Thor Benson
Thor Benson is an independent journalist who has contributed to Digital Trends, The Atlantic, The Daily Beast, NBC News and many other publications.
How Hedy Lamarr built the foundations of Wi-Fi 80 years ago
How Hedy Lamarr built the foundations of Wi-Fi 80 years ago
Hedy Lamarr is best known for her work as an actress, but she also co-invented a radio communication technique that laid the foundation for Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.
These Black pioneers were pillars of the U.S space program
These Black pioneers were pillars of the U.S space program
Black scientists, engineers, and pilots have had a huge impact on the U.S. space program and NASA, and in this article we look back on their lasting legacy.
CES is hosting a high-speed autonomous car race today. Watch it here
CES is hosting a high-speed autonomous car race today. Watch it here
CES is hosting an autonomous car race this year -- and you can watch it live! Here's how to watch the second round of the Indy Autonomous Challenge
New nail-on solar shingles offer an affordable alternative to Tesla’s solar roof
New nail-on solar shingles offer an affordable alternative to Tesla’s solar roof
GAF Energy has developed an innovative new nail-on solar shingle that's allegedly cheaper and easier to install than Tesla's solar roof system.
This ultraportable electric wheelchair can fold up to fit in the trunk of a car
This ultraportable electric wheelchair can fold up to fit in the trunk of a car
Most electric wheelchairs aren't designed with portability in mind, but Whill's new Model F can collapse down for easy transport when not in use.
The future of sustainability: A look at the next evolution of environmental tech
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
Cailifornia has a blackout problem. Could giant flow batteries be the solution?
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
Genetic research has a whiteness bias. H3Africa is trying to fix it
Genetic research has a whiteness bias. H3Africa is trying to fix it
African DNA is grossly underrepresented in genetic research, but a number of organizations have sprung up to address the problem.
Women with Byte: Vivienne Ming’s plan to solve ‘messy human problems’ with A.I.
Women with Byte: Vivienne Ming’s plan to solve ‘messy human problems’ with A.I.
As a theoretical neuroscientist and A.I. expert, Dr. Vivienne Ming is on a mission to solve what she calls messy human problems with the help of A.I.
Harnessing darkness: The race to solve solar power’s greatest problem
Harnessing darkness: The race to solve solar power’s greatest problem
Solar panels can't produce energy when the sun isn't shining. But what if they could? As it turns out, scientists all over the globe are working on the problem.
It’s high time for the U.S. to build a high-speed rail network
It’s high time for the U.S. to build a high-speed rail network
High-speed rail practically doesn't exist in the United States, but if there's ever been a time where that could change, it's now.
Meet the man on a controversial mission to preserve and digitize your brain
Meet the man on a controversial mission to preserve and digitize your brain
Robert McIntyre is on a mission to preserve human brains so they can be uploaded in the future. Outlandish? Sure. But aren't most groundbreaking ideas?
Robotic police officers are slowly being normalized, whether we like it or not
Robotic police officers are slowly being normalized, whether we like it or not
Robotic police officers are a rare novelty right now, but as law enforcement agencies across the world buy them, they're quickly becoming normalized.
Digitizing your brain: Sci-fi pipe dream, or scientific possibility?
Digitizing your brain: Sci-fi pipe dream, or scientific possibility?
Hooking your brain up to a computer and digitizing your consciousness has long been a staple of science fiction -- but is such a thing possible in real life?
How SpaceX could transform Starlink into an ultraprecise GPS network
How SpaceX could transform Starlink into an ultraprecise GPS network
SpaceX is building the Starlink satellite network in hopes of blanketing the globe in broadband, but it could also be used for a second purpose: GPS
The plan to suck CO2 out of the atmosphere and use it to rebuild Earth’s coasts
The plan to suck CO2 out of the atmosphere and use it to rebuild Earth’s coasts
Carbon capture and sequestration isn't necessarily a new idea, but scientists are currently mulling over a clever new way of doing it
Planet busters: We asked a physicist what it would take to obliterate Earth
Planet busters: We asked a physicist what it would take to obliterate Earth
The planet-busting nuclear bomb is a classic science fiction trope. But is it really possible to build a nuke big enough to obliterate the globe?
Despite obvious dangers, autonomous killer robot tech is charging ahead
Despite obvious dangers, autonomous killer robot tech is charging ahead
Thanks to the proliferation of lethal autonomous weapon tech, the world's military powers are now engaged in an arms race that's increasingly difficult to stop.
We could slow climate change by dimming the sun. But should we?
We could slow climate change by dimming the sun. But should we?
Geoengineers say we could slow global warming by spraying reflective particles in the stratosphere — but doing so could also have unintended consequences.
We have the tech to make wildfires less severe. Deploying it is the hard part
We have the tech to make wildfires less severe. Deploying it is the hard part
A revolutionary new fire retardant gel could help choke fires out before they happen -- if only we could deploy it widely enough
The time we almost nuked the moon
The time we almost nuked the moon
Near the middle of the Cold War, in the early days of the space race, the U.S. hatched a plan to detonate a nuclear bomb on the moon.
There’s a way to weaken hurricanes, but scientists say it’s too crazy to try
There’s a way to weaken hurricanes, but scientists say it’s too crazy to try
There's a weird natural phenomenon that helps to weaken hurricanes destined for the United States. What if we could re-create that phenomenon ourselves?
I took ‘gamer supplements’ for a week to see if I’d become a gaming god
I took ‘gamer supplements’ for a week to see if I’d become a gaming god
Can gamer supplements really boost your performance, or are they just snake oil? I took them for a week straight and tracked my skill stats to find out.
Pandemic-fueled automation is gobbling up jobs, and we’ll never get them back
Pandemic-fueled automation is gobbling up jobs, and we’ll never get them back
The automation of jobs was already happening before 2020, but now the COVID-19 pandemic has kicked the trend into high gear.
I chewed ‘brain-boosting’ nootropic gum for a week straight. Here’s how it went
I chewed ‘brain-boosting’ nootropic gum for a week straight. Here’s how it went
The science behind most "brain boosting" nootropic drugs is foggy at best, so instead of assessing them objectively, I just dove in and tried them myself.