Technology and Society News

Pete Engardio, senior writer for BusinessWeek, sees Americans remaining at the forefront of innovative R&D and having an opportunity to remain ahead, despite increasingly stiff global competition.

a revolutionary leap that could transform solar power from a marginal, boutique alternative into a mainstream energy source, MIT researchers have overcome a major barrier to large-scale solar power.

An enormous research effort by Europe’s leading broadband players has helped accelerate dramatically the rollout of next-generation broadband services reaching speeds in the 10s of Mbit/s in many European countries. That is just the start.

Since April 1 when Nova Scotia outlawed the use of hand-held cellphones while driving, sales of hands-free devices have gone through the roof. It seems everyone’s driving—even walking—with tiny electronic devices tucked into their ears.

Scientists in Germany are reporting development of a new generation of explosives that is more powerful than TNT and other existing explosives, less apt to detonate accidentally, and produce fewer toxic byproducts.

Tiny sensors, only a few millimeters in size, could speed up and improve the detection of everything from explosive materials to biological pathogens to spoiled food or impure water.

The Pentagon is trying to find out if chip makers are building electronic trapdoors in key military hardware.

When first responders and security guards came to the DHS Science and Technology (S&T) Directorate’s Tell-Us-What-You-Need table, heading their list was an emergency escape hood worthy of James Bond. It was a very tall order.

The camera you own has one main lens and produces a flat, two-dimensional photograph, whether you hold it in your hand or view it on your computer screen.

Chemists have developed a tiny, inexpensive sensor chip capable of detecting trace amounts of hydrogen peroxide, a chemical used in the most common form of homemade explosives.