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22nd June 2017
Gravitational wave observatory to launch in 2034
The European Space Agency has confirmed the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) as the third large-class mission in its future science programme, with launch planned for 2034.
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21st June 2017
Entangled photons sent between suborbital space and Earth
Chinese scientists report the transmission of entangled photons between suborbital space and Earth, using the satellite Micius. More satellites could follow in the near future, with plans for a European–Asian quantum-encrypted network by 2020, and a global network by 2030.
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20th June 2017
Graphene transistors could mean computers that are 1,000 times faster
Next-gen, carbon-based transistors would far outperform today's silicon versions, according to a new research paper from the University of Central Florida.
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19th June 2017
New VR headset will feature "human eye resolution"
Varjo, a Finnish tech startup, has unveiled a new VR/AR technology it has been developing in secret. This features nearly 70 times the pixel count of current generation headsets and is sufficient to match human eye resolution.
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18th June 2017
Drones with defibrillators could speed response times for heart emergencies
In a study involving simulated out-of-hospital cardiac arrests, drones carrying an automated external defibrillator arrived in less time than emergency medical services.
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18th June 2017
New moons found orbiting Jupiter
Two new moons are reported to be orbiting Jupiter, bringing the gas giant's total number of known natural satellites to 69. Several "lost" moons have also been rediscovered.
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14th June 2017
Insomnia genes identified
Researchers from the Netherlands and Germany have identified seven risk genes for insomnia.
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13th June 2017
Future milestones in AI predicted by experts
A large survey of experts in artificial intelligence suggests there is a 50% chance of AI outperforming humans in all tasks within 45 years and of automating all human jobs in 120 years.
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11th June 2017
2043 – The Chang'e-3 lander is shutting down
After 30 years of operation, China's first probe to land on the Moon is finally drained of power.
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10th June 2017
Record-breaking year for renewable energy
As the price of installation continues to fall, renewable power has set another new record, with 161 gigawatts (GW) being added in 2016 – increasing total global capacity to more than 2 terawatts (TW).
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5nd June 2017
Exponential wisdom – longevity escape velocity
Peter Diamandis talks about his belief that if we can stay alive for the next 50 years, we will have access to converging technologies that keep us alive indefinitely – a point known as "longevity escape velocity".
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4th June 2017
Intel reveals Core i9 – the next generation of high-end processors
Intel has announced a new generation of processors, including the Core i9 series, its first teraflop desktop CPUs.
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2nd June 2017
Construction begins on the European Extremely Large Telescope
The largest optical and infrared telescope ever to be built is on track for operation in 2024. It will feature 256 times the light gathering area of the Hubble Space Telescope and provide images 16 times sharper.
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30th May 2017
World's first autonomous and zero emissions container ship to launch by 2020
The vessel "YARA Birkeland" will be the world's first fully electric and autonomous container ship, with zero emissions. Operation is planned to start in Norway during the latter half of 2018, with fully autonomous journeys from 2020.
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28th May 2017
Google AI beats top human player at Go game
At the Future of Go Summit in China, Google's DeepMind AlphaGo AI program has beaten the world's number one Go player, Ke Jie.
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24th May 2017
Rapid greening of Antarctica due to climate change
Researchers have published evidence of a rapid greening in the Antarctic over the last 50 years, suggesting that more dramatic changes can be expected with future warming.
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22nd May 2017
Moon found orbiting third largest dwarf planet
Astronomers have identified a moon orbiting 2007 OR10, the third largest dwarf planet in our Solar System, and the largest without an official name.
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22nd May 2017
Farewell to Jacque Fresco (1916-2017)
The creator of the Venus Project has died aged 101.
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20th May 2017
Solar power is now cheaper than coal in India
The price of clean energy continues to plummet. In India, electricity from solar is now cheaper than from coal.
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18th May 2017
Blood stem cells grown in lab for the first time
Human blood stem cells have been grown in the lab for the first time by researchers at Boston Children's Hospital.
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17th May 2017
World's largest single-memory computer is unveiled
Hewlett Packard Enterprise has revealed a new computing architecture with 160 terabytes of memory.
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16th May 2017
A timeline of the future to 2250
A guest piece by Jakob Coles.
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11th May 2017
Global warming: 1.5°C target may be smashed by 2026
A change to a positive phase of the Interdecadal Pacific Oscillation could see global warming accelerate rapidly in the next decade.
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9th May 2017
Growing food in space: no longer a pipe dream
A review of the progress made in space farming shows that food production on the Moon and Mars is likely to become a reality in the not-too-distant future.
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8th May 2017
Nearly half of jobs in Scotland at risk of automation by 2030
Urgent reform is needed to deal with the rapid rise of automation, a leading Scottish think-tank has said.
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6th May 2017
Fusion reactor achieves first plasma
A British company has achieved first plasma in the ST40, a prototype design for a fusion reactor. The machine is planned to reach 100 million degrees C in 2018, the temperature required for fusion.
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5th May 2017
First soft synthetic retina for the visually impaired
The first synthetic retina using soft biological tissues has been created by a student at the University of Oxford.
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5th May 2017
Biggest X-ray laser in the world generates its first light
The European X-ray Free Electron Laser (XFEL) in Germany has produced its first beams of x-rays.
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4th May 2017
India will make every new car electric by 2030
India has set itself the goal of making every new car in the nation electric by 2030, according to an energy minister.
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3rd May 2017
Robot can perform surgeries in one fiftieth of the time
The University of Utah has unveiled a robotic drill system for greatly speeding up surgical procedures. One type of complex cranial surgery could be done in a fiftieth of the normal time, decreasing from two hours to just two and a half minutes.
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2nd May 2017
Elon Musk's TED 2017 interview
On Friday 28th April, Elon Musk appeared at the TED 2017 conference. In this 40-minute talk, Musk reveals his plans for "the Boring Company", which aims to build high-speed tunnel networks beneath major cities. He also reveals a first teaser image of the Tesla semi electric truck and discusses further developments for SpaceX, Tesla, Hyperloop and Gigafactories.
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2nd May 2017
A neurotech future will require new human rights laws
New human rights laws are required to prepare for advances in neurotechnology that could put the 'freedom of the mind' at risk, according to the Institute for Biomedical Ethics.
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1st May 2017
Success in 3D bioprinting of cartilage
Researchers in Sweden have generated cartilage tissue by printing stem cells using a 3D-bioprinter. Their method has potential for use in new osteoarthritis therapies.
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27th April 2017
AI uses machine learning to mimic human voices
A Canadian startup company has developed a new software algorithm capable of replicating any human voice, based on only a 60 second audio sample.
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26th April 2017
Wax moth larvae: a solution to plastic waste?
Wax moth larvae are reported to be able to biodegrade polyethylene – one of the toughest, most resilient and most used plastics. These creatures may be a solution to the growing problem of plastic waste.
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25th April 2017
Asteroid mining is "more realistic than perceived"
Goldman Sachs has advised its clients that asteroid mining for platinum may be financially viable in the not-too-distant future, with potentially massive rewards.
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23rd April 2017
2044 – The works of J.R.R. Tolkien enter the public domain
Tolkien's books and writings – including his famous Lord of the Rings trilogy and The Hobbit – are entered into the public domain on 1st January 2044.
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22nd April 2017
World's first electric VTOL jet completes maiden flight
Lilium Jet, the first zero-emission electric plane capable of Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL), has completed a series of rigorous flight tests in the skies above Germany.
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21st April 2017
Newly discovered "super-Earth" may be best candidate yet for life
Astronomers report the discovery of a rocky "super-Earth" in the habitable zone of a red dwarf star, which they say is among the best ever candidates in the search for extraterrestrial life.
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19th April 2017
2042-2067 – The majority of primate species are disappearing from the wild
During this time, most of the world's primate species are finally going extinct in the wild, despite many decades of conservation efforts. This includes the majority of prosimians, monkeys, lesser apes and great apes such as gorillas.
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18th April 2017
Device pulls water from dry air, powered only by Sun
Scientists have created a device that pulls water from dry air, powered only by the Sun. Even under conditions of relatively low (20-30%) humidity, it can produce 2.8 litres of water over a 12-hour period.
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11th April 2017
Two-thirds of Great Barrier Reef hit by back-to-back mass coral bleaching
Australia's Great Barrier Reef is reported to be experiencing a second consecutive mass coral bleaching event, affecting two-thirds of its area.
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10th April 2017
Robotics breakthrough could lead to fully automated warehouses
A problem that keeps warehouse work from being fully automated has just been solved.
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9th April 2017
Hyperloop track ready for first trial run
Hyperloop One has completed a tube installation at Las Vegas DevLoop, the world's first full-system test track.
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9th April 2017
NASA at Saturn: Cassini's Grand Finale
This video tells the story of Cassini's final, daring assignment and looks back at what the mission has accomplished over the last 20 years.
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8th April 2017
Major breakthrough in smart printed electronics
For the first time, researchers have made printed transistors consisting entirely of 2-D nanomaterials. This could enable a wide range of new, futuristic applications.
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6th April 2017
Law requires reshaping as AI and robotics alter employment, states new report
The present wave of automation – driven by rapid advances in artificial intelligence (AI) – is creating a gap between current legislation and the new laws necessary for an emerging workplace reality, states a major report from the world's leading association of lawyers.
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5th April 2017
Atmosphere could resemble Triassic period by 22nd century
If greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise, or if subsequent efforts to reverse climate change end in failure, the world's atmosphere could resemble that of the Triassic period by the 22nd century, according to a new study.
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4th April 2017
Graphene sieve turns seawater into drinking water
Researchers at the University of Manchester have demonstrated a graphene-based sieve able to filter seawater. This could lead to affordable desalination technologies.
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1st April 2017
2042 – The City of Trees project is completed in Manchester, England
The City of Trees is a 25-year project to plant three million new trees in Greater Manchester, England.
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