Seven Must-Read Stories (Week Ending May 7, 2016)

Another chance to catch the most interesting, and important, articles from the previous week on MIT Technology Review.

May 6, 2016

When Smartphones Become Too Addictive, Stylish Dumb Phones Offer a Respite
Feeling distracted and exhausted by constant connectivity? Maybe you need one more gadget.
A Treasure-Hunting Ocean Robot
A submersible robot used to explore a 17th-century shipwreck shows how humans and machines might collaborate in other settings.
The World’s Most Expensive Medicine Is a Bust
The first gene therapy approved in the Western world costs $1 million and has been used just once. The doctor who tried it says the price is “absolutely too high.”
IBM Inches Ahead of Google in Race for Quantum Computing Power
IBM believes it can demonstrate an experimental chip that will prove the power of quantum computers in just a few years.
Why the World’s Largest Nuclear Fusion Project May Never Succeed
As cost overruns and delays plague the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor, fusion startups are raising more capital.
A Secret Tool to Catch the Next VW-Style Emissions Cheat
New software spots anomalies in modified or hacked cars.
The Nauseating Disappointment of Oculus Rift
Oculus’s VR headset can be thrilling, but will you buy it if some experiences make you sick and it’s hard to use for more than 20 minutes?