But even a tool that is “accurate” won’t necessarily improve health outcomes. AI might speed up the interpretation of a chest X-ray, for example. But how much will a doctor rely on its... Read more »

The research team aimed to improve predictions of fusion’s future price by estimating the technology’s experience rate—the percentage by which its cost declines every time capacity doubles. Their findings offer new clues... Read more »

It’s tricky to make any predictions about the cost of a technology that doesn’t exist yet. But when there’s billions of dollars of public and private funding on the line, it’s worth... Read more »

The list builds on our annual 10 Breakthrough Technologies, but takes a wider view of the ideas, topics, and research shaping AI, spotlighting the trends and breakthroughs shaping the world. We’ll be... Read more »

These days, dirt full of flammable goo is no longer a problem. “The technology finally caught up with the concerns,” says LA Metro’s James Cohen, a longtime manager of the engineering for... Read more »

These examples are mostly pollution—nuclear, carbon, chemical, light—but I raise them not to highlight the ways human industry and technology degrade the environment but to note how the things humans build change... Read more »

The need for such conflict resolution is on the rise as land development collides with changes in animal behavior. Though overpopulation of Canada geese is a national nuisance in the US, such... Read more »

Isegye Idol If you thought K-pop was weird, virtual idols—humans who perform as anime-style digital characters via motion capture—will blow your mind. My favorite is a girl group called Isegye Idol, created... Read more »