AI Can Speed Up Drug Discovery. Why Does It Still Take Years To Get A Medicine To Patients?
A promising new medicine can spend years moving through laboratories, clinical trials and regulatory review before it ever reaches a patient. Artificial intelligence is now being used…
They Drilled Deeper Than Mount Everest Is High. Then Earth Fought Back
Humans have drilled deeper into Earth than ever before—but the hole is only about 23 centimeters wide at its deepest point. On the Kola Peninsula, Soviet scientists…
Ford Sent 3 GT40s To Le Mans In 1964. All Failed. Two Years Later, They Finished 1-2-3
In 1964, Ford arrived at Le Mans with a new racing car built for one purpose: beating Ferrari. The GT40 was fast enough to set the pace…
In 1959, Volvo Invented A Life-Saving Seat Belt. Then It Gave The Patent Away
Every time a driver clicks a seat belt into place, they are using a design that is more than 65 years old. In 1959, Volvo engineer Nils…
A Social Security Tax Increase Could Cost Some Workers Up To $3,000 More A Year
A higher Social Security payroll tax is one of the ideas being discussed to address the program’s long-term funding shortfall, but the change could also reduce workers’…
In 1942, Los Angeles Blacked Out And Fired 1,400 Shells Into The Sky. No Enemy Was Found
At 2:25 a.m. on February 25, 1942, Los Angeles went dark. Searchlights swept across the sky while anti-aircraft batteries opened fire, sending roughly 1,400 shells toward an…
London’s River Became So Smelly In 1858 That It Forced The City To Rebuild Its Sewers
In the summer of 1858, London had a problem that was impossible to ignore. The River Thames, already carrying enormous quantities of human waste and industrial pollution,…
In 1637, Tulip Prices Collapsed. But Did Tulip Mania Really Crash The Dutch Economy?
In the winter of 1637, some tulip bulbs in the Dutch Republic were trading for extraordinary sums. The rarest varieties could command thousands of guilders, enough to…
Thomas Midgley Solved Two Problems For Cars And Refrigerators. Then Both Inventions Became Environmental Problems
Thomas Midgley Jr. spent his career solving practical problems with chemistry. In the 1920s, he helped develop tetraethyl lead, a fuel additive that dramatically reduced engine knock…
Why Did The Dutch Let England Keep Manhattan? The Answer Was A Tiny Island Full Of Nutmeg
Today, Manhattan is one of the most valuable and recognizable pieces of land in the world. But in 1667, its future was tied to a tiny Indonesian…