Bioengineers Are Closer Than Ever To Lab-Grown Lungs
The lungs in Joan Nichols' lab have been keeping her up at night. Like children, they're delicate, developing, and in constant need of attention, which is why she and her team at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston's Lung Lab have spent the last several years taking turns driving to the lab at…
It's Not a Myth: Quantum Messages Really Can Travel Faster
Quantum computers are still a dream, but the era of quantum communication is here. A new experiment out of Paris has demonstrated, for the first time, that quantum communication is superior to classical ways of transmitting information. “We are the first to show a quantum advantage for transmitted information that two parties have to share…
SpaceX Will Send Yusaku Maezawa (and Artists!) to the Moon
“I choose to go to the moon.” Those were among the first words uttered on stage Monday night by Yusaku Maezawa, the mysterious passenger whose existence SpaceX CEO Elon Musk had teased on Twitter last week. Maezawa, a Japanese retail entrepreneur and art collector, stood before a small crowd at SpaceX headquarters and announced that…
The Arctic's ‘Carbon Bomb’ Could Screw the Climate Even More
This story was originally published by Grist and is reproduced here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration. Even in a dream-come-true scenario where we manage to stop all the world’s carbon emissions overnight, the Arctic would inevitably get hotter and hotter. That’s according to a new report by UN Environment, which says the region…
Next-Gen Nuclear Is Coming—If Society Wants It
This story originally appeared on Grist and is part of the Climate Desk collaboration. Back in 2009, Simon Irish, an investment manager in New York, found the kind of opportunity that he thought could transform the world while — in the process — transforming dollars into riches. Irish saw that countries around the globe needed…
The Very Vortex-y Science of Making Snow From Boiling Water
I guess it's a mixture of boredom from staying home in the super-cold weather and access to the internet that causes this problem. What problem, you ask? The countless videos of people throwing boiling water out into the Arctic cold air during the polar vortex. OK, I'll admit—it also looks really cool. Here's what it…
European Ruling Could Slow Africa’s Push for Crispr Crops
Many European scientists cheered back in January when it seemed the court of the European Union would ease its restrictions on gene-editing technology in food. In a 15,000-word opinion, an advisor to the European Court of Justice suggested that gene-edited crops should not face the same stiff regulations as genetically modified organisms—as long as they…
NASA's Supersize Space Launch System Might Be Doomed
It’s no secret that NASA’s Space Launch System is struggling to meet its schedule. The multibillion-dollar launcher is expected to ferry humans and cargo into deep space. The problem is, the agency has vocally committed to sending an American craft to the moon next year. NASA’s new lunar taxi, called Orion, is almost ready to…
A Long Goodbye to Baxter, a Gentle Giant Among Robots
For a serious research robot, Baxter is a charmer. It’s sports-car red, with two big and deliberate arms. Its face is a flat screen that telegraphs “feelings” like embarrassment (rosy cheeks, upturned eyebrows). If you’re so inclined, you can sit in front of it and make it read your mind to fix its mistakes. Or…
Now You Can Sequence Your Whole Genome for Just $200
Here are a few things you can buy with $200: one bluetooth-controlled fire pit, 100 lab-grown Impossible White Castle sliders, access to the 6.4 billion base pairs that make up all the DNA coiled inside your cells. Well, at least for the next 48 hours. Starting today, Cambridge-based Veritas Genetics will be lowering its $999…