The Ultra-Pure, Super-Secret Sand That Makes Your Phone Possible
The processor that makes your laptop or cell phone work was fabricated using quartz from this obscure Appalachian backwater.
Inside the 23-Dimensional World of Your Car’s Paint Job
Hue. Saturation. Luminance. Sparkle. Fixing a door ding is about way more than color. (Also: Why the sky is blue and clouds are white.)
Crispr Can Speed Up Nature—and Change How We Grow Food
It took thousands of years for humans to breed a pea-sized fruit into a beautiful beefsteak tomato. Now, with gene editing, scientists can change everything.
The New Satellite Arms Race Threatening to Explode in Space
Trump’s call for a “Space Force” escalates a quiet, dangerous contest between the US, China, and Russia—one whose consequences no one really understands.
The New Satellite Arms Race Threatening to Explode in Space
Trump’s call for a “Space Force” escalates a quiet, dangerous contest between the US, China, and Russia—one whose consequences no one really understands.
Big Tech Isn’t the Problem With Homelessness. It’s All of Us
Amid all the digital wealth, the big cities of the West are racked with the destitute. We know how to solve this problem, so what’s stopping us?
LA Is Doing Water Better Than Your City. Yes, That LA
With climate change on the horizon, Los Angeles is rushing to pull water from surprising sources. The goal: aqueous independence.
Did Science Miss Its Best Shot at an AIDS Vaccine?
For 35 years, researchers have been trying to beat the virus that causes AIDS. For just as long, Burt Dorman has been saying he has a faster way.
A New Look Inside Theranos’ Dysfunctional Corporate Culture
When a chemist raised concerns about the blood testing machines' high error rates, she was ignored. So she resigned.
A Dying Scientist’s Rogue Vaccine Trial
Running out of time to prove he'd found a miracle cure, Bill Halford teamed up with a Hollywood executive and recruited a band of desperate patients.