’ milk could provide perfect protection. | Continue reading


@freethink.com | 15 days ago

T-Minus: Psyche phones home, NASA sets sail, and more

Freethink's weekly countdown of the biggest space news, featuring a new kind of space communication, lots of orbital debris, and more. | Continue reading


@freethink.com | 15 days ago

First-of-its-kind pig kidney transplant is a success

A woman with heart and kidney failure is now the second person in the world to undergo a gene-edited pig kidney transplant. | Continue reading


@freethink.com | 16 days ago

MIT engineers design flexible “skeletons” for soft, muscle-powered robots

New modular, spring-like devices maximize the work of live muscle fibers so they can be harnessed to power biohybrid bots. | Continue reading


@freethink.com | 17 days ago

Last century, we extended our lives. This century, we need to shorten our deaths.

We are living longer lives, while also spending more years sick than ever before — but there are ways to close the lifespan-healthspan gap | Continue reading


@freethink.com | 18 days ago

Desalination could avert one of the top 10 threats facing the world

Desalination — changing seawater into safe drinking water — could avert a crisis. Here's how to make it less costly and labor-intensive. | Continue reading


@freethink.com | 18 days ago

Helium discovery is the supply breakthrough science, medicine, and industry needed

A helium reservoir in Minnesota has astonishingly high concentrations of the gas, potentially opening doors for commercial extraction. | Continue reading


@freethink.com | 18 days ago

New study challenges long-held assumption about cancer

Genetic mutations may not be necessary for cancer to develop, challenging a long-held assumption about the disease. | Continue reading


@freethink.com | 19 days ago

Six innovative ways to float skyscraper-sized wind turbines

While most offshore wind farms are firmly rooted in the seabed, engineers are developing new ways to float enormous wind turbines. | Continue reading


@freethink.com | 19 days ago

How sensory gamma rhythm stimulation clears amyloid in Alzheimer’s mice

Study finds stimulating a brain rhythm with light and sound increases peptide release from interneurons, possibly slowing Alzheimer's progression. | Continue reading


@freethink.com | 20 days ago

Why AI celebrities are teaching kids math and physics

“Hey, you!” Kim Kardashian yells through your smartphone’s speakers. “Draw out this function on a graph for me.” On the screen, a function appears against a white background. Kim explains […] | Continue reading


@freethink.com | 20 days ago

Meet the humanoids: 8 robots ready to revolutionize work

Everything you need to know about the humanoids that will soon enter the workforce — or are in it already. | Continue reading


@freethink.com | 22 days ago

This startup is trying to solve lab-grown meat’s biggest problem

A biotech startup has developed a new kind of bioreactor that could help increase cultivated meat production. | Continue reading


@freethink.com | 22 days ago

How to build the skills needed for the age of AI

Knowledge-based workers already need to skill-up to coexist with sophisticated artificial intelligence technologies. | Continue reading


@freethink.com | 22 days ago

Hard Reset Podcast: Robot Recycling | Episode #13

How much of our recycling actually gets recycled? Robots could help boost the percentage of recycled trash with near-perfect accuracy. | Continue reading


@freethink.com | 22 days ago

T-Minus: $11B Mars rocks, Voyager 1’s resurrection, and more

Freethink's weekly countdown of the biggest space news, featuring NASA's Mars rock request, the Dragonfly mission, and more. | Continue reading


@freethink.com | 22 days ago

See how Moderna is using OpenAI tech across its workforce

A partnership between Moderna and OpenAI provides a real-world example of what can happen when a company leans into generative AI. | Continue reading


@freethink.com | 23 days ago

Scientists have invented a method to break down “forever chemicals” in our drinking water

Researchers have discovered a way to eliminate "forever chemicals," or PFAS, which usually take hundreds or thousands of years to break down. | Continue reading


@freethink.com | 23 days ago

Future Explored

This is Future Explored, your weekly guide to world-changing technology. You can get stories like these straight to your inbox every week by subscribing here. | Continue reading


@freethink.com | 24 days ago

Shining a light on oil fields to make them more sustainable

Sensors and analytics give oil well operators real-time alerts when things go wrong, so they can respond before they become disasters. | Continue reading


@freethink.com | 24 days ago

Brain implant for “artificial vision” is still working after 2 years

A new type of brain implant technology has given a man with total blindness a kind of “artificial vision.” | Continue reading


@freethink.com | 25 days ago

OpenAI’s GPT-4 outperforms doctors in another new study

OpenAI’s most powerful AI model, GPT-4, outperformed junior doctors in deciding how to treat patients with eye problems. | Continue reading


@freethink.com | 26 days ago

New York City greenlights congestion pricing

Here’s how New York City's congestion pricing is expected to improve traffic, air quality, and public transit. | Continue reading


@freethink.com | 26 days ago

Watch the first AI vs. human dogfight using military jets

An AI fighter pilot faced off against a human pilot in a “dogfight” using actual planes — a huge milestone in military automation. | Continue reading


@freethink.com | 26 days ago

AI can help predict whether a patient will respond to specific tuberculosis treatments

Instead of a one-size-fits-all treatment approach, AI could help personalize treatments for each patient to provide the best outcomes. | Continue reading


@freethink.com | 27 days ago

US will accelerate geothermal exploration on federal land

The Bureau of Land Management is taking steps to make it easier for public lands to be considered for geothermal power systems. | Continue reading


@freethink.com | 27 days ago

New AI music generator makes songs from text prompts

AI music generators — AIs that create new music based on users’ text prompts — are lowering the bar for music creation, for better or worse. | Continue reading


@freethink.com | 28 days ago

Toward truly compostable plastic

Materials scientists are cooking up environmentally friendly plastics from natural sources like silk, plant fibers and whole algae. | Continue reading


@freethink.com | 28 days ago