9:57
All Thumbs: A New Trick For Dexterity In Prosthetic Hands
Surgery and AI are teaming up to make artificial limbs more intuitive and user-friendly—and expanding the capabilities of the next generation of prosthetics.
33:56
How The World Of Building Materials Is Responding To Climate Change
‘Mass timber’ receives praise for its carbon sink potential, while concrete and steel reinvent themselves to curb emissions.
How Facebook’s News Feed Became A Political Propaganda Machine
In his new book, journalist Steven Levy unpacks how Facebook’s news feed influenced a presidential election in the Philippines—and how it was a symptom of the rise of fake news.
16:45
In A World Of Lab-Grown Diamonds, What Is Real And Fake?
Science historian Lydia Pyne on how “genuine fakes” live in a gray area between real and fake.
How The First Non-Natural Diamond Was Grown In A GE Lab
Since ancient times, people have tried to make their own diamonds. In upstate New York in 1954, it finally happened.
20:38
Bringing A ‘Ghost Heart’ To Life
Scientists are engineering hybrid mechanical animal hearts and “ghost heart” scaffolds in the hopes of finding alternate transplantable organs.
What Happens When Tech Giants Assist In Natural Disasters?
When Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico, the U.S. government didn’t step in to restore power. What happens when countries turn to private companies for infrastructure?
29:13
How Tech Can Make Us More—And Less—Empathetic
A new book covers why empathy is important to society, and how technology is changing that.
How Empathy Has Changed In The Face Of Tech
As tech takes over our lives, a journalist reckons with what has happened to our ability to empathize.
7:15
A Close Call Collision In Near-Earth Orbit
Plus news about crab heath, graphene, and more in this week’s News Roundup.