WSJ’s Doppler AI forecasts midterm issues amid polling debate
The Wall Street Journal's new AI tool aims to predict the issues shaping the 2026 midterms as trust in traditional polling wavers.
Society
Education, media, ethics, and culture.
California Intel Bulletin Tells Police to Watch Flock Opponents at Meetings
A government fusion center advised police to watch for “suspicious activity” at city council meetings about Flock surveillance cameras, even while saying no specific or credible threats existed.
How a West Virginia Chestnut Grove Became a Data Center Flashpoint
A historic American chestnut grove in West Virginia is now a symbol of local resistance to Nscale's 2,250-acre Monarch Compute Campus.
NASA’s SR-1 nuclear spacecraft aims for Mars by 2029
NASA is betting $2 billion on a nuclear-electric rocket that could cut Mars travel time and open the way for lunar reactors.
Solid-State Batteries Inch Toward Commercial Reality
A decade of hype may be giving way to real manufacturing progress, but cost and scaling challenges remain before the technology transforms energy storage.
Exercise-in-a-Pill Research Advances, but Full Workout Benefits Remain Elusive
Scientists are closing in on drugs that reproduce select benefits of exercise, but the goal is to help people who cannot work out, not replace physical activity.
AI Brings Animal Talk Closer—But Translation Is Still Far Off
Advances in AI are accelerating efforts to decode animal communication, yet researchers remain split on whether true translation—or conversation—is achievable.
Traffic deaths are preventable, but city action lags behind
A new assessment says proven street-design fixes could save lives, but funding and political will remain stubborn obstacles.
AI-powered robot learns from therapists to aid stroke rehab
A generative-AI robotic system trained on real therapists could help address the global shortage of physical therapists for stroke patients.
Overlooked Neutrino Could Solve Matter-Antimatter Mystery
A new study suggests that a long-ignored particle from the early universe may explain why matter dominates over antimatter.
AI Reverse-Engineering Craze Lets Hobbyists Reclaim Their Devices
A viral AI project is helping people clone, strip, and resurrect proprietary software, with big implications for software companies and open-source communities.
Blended meat startups bet that mixing mushrooms with beef can cut emissions
A new wave of startups is blending plant proteins with real meat to reduce beef consumption without asking people to give up burgers.
Alaska fire study shows permafrost thaw may outpace Arctic greening
Field research in Denali National Park is giving scientists a rare before-and-after look at how tundra fires accelerate permafrost loss and greenhouse-gas emissions.
Hack-and-leak: The new craft of reporting on stolen data
Journalists are developing a new craft around hack-and-leak cyberattacks, treating hackers as sources for consequential reporting.
DHS Officials Lied About Child Porn Search of Activist's Phone, Records Show
New court filings allege federal agents falsely claimed they were searching for child abuse material when they targeted a Stop Cop City activist's phone.
Ketogenic diet may raise small intestine cancer risk in mice
A new MIT-led study finds the same high-fat, low-carb diet that protects against colon cancer can promote tumors in the small intestine.
MIT's meltable yarn could make clothing infinitely recyclable
A new polyethylene-based yarn can be melted and respun without losing strength, offering a path to circular textile recycling.
From Chicago streets to pickleball CEO: Stanley Anderson’s next act
An MIT alum who survived a violent childhood now leads a Las Vegas pickleball startup, betting on design and quieter paddles.