The notion of an American Dream can be boiled down to a simple concept: a meritocracy in which place of origin and social status do not preclude success for hard workers. Talk of that dream fading has been present since the Great Recession sucked 9 million jobs out of the economy and knocked down already-depressed... Continue Reading →
Using “Nanodrops” to Repair Corneas Could Ultimately Replace Glasses
New eye drops developed by researchers from the Shaare Zedek Medical Center and Bar-Ilan University in Israel can improve both nearsightedness and farsightedness, the inventors claim. However, so far the “nanodrops” have only been successfully tested on pigs’ corneas. The eye drops are “a new concept for correcting refractory problems,” said David Smadja, one of the ophthalmologists who worked... Continue Reading →
Scientists Grow Full-Sized, Beating Human Hearts From Stem Cells
Of the 4,000 Americans waiting for heart transplants, only 2,500 will receive new hearts in the next year. Even for those lucky enough to get a transplant, the biggest risk is the their bodies will reject the new heart and launch a massive immune reaction against the foreign cells. To combat the problems of organ... Continue Reading →
This home-building robot can lay more than 1,000 bricks an hour — and construct a home quicker than a human
A construction crew can build a small home in about four to six weeks. To shave time and labor costs, some homebuilders have chosen to automate part of the process instead. A new robot, developed by Perth-based company Fastbrick Robotics, may be the speediest homebuilding machine yet. Called the Hadrian X, it's essentially one long... Continue Reading →
Costa Rica Is Planning To Abolish All Fossil Fuels
Costa Rica’s green credentials already put the Central American nation near the top of the list when it comes to battling climate change, but if their newly elected President is to be believed, then it’s going to climb higher still. In his inaugural speech, which he turned up to riding a hydrogen-fueled bus, Carlos Alvarado... Continue Reading →
The teen who built a prosthetic arm for his dad
Robbie Frei is passionate about the potential of 3D printing. After all, he’s seen its potential first-hand. Robbie’s father is a Marine veteran who lost part of his right arm in Iraq. One challenge was that he couldn’t play video games with his children. So Robbie designed a 3D-printed adapter for him. He’s since made... Continue Reading →
Microsoft’s new Remote Assist app will make HoloLens a less lonely experience
At Build 2018, Microsoft announced a new Remote Assist app that lets users connect with remote experts in mixed reality. In other words, HoloLens is now more collaborative. With Remote Assist, Microsoft wants workers to be able to solve problems quicker together, even if they're not physically the same. For example, HoloLens users will be... Continue Reading →
Scared yet? Boston Dynamics’ humanoid robot can now jog freely
Boston Dynamics' Atlas robot has been untethered and set free, which, for anyone convinced of an imminent robot uprising, is a rather worrying development. A video posted on YouTube this week shows the humanoid robot running at a fair clip across open land before jumping over a log that it finds in its path. It's... Continue Reading →
The Future of Workplace Will Depend on Universal Basic Income And New Humanities
Innovation in technology has had multiple repercussions; one key area has been the future of work. At the moment, in India, there are 17 mn new entrants into the workforce year on year however only 5.5 mn jobs created. This implies that people of the future will be directed to one of two options. They... Continue Reading →
Expanding the Earned Income Tax Credit, feat. the California Budget & Policy Center
While basic income is often described as a revolutionary proposal, we do have programs in the federal government and some U.S. states that contain elements of a basic income, namely the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). The California Budget & Policy Center (CBPC) has studied the effects of the EITC, and what it might look... Continue Reading →