The Download
What's up in emerging technology
Did DNA finger Jack the Ripper? Probably not, but old objects are ready to reveal their secrets
This robot learns to pick up mugs by learning a theory of mugness
A drone map of lava tubes shows how we’ll go spelunking on Mars
An algorithm can transform your doodles into photorealistic images
The US is building a $500m ‘exascale’ computer that will be the world’s most powerful
From Our Current Issue
May 2, 2019
MIT Media Lab
10 years in: What's next for blockchain?
You've seen how powerful blockchain technology can be, but fundamental challenges still stand in the way of world-changing applications. Join us at Business of Blockchain to learn which projects and ideas have staying power.
Register Now
Intelligent Machines
Quantum computing should supercharge this machine-learning technique
Certain machine-learning tasks could be revolutionized by more powerful quantum computers.
Intelligent Machines
China may overtake the US with the best AI research in just two years
The number of influential AI research papers coming from China is increasing rapidly, a data analysis shows.
Connectivity
The man behind that Apollo boot print
Lunar soil expert David Carrier is to thank for the iconic photo of some of the first steps on the moon.
Intelligent Machines
An AI for generating fake news could also help detect it
Sometimes it takes a bot to know one.
Intelligent Machines
A little-known AI method can train on your health data without threatening your privacy
Machine learning has great potential to transform disease diagnosis and detection, but it’s been held back by patients’ reluctance to give up access to sensitive information.
Connectivity
Blockchain boosters warn that regulatory uncertainty is harming innovation
The pace of progress in the digital asset industry has officials struggling to keep up.
Features
Sustainable Energy
The race to make a lab-grown steak
Meat production spews tons of greenhouse gas and uses up too much land and water. Is there an alternative that won’t make us do without?
View from the Marketplace
The state of artificial intelligence
AI technologies are coming into mainstream business usage—but a host of challenges remains. An interactive infographic illustrates the opportunities and the hurdles.
In association with Oracle, Intel
View from the Marketplace
Anticipating cloud work’s most common side effects
The right technology choices can minimize complexity and help workers stay focused.
View from the Marketplace
Self-driving cars take the wheel
View from the Marketplace
From innovation to monetization: The economics of data-driven transformation
Used strategically, an organization’s data gains value over time. But to unlock its potential requires first establishing the right technical and cultural foundations.
Watch Video
More videos
10 Breakthrough Technologies of 2019, curated by Bill Gates 17:18
Bill Gates on making AI smarter 01:38
Bill Gates on tackling climate change 01:31
Bill Gates on reinventing the toilet 01:32
Bill Gates on the case for nuclear power 01:10
China’s Clean Energy Transition 13:33
Next-Generation Robots Need Your Help 27:36
Access to broadband is as important as access to water and electricity 01:15
We shouldn't preserve "willy nilly" the cost of production 01:00
Coffee-fetching robots 02:08
Connectivity
10 Breakthrough Technologies of 2019, curated by Bill Gates 17:18
-
SPONSORED
The new media’s role in politics
Forms of new media have introduced an unprecedented level of instability and distortion into the political communications system.
by Diana Owen, Professor of Political Science at Georgetown University
-
SPONSORED
Reality regained: An inquiry into the data age
The explosion of data and advances in computing power are radically transforming daily life.
by Jannis Kallinikos
-
SPONSORED
The crisis of social reproduction and the end of work
High-income societies are facing the rise of precarious employment.
by Helen Hester and Nick Snircek