Hello Freethinkers,
This week, our Hard Reset team visits an ex-Ford engineer who designed and built a self-driving car with just $20,000 and 100 days (his next project: a flying ATV). Future Explored takes a deep dive into the companies using cutting-edge tech to create safer and more affordable fertility solutions. And Kevin Dickinson speaks to Pete Etchells, a psychologist and author of Unlocked: The Real Science of Screen Time, about finding the perfect “Goldilocks zone” of screen time for kids.
Onward,
Stephen
Ex-Ford engineer builds driverless car in 100 day
“Now, we have Amazon and we have YouTube, and with those two tools, you can order any part you need within two days and then find a video with all the information you could ever need.” Combined with newer technologies like 3D printers and the burgeoning AI toolkit, this is unleashing the next industrial revolution by empowering at-home engineers to craft revolutionary tech.
The future of fertility, from artificial wombs to AI-assisted IVF
It’s commonplace today, but when you think about it, IVF is kind of a miracle. The trouble is that this miracle — despite being over half a century old — is expensive and doesn’t always work, even after several rounds. For some, even IVF cannot solve fertility troubles. But a host of new startups are tackling the challenges of reproduction in ways that could soon amaze the world as IVF once did.
IN THE KNOW
Rise of the humanoid
by @jasonjoyride on X
Humanoid robots are here. Thanks to innovations in artificial intelligence, reductions in cost, and the dexterity of robotic hands and limbs, useful humanoid robots are becoming a reality. The latest example is NEO, a humanoid robot from 1X Technologies built specifically for the home. Jason Carman of S3 recently visited 1X's facility in Sunnyvale, California to get an exclusive look at NEO.
MORE ON THIS STORY
Beyond screen time: Rethinking kids’ tech use with the “Goldilocks hypothesis"
“I think one of the most important things that we can do is think about how we model the behaviors that we want to instill in our kids,” says psychologist and author Pete Etchells. “Because they look up to you. They’ll mimic stuff that you’re doing.” With that in mind, how should parents think about screen time in the 21st century?
RECENT RELEASES
A list of Freethink exclusive videos just released:
Casey Handmer, PhD // @cjhandmer
We sat down with the founder of Terraform Industries to discuss the solar revolution. His company is pioneering technology that could revolutionize how we produce and consume energy, potentially solving climate change and global energy inequality in one fell swoop.
Stephen Johnson is the managing editor at Big Think and a writer at Freethink.