WSJ’s The Future of Everything

Ultrasound is known for its use in imaging during pregnancy. But new advancements in the technology suggest that in the future, ultrasound could be used to disrupt the blood-brain barrier. This would allow doctors to more easily diagnose and directly treat illnesses like brain cancer without major surgery. WSJ’s Danny Lewis and Charlotte Gartenberg examine the new ways that ultrasound could be used more specifically and subtly to deliver accurate diagnoses and precise treatments. What do you think about the show? Let us know on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or email us: FOEPodcast@wsj.com Sign up for the WSJ's free The Future of Everything newsletter . Further reading: New Ultrasound Therapy Could Help Treat Alzheimer’s, Cancer  Treatment Breakthrough for an Intractable Brain Cancer  The ‘Mini Brains’ solving medical mysteries and raising concerns We Can Now See the Brain Like Never Before  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A day when people can interact directly with computers using their thoughts could be on the horizon. Several companies, including Elon Musk’s Neuralink, have begun preliminary human trials of brain-computer interfaces - devices that decode the electrical signals in their brain and translate them into digital bits. Neurosurgeon Benjamin Rapoport is a co-founder and chief science officer of Precision Neuroscience, a company working on brain-computer interfaces. He spoke with WSJ’s Danny Lewis about how the technology works and how these implants could improve the lives of hundreds of thousands of people who could gain the ability to independently engage with the digital world. Correction: Dr. Benjamin Rapoport is the co-founder of Precision Neuroscience. An earlier version misspelled his name Rapaport. (Corrected on May 3) What do you think about the show? Let us know on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or email us: FOEPodcast@wsj.com  Further reading: Inside the Operating Room: Doctors Test a Revolutionary Brain-Computer Implant  Elon Musk’s Neuralink Wants to Make ‘The Matrix’ a Reality. It Has a Lot to Prove First.  She Didn’t Speak for 18 Years. A Computer Helped Find Her Voice.  The Devices That Will Read Your Brain—and Enhance It  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What does the brick and mortar bookstore of the future look like? For Barnes & Noble, it looks more like the indie bookstores they once threatened to put out of business 20 years ago. The company recently redesigned their national chain of over 500 bookstores, shedding the big box personality in favor of a look reminiscent of local bookshops. On this week’s Science of Success, WSJ columnist Ben Cohen speaks to Barnes & Noble CEO James Daunt about the look, feel and idea behind Barnes & Noble’s new indie design. What do you think about the show? Let us know on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or email us: FOEPodcast@wsj.com  Listening on Google Podcasts? Here's our guide for switching to a different podcast player. Further reading: That Cool New Bookstore? It’s a Barnes & Noble. New CEO Wants to Make Barnes & Noble Your Local Bookstore Barnes & Noble’s New Boss Tries to Save the Chain—and Traditional Bookselling  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Can technology help us design the perfect running shoe that’s stronger, faster and better for the environment? David Allemann, co-founder of On, thinks technology can get us part of the way there, but it’s not the whole story. The performance running shoe and sportswear company is experimenting with computer simulation and bio-based materials to design sneakers to advance both runners and sustainability goals. WSJ men’s fashion columnist Jacob Gallagher speaks with Allemann about the future of running shoe tech and how sneakers might redefine the design cannon.  What do you think about the show? Let us know on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or email us: FOEPodcast@wsj.com  Further reading:  How On’s Running Sneakers Won Over Tech Bros and High Fashion Alike  Where Did All the Crazy Sneakers Go?  This Designer Knows What Sneakers You’ll Be Wearing Next Year  These Grandpa Sneakers Are Made in America. They’re a Hit Overseas.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

3D printing isn’t just for hobbyists – it could be central to the future of manufacturing. Companies are turning to this technology to make everything from car and airplane parts to houses faster and cheaper than with traditional techniques. Now, as 3D printing – also known as additive manufacturing – is getting quicker, researchers are testing its limits. WSJ’s Alex Ossola and Danny Lewis take a look at how this tech is building the factory of the future. What do you think about the show? Let us know on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or email us: FOEPodcast@wsj.com Listening on Google Podcasts? Here's our guide for switching to a different podcast player. Further reading: This 3-D Printed Icelandic Fish-Gutting Machine Contains the Secret of a Future, Less-Globalized Economy  Venture Investors Are Pumping Capital Into 3-D Printing Startups. Here’s Why.  Energy Companies Turn to 3-D Printing to Bypass Snarled Supply Chains  3-D Printed Houses Are Sprouting Near Austin as Demand for Homes Grows  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When Tesla started developing the Cybertruck, CEO Elon Musk tasked the company's chief designer with creating a car that "feels like the future." But did it break the mold on what a pickup truck is? And how will it change truck design in the future? WSJ auto columnist Dan Neil test drove the Cybertruck. He spoke with WSJ’s Charlotte Gartenberg about his take on Tesla’s polarizing vehicle, and what it means for the future of EV design. What do you think about the show? Let us know on Apple Podcasts or Spotify , or email us: FOEPodcast@wsj.com  Listening on Google Podcasts? Here's our guide for switching t o a different podcast player. Further reading:  I Gave Tesla’s Cybertruck a 48-Hour Thrashing. It (Mostly) Survived.  Tesla Hopes the Cybertruck Design Gives It an Edge  Tesla Designer: Cybertruck’s Funky Design Gives It an Edge  How Tesla’s Cybertruck Compares with Other Pickups  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This year, several high profile incidents have kept flying in the limelight. Yet air travel is currently safer than ever. The biggest U.S. commercial airlines have now gone 15 years without a fatal crash. So, how did hurtling through the sky in a giant metal tube become this safe? WSJ columnist Ben Cohen speaks with former FAA and International Civil Aviation Organization executive William Voss about the voluntary self-reporting programs that made flying the safest form of travel and asks if the airline industry’s safety measures could provide a blueprint for regulation in other fields. What do you think about the show? Let us know on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or email us: FOEPodcast@wsj.com  Listening on Google Podcasts? Here's our guide for switching to a different podcast player.  Further reading:  Flying in America Has Actually Never Been Safer  Boeing Tells Airlines to Check 787 Cockpit Seats After Mishap on Latam Flight  Behind the Alaska Blowout: a Manufacturing Habit Boeing Can’t Break  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After years of promises that driverless cars were just over the horizon, one of the industry's biggest players is headed for the freeway. Now, for the first time, Alphabet’s Waymo is allowing robotaxis to take its employees on high-speed roads in Phoenix, Arizona without a human driver. The move comes just as the industry is facing a harsh reality after high-profile crashes: GM’s Cruise had its permits to operate driverless robotaxis pulled by the California DMV, and Waymo issued its first-ever recall after two of its cars collided with a pickup truck being towed. WSJ reporter Meghan Bobrowsky discusses what this could mean for the future of self-driving cars and where the industry is heading. What do you think about the show? Let us know on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or email us: FOEPodcast@wsj.com Further reading: Self-Driving Cars Enter the Next Frontier: Freeways Self-Driving Car Company Waymo Issues First-Ever Recall After Two Phoenix Crashes  GM’s Cruise Says U.S. Is Investigating Driverless Car’s Collision With Pedestrian  ​​America’s Most Tech-Forward City Has Doubts About Self-Driving Cars  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Imagine driving down a road that recharges your electric car as it moves. Companies around the world are experimenting with new technology that can wirelessly charge EVs while they drive, thanks to copper coils buried beneath the asphalt. It could mean less time spent plugging in at slow chargers, no need for heavy, expensive lithium-ion batteries and wave goodbye to range anxiety. WSJ’s Danny Lewis reports on what it would take for this tech to hit the road, and how it could change the way we refuel our vehicles. What do you think about the show? Let us know on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or email us: FOEPodcast@wsj.com  Further reading: These Companies Want to Charge Your Electric Vehicle as You Drive  No More Charging Stops? We Take a Road Trip in an Ultralong-Range EV  The Big Year for EVs Gets Off to a Bumpy Start  Electric Cars and Driving Range: Here’s What to Know About EV Range  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In recent months, an Alaska Airlines jet lost a door plug mid-flight, and a Japan Airlines plane collided with another aircraft at an airport in Tokyo. Accidents like these are uncommon, but they could help engineers design safer airplanes. Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University associate professor Anthony Brickhouse tells WSJ’s Danny Lewis how advanced materials and computer systems could bring flight into a safer future, while making sure human pilots are still part of the equation. What do you think about the show? Let us know on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or email us: FOEPodcast@wsj.com  Further reading: How Safe Is Flying Today? Answering Your Questions  Boeing 737 MAX Missing Critical Bolts in Alaska Airlines Blowout, NTSB Says  Boeing Finds New Problem With 737 MAX Fuselages  Inside a Flaming Jet, 367 Passengers Had Minutes to Flee. Here’s How They Did It.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is it an earworm or an icon? The Super Mario Bros. theme is the soundtrack to many childhoods and has remained resonant today. Recently inducted into the Library of Congress’s National Recording Registry, the song was not easy to write. Video game composer Koji Kondo faced musical and technical challenges in creating the song. Columnist Ben Cohen talks to New England Conservatory musicologist Andrew Schartmann about how Kondo created this lasting and genre-changing piece of music. What do you think about the show? Let us know on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or email us: FOEPodcast@wsj.com  Further reading: The Mind Behind the Music You Can't Get Out of Your Head  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

AI has brought new challenges for corporate executives in managing their workforces and supply chains. Flex CEO Revathi Advaithi tells WSJ reporter Emily Glazer how she is adjusting to uncertainty and gives her outlook on the future of the workplace and manufacturing. This conversation was recorded at WSJ’s CEO Council Summit on December 12, 2023.  What do you think about the show? Let us know on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or email us: FOEPodcast@wsj.com Further reading: Leading in Uncertain Times  Sam Altman Seeks Trillions of Dollars to Reshape Business of Chips and AI  Logistics-Tech Startups Face Uncertain Future as Freight Slump Continues  The Do’s and Don’ts of Using Generative AI in the Workplace  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Badge swipes and passwords are cornerstones of security in the modern workplace. But in a world where security is increasingly tied to biometrics and personal devices, your face or fingerprint may soon become the key to workplace security. While biometrics could provide better protection for sensitive information than an easily forgettable password, what are the privacy risks of biometric tech going mainstream? WSJ’s Danny Lewis explores the future of biometric security at work, and whether it could even go beyond face scans and fingerprints. What do you think about the show? Let us know on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or email us: FOEPodcast@wsj.com  Further reading: Your Face Is Your Ticket: A Creepy Convenience  Apple Makes Security Changes to Protect Users From iPhone Thefts  Rite Aid Banned From Using AI Facial Recognition in FTC Settlement  What Is the Future of Identity Verification?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Will the human resources department be replaced by robots? Not quite, but the use of generative artificial intelligence in HR is on the rise. WSJ reporter Chip Cutter tells us how companies are incorporating AI tools internally and what might change in the future. Plus, we hear from Reshma Saujani, the founder of Girls Who Code and Moms First, who recently introduced paidleave.ai, a free AI-powered chatbot designed to help workers navigate paid family leave benefits. Saujani tells WSJ’s Charlotte Gartenberg about what she sees as the potential risks and benefits of AI in the workplace. What do you think about the show? Let us know on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or email us: FOEPodcast@wsj.com  Further reading:  New York City Passed an AI Hiring Law. So Far, Few Companies Are Following It.  How AI Will Change the Workplace  HR Departments Turn to AI-Enabled Recruiting in Race for Talent  The Do's and Don'ts of Using Generative AI in the Workplace Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nvidia's Jensen Huang is Silicon Valley's longest tenured CEO, and his company recently joined the trillion dollar club. But if he knew at the start what he knows now, would he do it all again? WSJ Science of Success columnist Ben Cohen explains Huang’s approach to success and what that might mean for tomorrow's entrepreneurs. What do you think about the show? Let us know on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or e mail us: FOEPodcast@wsj.com  Further reading:  He Built a Trillion-Dollar Company. He Wouldn’t Do It Again.  Tech’s ‘Magnificent Seven’ Stocks Are Back on Top  Markets Analysis: Nvidia Stock Jumps to Record High  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fake images are already turning heads online, and Hany Farid, a professor of computer science at the University of California, Berkeley, says we’re only going to see more of it. Farid specializes in image analysis and digital forensics. He tells WSJ’s Alex Ossola why it’s so easy to use generative AI to create convincing fake images, and why it could cause problems in the future. Plus, he discusses the potential tech solutions that will help us decipher whether an image or video we’re seeing online is too good to be true.  What do you think about the show? Let us know on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or email us: FOEPodcast@wsj.com  Further reading:  Real or AI? The Tech Giants Racing to Stop the Spread of Fake Images  Reality Is Broken. We Have AI Photos to Blame.  A New Way to​ Tell Deepfakes From Real Photos: Can It Work?  AI-Created Images Are So Good Even AI Has Trouble Spotting Some  Sharing Fake Nude Images Could Become a Federal Crime Under Proposed Law  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

AI voice assistants like Apple’s Siri and Amazon’s Alexa have become part of our everyday lives. But for people with atypical voices, including those with conditions like Parkinson’s disease and muscular dystrophy, these tools can be frustrating to use. Now a number of big tech companies including Amazon and Google, as well as research organizations are coming up with ways to make them more useful. What will it take to create voice assistants that work for everyone right out of the box?  What do you think about the show? Let us know on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or email us: FOEPodcast@wsj.com  Further reading: Tech Firms Train Voice Assistants to Understand Atypical Speech  Amazon Makes Alexa Chattier and More Capable Using Generative AI   Alexa, Siri, Cortana: Why All Your Bots Are Female    Deep Speech: Scaling up end-to-end speech recognition (2014, arXiv)   Librispeech: An ASR corpus based on public domain audio books (2015, IEEE International Conference)   Speech Accessibility Project from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One of AI’s biggest, unsolved problems is what the advanced algorithms should do when they confront a situation they don’t have an answer for. For programs like Chat GPT, that could mean providing a confidently wrong answer, what’s often called a “hallucination”; for others, as with self-driving cars, there could be much more serious consequences. But what if AIs could be taught to recognize what they don’t understand and adjust accordingly? Usama Fayyad, the executive director for the Institute for Experiential Artificial Intelligence at Northeastern University thinks this could be the algorithmic answer to making future AIs better at what they do, by doing something too few humans can: recognizing their own limits. What do you think about the show? Let us know on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or email us: FOEPodcast@wsj.com  Further reading: How Did Companies Use Generative AI in 2023? Here’s a Look at Five Early Adopters.  Your Medical Devices Are Getting Smarter. Can the FDA Keep Them Safe?  Artificial: The OpenAI Story  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sail-powered cargo ships are making waves on the seas. High-tech versions of old tools are being installed on existing cargo ships in order to reduce fuel costs and help decarbonize the industry, which currently generates 3% of all human-created greenhouse gasses. Retrofitting cargo ships with sails could make maritime shipping greener and cheaper, and even change how the complicated shipping industry works. WSJ host Danny Lewis reports. What do you think about the show? Let us know on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or email us: FOEPodcast@wsj.com Further reading: Old-School Wind Power Is Back for Cargo Shipping  Shipping Regulator to Steer Clear of Stricter Rules on Carbon Emissions  Fertilizer Companies Are Betting on Ammonia as a Low-Carbon Fuel  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Breast milk imparts a number of long-term health benefits to babies, including a lower risk of asthma, obesity, Type 1 diabetes and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But for a variety of reasons, many parents turn to formula. Now, several startups such as BIOMILQ and Helaina are working on new kinds of infant nutrition products that promise to better mimic parts of human breast milk—and may lead to advances in adult nutrition along the way. But to bring artificial breast milk to market, they’ll need to do some tough science and overcome regulatory and ethical hurdles.  What do you think about the show? Let us know on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or email us: FOEPodcast@wsj.com  Further reading:  The ‘Arms Race’ to Build a Better Baby Formula  Baby-Formula Shortage Worsened by Drop in Breast-Feeding Rates  Baby-Formula Makers Face FTC Investigation for Collusion Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The next generation of nuclear power plants could be tiny, and that could mean big things for carbon-free electricity. Several companies including NuScale Power and Bill Gates’ TerraPower are developing small modular reactors that promise to be more adaptable than the towering conventional nuclear power plants. After years of development and growing investment, the first of these next-generation reactors could go online by 2030. But will their promises to provide safe and plentiful energy live up to the hype, and overcome the economic challenges of their predecessors? WSJ’s Danny Lewis looks at what small reactors could mean for the business of nuclear power and how you get your electricity.  What do you think about the show? Let us know on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or email us: FOEPodcast@wsj.com  Further reading:  A Futuristic Plan to Make Steel With Nuclear Fusion  Nuclear Power Is Staging a Comeback, but Is It Affordable and Safe?  OpenAI’s Sam Altman Is Taking a Nuclear-Energy Startup Public  Nuclear Power Is Poised for a Comeback. The Problem Is Building the Reactors.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There may come a day when everyone will be wearing hearing aids. That’s because today’s hearing aids can do much more than clarify and amplify sound. Companies like Starkey are adding features like cognitive activity tracking and exercise monitoring. They’re developing tech that aims to warn users before they might fall and predict aspects of mental health too. If barriers like high cost and social stigma are addressed, hearing aids could become a vital accessory, whether or not you’re one of the 55 million Americans projected to have hearing loss by 2030. What do you think about the show? Let us know on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or email us: FOEPodcast@wsj.com  Further reading:  Wait, Are Hearing Aids Cool Now? Ask Millennials  ​​Apple AirPods Could Help You Hear Better  Buying Help for Over-the-Counter Hearing Aids—Whether You Spend $250 or $2,500  Cheaper Over-the-Counter Hearing Aids Are Coming. Here’s How to Comparison Shop.   Cures for Hearing Loss May Be Found in New Drugs  Using Teeth to Help Restore Hearing Better Hearing Can Lead to Better Thinking Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What if there were a way to generate clean solar electricity from space and send it directly to Earth? It sounds like science-fiction, but Caltech engineers are working on ways to collect solar energy on orbiting satellites and wirelessly beam that power back to stations on the ground. The results of their experiments suggest that space-based solar power may have a bright future. But while they’ve been able to show it’s possible on a demonstration satellite, getting power from orbit to Earth is a big challenge. WSJ’s Danny Lewis talks with science journalist Corey S. Powell about what it will take to wirelessly transmit solar energy and how it could transform the future of the grid. What do you think about the show? Let us know on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or email us: FOEPodcast@wsj.com  Further reading:  Beaming Solar Energy From Space Gets a Step Closer  The Next Bets for Renewable Energy  Solar Boom Spreads to Timberlands and Self-Storage Rooftops  Investments in Solar Power Eclipse Oil for First Time  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Want to go electric? We might need to dig a little deeper… into the Earth’s crust. Researchers and startups are testing new technology and drilling techniques to harness geothermal energy – heat from the Earth that can be used to generate electricity. It’s a renewable energy source that has been billed as a way to boost energy independence while reducing carbon emissions. But because of technical limitations, geothermal made up just 0.4% of all electricity generated in the U.S last year. The Biden Administration and energy giants such as Chevron are investing in geothermal, with the aim that your lights, your cell phone and your electric car might be powered by geothermal in the future. WSJ’s Alex Ossola explores what it will take for geothermal energy to scale.  What do you think about the show? Let us know on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or email us: FOEPodcast@wsj.com  Further reading:  Can the Oil-and-Gas Industry Crack Geothermal Energy? ‘Deep Geothermal’ Promises to Let Drillers Go Deeper, Faster and Hotter  The Next Bets for Renewable Energy  Fracking for Geothermal Energy? Not So Fast  The Race to Drill America’s Longest Oil and Gas Wells  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is there life on planets other than Earth? For generations, scientists have puzzled over the question, searching for planets that might have the right conditions both inside and outside the Milky Way. There are thousands of exoplanets – those beyond our solar system – ranging from gas giants, to balls of rock, to possible ocean worlds and so-called “super Earths.” But even as new technology has given scientists a glimpse at these distant worlds, one lingering question is whether any of them can support life and what forms it might take. WSJ’s Danny Lewis speaks to University of Arizona astronomer Chris Impey about what makes a planet habitable and how learning about exoplanets can teach us more about our own world. What do you think about the show? Let us know on Spotify, or email us: FOEPodcast@wsj.com  Further reading:  ​​A Moon of Saturn Has All the Ingredients Needed for Life  Jupiter Mission Launches on Journey to Explore Icy Worlds  Astronomers Catch a Star Swallowing a Planet  These Scientists Want to Send Space Aliens a Cosmic Road Map to Earth Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

AI-generated or manipulated images are quickly becoming a lot more realistic. Soon, it may be impossible to tell the difference. That could create an opportunity for people to spread misinformation, and make it difficult to know what’s real. Tech companies like Adobe, Microsoft and Google, academics and government agencies are coming up with frameworks to verify images and, in some cases, show how they’ve been altered. But, these techniques may come with security risks of their own. WSJ’s Alex Ossola and Charlotte Gartenberg explore the new technology solutions that will identify fake images online and the potential issues getting them in front of users. What do you think about the show? Let us know on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or email us: FOEPodcast@wsj.com  Further reading:  AI-Created Images Are So Good Even AI Has Trouble Spotting Some  Ask an AI Art Generator for Any Image. The Results Are Amazing—and Terrifying  Paparazzi Photos Were the Scourge of Celebrities. Now, It’s AI  AI, Art and the Future of Looking at a Painting  Some of the Thorniest Questions About AI Will Be Answered in Court  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The great American road trip has long been powered by gasoline. Gas stations are everywhere, making it easy to fill-up when your gas tank nears empty. But what if you’re trying to travel long-distance in an electric car and can’t find a charger? WSJ’s Danny Lewis speaks to WSJ tech columnist Christopher Mims about his recent road trip in an ultralong-range Lucid Motors EV. The car aims to eliminate range anxiety by traveling an Environmental Protection Agency-estimated range of more than 500 miles without needing to recharge.  What do you think about the show? Let us know on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or email us: FOEPodcast@wsj.com  Further reading:  Ultralong-Range Electric Cars Are Arriving. Say Goodbye to Charging Stops  Why America Isn’t Ready for the EV Takeover The Key to Widespread Adoption of EVs: Less Range  Big Automakers Plan Thousands of EV Chargers in $1 Billion U.S. Push Ford Venture Gets Record $9.2 Billion Government Loan for EV Batteries Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When you think of a robot, what comes to mind? A big metal arm in a car factory? A shiny android like C3PO from “Star Wars”? What about a robot that’s soft, floppy and looks a little more like the hot dog fingers from “Everything Everywhere, All at Once”? Soft robots are engineered for more delicate tasks that used to require a human touch – like handling food or conducting tests inside our bodies. But for now, they’re isolated to specific fields, like manufacturing and medicine, and haven’t really made their way into the daily lives of most people. WSJ’s Alex Ossola looks into what it will take to bring soft robots out of the factory and hospital and into our homes.  Further reading:  Robots Are Learning to Handle With Care   Robots Are Looking to Bring a Human Touch to Warehouses  What Picking Up an Apple Tells You About the Future of Robotics   First Autonomous, Entirely Soft Robot Developed  Amid the Labor Shortage, Robots Step in to Make the French Fries  The Quest for a Robot With a Sense of Touch  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Farmers across the U.S. are facing challenges from extreme weather. From intense heat and drought roasting crops to rain-delayed harvests, many who grow the food we rely on are having to find new ways to adapt. For some, that means going high-tech, using sensors that can tell them when their plants need more water or fertilizer. WSJ’s Jala Everett looks into how modern sensors are changing the world of farming and how some sensors the size of “bandages” could deliver even more precise data from individual plants. Further reading:  Five Farming Technologies Tackle Climate Change Threats  Widespread Drought Creates Winners and Losers in U.S Agriculture  Harvesting Crews Hustle to Bring In Wheat Crop Hit by Drought, Late Rains  The Environmental Upside of Modern Farming  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The risks from fungal pathogens are increasing. Severe infections used to be rare, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates more than 75,000 people in the U.S. are hospitalized for fungal diseases each year, and the World Health Organization says rates of severe fungal infections are likely to increase as fungi adapt to warmer temperatures and become resistant to drugs. Could a vaccine be the answer? WSJ’s Danny Lewis explores how scientists are looking into new ways of reducing the threat from dangerous fungi. Further reading:  Deadly Fungal Infections Confound Doctors—‘It’s Going to Get Worse’ Deadly Fungi Are Becoming More Common and We’re Running Out of Ways to Treat Them  Dangerous Fungi Are Spreading Across U.S. as Temperatures Rise  Fatal Fungi Threaten Global Health, WHO Says  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

So-called “forever chemicals” are seemingly everywhere. A recent government study found close to half of U.S. tap water contains at least one PFAS chemical. They’re also on a lot of our clothes, where the chemicals are used to promote water resistance or repel stains. But some of the things that make PFAS so effective also means they stay in our bodies for years. And these chemicals have been linked to health issues, including high cholesterol and an increased risk of kidney cancer. Now, as clothing companies look to eliminate PFAS from their products, they’re facing another challenge: what to replace the chemicals with—ideally without sacrificing performance. WSJ’s Alex Ossola dives into the textile industry’s efforts to move on from PFAS and change our expectations around our clothing.  Further reading:  Lots of Tap Water Contains ‘Forever Chemicals.’ Take These Steps to Reduce Your Risk.  What to Know About ‘Forever Chemicals,’ or PFAS, and Your Health  How ‘Forever Chemicals’ Are All Around Us, From Winter Coats to Fast-Food Wrappers  EPA Proposes Limits for ‘Forever Chemicals’ in Drinking Water  Coastal Town Brings Mass Litigation—and an ‘Existential Threat’—to Chemical Giants  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You may have heard about Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro. It’s tough to miss the online chatter, the ads on TV and all the news coverage. They are part of a class of drugs originally designed to treat diabetes, and all three have been shown to help people lose significant amounts of weight. That’s leading to big sales for drug companies and helping change the way we think about weight loss. WSJ’s Ariana Aspuru digs into how these drugs work, the big money involved and what it means for millions of Americans who meet the criteria for obesity.  Further reading:  Pill for Obesity Has Wall Street Salivating  Will Ozempic Change ‘Body Positivity’ for Good?  No More Shots: Pill Versions of Ozempic-Like Drugs Are Coming  The Drugs That Are Gaining on Ozempic  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For the first time in decades, NASA is planning to send astronauts back to the moon. Their spacesuits will be very different from what Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin wore when they walked the lunar surface in 1969. Spacesuits today are thinner and lighter, while still making sure astronauts can complete tasks and stay alive. In this conversation from the Future of Everything festival in May, WSJ’s Danny Lewis speaks to Amy Ross, one of NASA’s top spacesuit engineers. She explains how the lessons learned from designing next-generation moon suits will eventually help astronauts explore Mars, while leading to other innovations here on Earth. Further reading: NASA, Canadian Space Agency Select Astronauts for Artemis Moon Mission  NASA's New Artemis Spacesuits Are Designed to Put a Woman on the Moon  NASA Plans to Bring Bits of Mars to Earth. It May Change How We See Space  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Forecasting hurricanes is an inexact science. That's why they're called forecasts. But government researchers and meteorologists are working to make their predictions better, to help people know when they should evacuate and when it's safe to stay put. And that means using all sorts of new technology, including drones that sail right into the storms. WSJ's Ariana Aspuru visited the National Hurricane Center in Florida to find out how those forecasts come together and see the new models in the works to improve accuracy and save lives. Further reading:  The Science for Determining Climate-Change Damage Is Unsettled - WSJ  Atlantic Hurricane Seasons Are Starting Weeks Earlier, Raising Risks to Coastal Areas - WSJ Tornadoes, Hurricanes and Wildfires Racked Up $165 Billion in Disaster Damage in 2022 - WSJ  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Some of the world’s biggest aviation companies, including Boeing and Airbus, are working on the next generation of planes. One big goal? Making air travel greener by cutting its carbon footprint. So, they're ditching traditional jet fuel in favor of other options, like hydrogen fuel cells, electricity from batteries, and “sustainable aviation fuels." That could mean major changes in how we fly and how much we pay to get to our destinations. WSJ’s Danny Lewis talks with Boeing, Airbus and others about how this push to change how planes are powered could shape the future of flight. Further reading:  The Most Valuable U.S. Power Company Is Making a Huge Bet on Hydrogen  Electric Planes Could Soon Take Off, but They May Not Go Far  Fossil-Fuel Veterans Find Next Act With Green Hydrogen  United Airlines Creates Fund for Sustainable Aviation Fuel  Airlines Push to Reduce Carbon Footprint With Greener Fuels  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Imagine getting from your home to the airport and skipping all the traffic on the road in a flying taxi. They once were the domain of science fiction and Saturday morning cartoons, but a growing number of companies are working to make taxis in the sky a reality, and the FAA is coming up with regulations to keep them safe. In this conversation from the Future of Everything festival in May, WSJ’s Alex Ossola speaks to Billy Nolen, the acting FAA administrator, about the business and technology behind air-taxi travel and the challenges facing regulators. Further reading:  FAA Plans New Sky Lanes for Air Taxis  When Will Flying Taxis Get Off the Ground? The CEO of Boeing-Backed Wisk Aero Has Some Ideas.  United to Invest $15 Million in Flying-Taxi Maker Backed by Embraer  For eVTOLs to Really Take Off, Airspace Needs an Overhaul. Here’s Why.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

NASA’s Perseverance rover is currently collecting samples on the surface of Mars, and some of them will be coming to Earth—that is, if all goes well. NASA has a complex plan to bring bits of the Red Planet here, arriving in 2033, so scientists can study them to answer some burning questions. What’s the planet’s history? What is its dust like? And, are there any signs that life may have existed there? WSJ’s Alex Ossola speaks to Lindsay Hays, an astrobiologist at NASA and deputy lead scientist for the Mars Sample Return mission, about how this mission could help us better understand the history of our own planet and shape future missions to Mars and beyond. Further reading:  NASA Lands Perseverance Rover Safely on Mars After ‘Seven Minutes of Terror’  NASA Collects Mars Rock Samples in Historic First for Perseverance Rover  NASA’s Perseverance Rover Begins Its Search for Life on Mars  Mars Photos: See NASA’s Perseverance Rover’s First Visions of Red Planet   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, epidemiologists looked to our sewers to help figure out the scale of the virus’ spread. It worked, giving some public health officials a heads-up before Covid surges. Now, researchers are taking the lessons from that pandemic, and working to put the wastewater from bathing, toilets, laundry machines and dishwashers to use in monitoring the spread of other diseases. WSJ’s Danny Lewis speaks with environmental microbiologist, engineer and epidemiologist Marlene Wolfe about why it’s so important to look at wastewater if we want to stop the next pandemic.  Further reading:  For Future Viral Threats, Health Officials Look to Sewage - WSJ  From the Sewers, Clues to Covid-19’s Next Moves - WSJ  CDC Will Test Sewage for Polio in Some U.S. Communities - WSJ  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Severe droughts in the American South and West are raising new questions about how to ensure millions of people have access to clean, safe water. That’s why several local water systems, including one that provides water to 19 million people in Southern California, are looking to a method of water recycling that brings treated wastewater back into the system. It’s called “direct potable reuse,” but many people have dubbed it “toilet to tap.” Can it succeed despite the ick factor? WSJ’s Alex Ossola visited Los Angeles to find out just how it would work, and how the public is reacting. Further reading:  California Could Face Cuts to Colorado River Usage Under Federal Proposal  California Governor Lifts Most Drought Restrictions on Water Use  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our sense of smell is deeply linked to our emotions, due to the connections between the tissue structures that identify odors and the parts of the brain that govern our memories and feelings. But what if those smells are linked to traumatic memories? Researchers are finding success using a combination of artificial scents and virtual reality to treat people with severe cases of trauma. WSJ’s Danny Lewis examines how new innovations could make this therapy more accessible. Further reading:  High-Tech Smell Sensors Aim to Sniff Out Disease, Explosives—and Even Moods - WSJ  The Metaverse’s Effects on Mental Health: Trivial or Troubling? - WSJ  The New Halloween Scare: ‘Oh, My God, That Smell Was Gross.’ - WSJ  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It may seem like science fiction, but over the past decade scientists have been using stem cells to grow so-called “mini brains.” Researchers prefer the term brain organoids, a collection of human cells in a petri dish that mimic the structure and cell types of our own brains. They’ve been used to study diseases like cancer and Parkinson’s, and evaluate potential treatments, but now the research is becoming more sophisticated, and that’s raising big concerns. Could they become conscious? Should we even be experimenting on our own cells? WSJ’s Alex Ossola explores the advantages, and potential issues, as scientists look to use brain organoids to test new medicines or even replace the chips in our computers.  Further reading:  Scientists Grow Human Cells in Rat Brains to Study Autism, Schizophrenia  Engineered Mini Brain Models Show Patterns of Activity That Resemble Babies’  Startup Uses ‘Mini Brains’ and Software to Power Drug Research  Thomas Hartung’s laboratory at Johns Hopkins University  Paola Arlotta’s laboratory at Harvard University  The Brainstorm Project  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

High-speed internet is something many of us take for granted. But the FCC says millions of Americans lack access to broadband service. That includes many people who live in the northernmost parts of Alaska, where satellite internet has long been the only option. That’s changing, though, as melting sea ice is leading a rush of companies to step in and start laying new undersea cables. WSJ Pro reporter Isabelle Bousquette visited parts of the Arctic where high-speed internet has made it easier to learn and even saved lives. She speaks with WSJ’s Danny Lewis about the huge educational, medical and research implications for people in the Arctic and beyond.  Further reading:  A Warming Arctic Emerges as a Route for Subsea Cables - WSJ  Climate Change in Arctic Is Changing How People There Live and Work - WSJ  Google, Amazon, Meta and Microsoft Weave a Fiber-Optic Web of Power - WSJ  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Microchips are in pretty much all of our electronic devices—if it’s got a plug or a battery, it’s probably got a chip. For the past 60 years, most of these have been made of silicon. But new devices demand faster, better, and more efficient processors, and engineers are hitting silicon’s physical limits. In this encore episode of the Future of Everything, WSJ’s Alex Ossola digs into the future of chips—how scientists are boosting silicon’s capabilities and looking for other materials that could take its place. Further reading:  Graphene and Beyond: The Wonder Materials That Could Replace Silicon in Future Tech  The Microchip Era Is Giving Way to the Megachip Age  Chips Act Will Create More Than One Million Jobs, Biden Says  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A growing body of research suggests that the gut microbiome, the bacteria and other organisms that live in the gut, is linked to our mental health. But what if doctors could act on that information to treat mental illness by changing the gut microbiome? WSJ’s Alex Ossola talks to some of the top researchers in the emerging field of psychobiotics to explore how changing what’s in the gut could lead to future psychiatric treatments.  Help is available: Reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (formerly known as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline) by dialing or texting 988. Further reading:  Gut Bacteria Are Linked to Depression  What Is Your Microbiome? A Wellness Trend Taking On Post-Covid Urgency  Modern Life Is Messing With Our Microbiomes, but Science Is Fighting Back  Diets Engineered to Work With Your Microbiome Are Latest Startup Craze  Those Probiotics May Actually Be Hurting Your ‘Gut Health’  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When the game clock starts, football players aren’t just heading out with their pads and a game plan. Technology like helmet sensors that track the hits players take are becoming more common, especially for young players. They’re being used to figure out when a player might be at risk for a concussion or another brain injury. The data collected is helping researchers and doctors learn more about what happens to the brain over time. But could these innovations and research shape how we play football? Further reading:  Tua Tagovailoa Is in the NFL’s Concussion Protocols Again - WSJ  Severity, Not Frequency, Sets Football Injuries Apart - WSJ  NFL and Nike Court a New Football Market: Girls - WSJ  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Computer algorithms and artificial intelligence increasingly affect more and more of our lives, from the content we’re shown online, to the music we enjoy, to how our household appliances work. But the results these algorithms produce may be changing our world in ways users may not fully understand. WSJ’s Danny Lewis speaks with psychologist Gerd Gigerenzer, director of the Harding Center for Risk Literacy at the University of Potsdam. He’s spent decades studying how people make choices and find patterns when faced with uncertainty, and has some ideas about how to navigate and improve the relationship between AI and our society. Further reading: The Backstory of ChatGPT Creator OpenAI  New York City Delays Enforcement of AI Bias Law  How AI That Powers Chatbots and Search Queries Could Discover New Drugs  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our clothes are in need of a refresh, but not in the way you might think. With each wash, everything from sweaters to socks are releasing tiny, microscopic fibers into our water. Almost 35% of the primary microplastics in oceans right now come from laundry, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature.  From filters in our washing machines to new materials for our clothes, alternatives are in the works to stop microplastics from coming off our clothes. But will it be enough? WSJ’s Alex Ossola and Ariana Aspuru speak about the steps researchers and companies are taking to solve the problem of microplastics in our wash. Further reading:  The Tiny Plastics in Your Clothes Are Becoming a Big Problem - WSJ   Ocean Garbage Patches Have a Microscopic Problem - WSJ  Fashion Firms Look to Single-Fiber Clothes as EU Recycling Regulations Loom - WSJ  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From paper maps to smartphone apps, the way people navigate the world has changed tremendously due to the rise of the internet. Google Maps is the fourth most popular mobile app in the U.S. by unique visitors, according to Comscore. That makes it more popular than Instagram, Tiktok and Spotify or its closest competitor, Apple Maps. Christopher Phillips, who runs Google’s Geo team and oversees Google Maps, speaks with WSJ’s Danny Lewis about how his company is thinking about the role maps play in bringing more information to our fingertips. Further reading: WSJ: The Future of Transportation  Google Combines Maps and Waze Teams Amid Pressure to Cut Costs  Google Reaches $391.5 Million Settlement With States Over Location Tracking Practices  Slow Self-Driving Car Progress Tests Investors’ Patience  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This past summer, many parts of the world suffered from some of the worst drought conditions in decades. In an effort to create more rain, the government of China turned once again to cloud seeding, a controversial technique that aims to target precipitation in key areas. WSJ’s Alex Ossola talks to Dr. Katja Friedrich, an atmospheric scientist at the University of Colorado Boulder, about the advantages and disadvantages of using cloud seeding to get more water where it is needed.  Further reading:  China Extends Power Curbs Amid Heat Wave, Drought  China, Thirsty and Craving Rain, Lines Clouds With Silver Bullets  When the U.S. Tried to Control Hurricanes  Indonesian Snapshot: The Rainmakers of Riau  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices