NASA officials set their sights on asteroids, announcing plans to launch two $500 million interplanetary probes targeted at these relics from the creation of the solar system. One of the asteroids, known as 16 Psyche, could be the core of an early planet.
From gene editing to gravitational waves and artificial intelligence, these were the science stories that shaped 2016.
This year, the Edge.org Annual Question surveyed leading thinkers about the ideas that deserve more exposure beyond the world of science. Here’s a selection of answers.
Joseph Murphy, whose struggles were part of a front-page story about the fentanyl crisis, is now approaching a year of sobriety and fatherhood
Fear of the Zika virus and a shorter life expectancy weighed on Americans this year. But new genetic tools and some surprising benefits of screen time brightened the picture.
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New cures come from private research, not cash dumped into the National Institutes of Health.
In an experiment, participants steered a robot arm using nothing more than their thoughts, using a cap with sensors, not brain implants requiring surgery. Dan Akst on the results.
Research on the feeling of awe shows that while we feel less egotistical, we have a greater sense of well-being, Alison Gopnik says.
New research offers insight into neural developments in the first few months of life—and highlights the peculiar evolutionary strategy that allows us to have such big brains.
The findings highlight how nuanced and complicated modulating cognition can be, according to the researchers.