Steam Engines Are Perpetuating Racism, Apparently
The National Museum of Wales is suggesting that 19th-century innovations that enabled economic development are somehow tainted by slavery.
Innovation
More Bureaucracy Won't Cure Cancer
Biden's "supercharged" cancer moonshot is little more than a hollow promise.
Can the Medical Innovations Used To Fight COVID-19 Finally Defeat HIV?
Phase 1 testing begins on new vaccine based on mRNA advances.
One Step Closer to Kidney Transplants From Pigs
Researchers are making great progress overcoming the problems that have long plagued attempts at xenotransplantation.
Everyone Deserves To Benefit from Medical Innovation. Yes, Even People Who Did Bad Things.
The New York Times and The Washington Post shamed the recipient of a pig heart transplant for committing a crime 35 years ago.
What Is Web3 and Why Is Everyone Suddenly Talking About It?
Meet the new hype cycle about new tools for online decentralization.
Anti-Amazon Congressman Appears Unfamiliar with the Concept of Store Brands
Amazon promotes products that mimic its competition? Welcome to more than a century of American retail practices.
There Would Be a Lot More Good News if Government Would Get Out of the Way
"The quality of life we have even during COVID is so much higher than anything humanity experienced, and it's only going to get better."
Can Antibiotic Goop and an Army of Divers Save Florida's Ailing Coral Reefs?
How an innovative collaboration could help bring back America's only barrier reef from the brink of destruction.
Author Steven Johnson on the Good News of the Century
Innovations in epidemiological statistics, artificial fertilizer, toilets, sanitation systems, and vaccines have allowed billions of people to flourish until old age.
Amazon Pressures FCC To Deny SpaceX's Satellite Internet Plan
Powerful companies attempting to get government agencies to suppress competition means consumers could lose out.
Bezos Launching Into Space Will Probably Make Your Life Better Too
May our new space billionaires produce spinoff technologies for the rest of us to enjoy in due time!
Regulation Kills Innovation. So These Entrepreneurs Didn't Ask for Permission.
From SpaceX and Tesla to Uber and Lyft, many of the most successful companies thrived without the government's stamp of approval.
Immigration Is the Most Important Way To Beat China
The Senate’s Endless Frontier Act aims to spur innovation but leaves out immigration reform.
Why COVID-19 May Be the Last Pandemic
Medical breakthroughs mean we will never again suffer through diseases like the novel coronavirus—if politicians will get out of the way.
Is International Surveillance of Cryptocurrency Use on Its Way?
Say what you will about the U.S., but its financial reporting rules are at least consistent.
North Carolina Board Threatens Private Drone Mapmakers Because They Aren't Licensed 'Surveyors'
Technological innovation makes gathering visual land data easier and cheaper—and threatens an industry’s status quo.
Are NFTs Dumb, a Scam, or Secretly Useful?
Non-fungible tokens for art can seem a lot like Tulipmania. But distinct digital tokens have real use cases for things like online address management.
A Health Care Haven No More
Despite its access to brainpower and financial backing, it had turned out to be harder than expected for Haven to disrupt the health care market.
Utah Eases Up on the Bureaucracy with Nation's First General Regulatory Sandbox
Helping innovative companies fast-track products to market is a great way to recover from the COVID economy
Why WallStreetBets and Bitcoiners Got So Excited About GameStop
Some of them like the stock, but all of them think our financial system is broken.
Tech Companies Could Form Their Own Governments Under a New Nevada Proposal
Plus: Replacing cops with health care workers saves lives, tech policy advice for President Biden, and more...
Rock Legend Frank Zappa Battles Censorship, Communism, and Conformity in a New Documentary
Alex Winter's new film celebrates the Rock Hall of Famer's individualism, anti-authoritarianism, and entrepreneurship.
Innovators Are Crafting Decentralized Social Media Alternatives. Will App Stores Pull Them Down?
How can we build a culture that welcomes alternative tech?
Feds Finally Give Amazon Permission for Drone Deliveries in the U.S.
America has been lagging behind other countries.
Is the Remote-Controlled Mask the Metal Straw of the Coronavirus Pandemic?
Most environmental panics have some sort of gimmicky product response. The coronavirus pandemic is no different.
Twitter Is Shifting to Remote Work. Will Other Firms Follow?
Will changes to how many of us work outlast the pandemic?
What It's Like To Be a Rational Optimist in a Pandemic
Matt Ridley on how the coronavirus caught him by surprise, the crucial role of dissent in politics, and the importance of innovation for survival
Elon Musk Donates Breathing Machines to Hospitals and the Media Pounces
No, they’re not frontline ventilators. Yes, they’re useful.
We Can Track COVID-19's Spread Without Violating Privacy
The coronavirus is no excuse to intrude on people's lives unnecessarily. Tech provides decentralized systems for contact tracing.
How Techies Ignored the Bureaucrats and Helped the COVID-19 Response
They were mocked for sounding the alarm. Now they're the ones providing the solutions.
As Tourism Craters, Airbnb and Hotels Offer Shelter to Coronavirus Responders
The short-term rental service seeks 100,000 hosts to set space aside for those working to fight the pandemic.
Can Our Shuttered Auto Plants Make Ventilators for Coronavirus Patients? And Will the Government Let Them?
GM’s CEO is offering to help. She shouldn't wait for the feds to figure out what to do.
Prizes for Progress Against Coronavirus
The Mercatus Center Emergent Ventures Project is awarding prizes for important Coronavirus-related work
Thanks to Late-Stage Capitalism, You No Longer Need To Leave Your House
It's the end of the decade, and groceries, birth control, and weed can all be delivered straight to your door.
Massachusetts Police Test Out Robot Dogs. Is Dystopia on Its Way?
Don’t be afraid of the robopups, but make sure we leash law enforcement to keep officers from misusing them.
How Can Our Dumb Infrastructure Accommodate Smart Cars?
We’re going to need a lot more sensing equipment—and fast. Here’s how to do it.
Walmart's Entry Into Health Care Could Be Hugely Disruptive in All the Best Ways
Perhaps the most radical aspect of the new Walmart Heath clinic? Consumers will know exactly what each service costs.
Stossel: Life Is Better Than Ever
Don't believe news reports—we're healthier, richer, and safer than ever before.
The New Trustbusters Are Coming for Big Tech
Left and right are joining forces under the banner of “hipster antitrust.”
Privacy-Friendly Fashion for a Surveillance-State Age
You can literally wear your principles on your sleeve while baffling facial recognition technology.
Anti-Tech Wave Grows with New Justice Department Antitrust Efforts
Apple, Google, Amazon, and Facebook are all in the federal government’s crosshairs.
Outraged Politicians and Official Statistics Miss the Benefits of Tech
Many innovations' benefits aren't captured by the GDP.
Humans Are Building Better Versions of Themselves
From insulin to prosthetics, technology makes this the best moment yet to be living with a disability.
'Killer' Walkman, 'Insane' Bicycles, and Novels Will Rot Your Brain: Pessimist Archive's Jason Feifer on 'Why We Resist New Things'
Jason Feifer's podcast explores "why we resist new things" and tells great stories about panics over the novel, the elevator, the waltz, margarine, and more.
