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Emerging Tech Features
The most innovative tech products of 2023
They're bold, unique, and sometimes wildly impractical. But the the most innovative tech products of 2023 all dared to be different.
Optical illusions could help us build the next generation of AI
Computer vision algorithms can't see optical illusions as we humans can -- and scientists are using that quirk to their advantage
How will we know when an AI actually becomes sentient?
Many scientists and technologists believe AI will eventually become sentient. But how will we know when that happens? Currently, there's no good way to tell.
Implantable payment chips: The future, or cyberpunk pipe dream?
Implantable payment chips are here -- enabling users to pay for things with a wave of their hand. Is this the wave of the future, or merely a flash in the pan?
Tiger steaks and lion burgers: Lab-grown exotic animal meat is on the way
Most cellular meat startups focus on growing familiar foods (like beef and chicken) in a lab, but Primeval Foods has its sights set on something more exotic.
Finishing touch: How scientists are giving robots humanlike tactile senses
Giving robots sight and hearing is fairly straightforward these days, but equipping them with a robust sense of touch is far more difficult.
Analog A.I.? It sounds crazy, but it might be the future
Digital transistors have been the backbone of computing for much of the modern era, but Mythic A.I. makes a compelling case that analog chips may be the future.
The most influential women in tech history
With their big ideas and clever inventions, these inspirational women left an indelible mark on the world and set us on a path to a brighter future.
10 female inventors who changed the world forever
The women on this list have risen above inequality, creating products and services that have truly changed the world.
Why the moon needs a space traffic control system
As interest in lunar exploration ramps up across the globe, scientists think we need a space traffic control system to avoid collisions and complications.
How 5G is changing journalism
A collaboration between The New York Times and Verizon has given rise to 5G journalism lab.
ClipDart is an on-demand barber app aimed at people of color
Finding someone who can cut your hair is pretty easy -- unless you're a person of color who lives outside of a major city. ClipDart aims to fix that.
Inside the U.K. lab that connects brains to quantum computers
Scientists at the University of Plymouth are in the early stages of developing tech that would allow humans to control quantum computers with their thoughts.
Fighting football injuries with 3D-printed, hyper-personalized pads
Protec3d is on a mission to replace generic, one-size-fits-all football pads with 3D printed, hyper-personalized ones that offer more protection for players
The future of manufacturing: A look ahead to the next era of making things
The way we make things -- from cars to shoes to dental floss -- has changed dramatically over the past few generations. Here's what could change next.
Part Terminator, part Tremors: This robotic worm can swim through sand
Remember the "Graboid" worm monsters from Tremors? Well, thanks to some brilliant engineering, there's now a robotic version that can burrow through sand.
Here’s what a trend-analyzing A.I. thinks will be the next big thing in tech
The "technology intelligence engine" uses A.I. to sift through hundreds of millions of documents online, then uses all that information to spot trends.
The future of sustainability: A look at the next evolution of environmental tech
Sustainable energy tech has come a long way in the past decade, but we've still got a long road ahead if we hope to slow climate change. Here's what's next
Who needs headphones? Holoplot can beam audio directly to your ears from afar
Thanks to a technique known as beamforming, it's possible to selectively deliver personalized audio directly to a single listener -- and only that listener.
The future of automation: Robots are coming, but they won’t take your job
The emergence of automated robots will likely not be the job killer for humans that many people fear.
The sound of science: Why audio is the next frontier in Mars exploration
For most of human history, space exploration has been carried out with visual technologies like telescopes. Now, astronomers are turning to microphones
Read the eerily beautiful ‘synthetic scripture’ of an A.I. that thinks it’s God
Travis DeShazo fed an A.I. algorithm all of the world's major religious texts, and then trained it to spit out biblical-sounding synthetic scripture.
Cailifornia has a blackout problem. Could giant flow batteries be the solution?
In an effort to address the state's summer blackout problem, California energy officials are investing in big, building-size batteries that can power cities
