Bold Names

When you think of a robot, what comes to mind? A big metal arm in a car factory? A shiny android like C3PO from “Star Wars”? What about a robot that’s soft, floppy and looks a little more like the hot dog fingers from “Everything Everywhere, All at Once”? Soft robots are engineered for more delicate tasks that used to require a human touch – like handling food or conducting tests inside our bodies. But for now, they’re isolated to specific fields, like manufacturing and medicine, and haven’t really made their way into the daily lives of most people. WSJ’s Alex Ossola looks into what it will take to bring soft robots out of the factory and hospital and into our homes. 

Further reading: 

Robots Are Learning to Handle With Care  

Robots Are Looking to Bring a Human Touch to Warehouses 

What Picking Up an Apple Tells You About the Future of Robotics  

First Autonomous, Entirely Soft Robot Developed 

Amid the Labor Shortage, Robots Step in to Make the French Fries 

The Quest for a Robot With a Sense of Touch 

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Farmers across the U.S. are facing challenges from extreme weather. From intense heat and drought roasting crops to rain-delayed harvests, many who grow the food we rely on are having to find new ways to adapt. For some, that means going high-tech, using sensors that can tell them when their plants need more water or fertilizer. WSJ’s Jala Everett looks into how modern sensors are changing the world of farming and how some sensors the size of “bandages” could deliver even more precise data from individual plants.

Further reading: 

Five Farming Technologies Tackle Climate Change Threats 

Widespread Drought Creates Winners and Losers in U.S Agriculture 

Harvesting Crews Hustle to Bring In Wheat Crop Hit by Drought, Late Rains 

The Environmental Upside of Modern Farming 

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Farmers across the U.S. are facing challenges from extreme weather. From intense heat and drought roasting crops to rain-delayed harvests, many who grow the food we rely on are having to find new ways to adapt. For some, that means going high-tech, using sensors that can tell them when their plants need more water or fertilizer. WSJ’s Jala Everett looks into how modern sensors are changing the world of farming and how some sensors the size of “bandages” could deliver even more precise data from individual plants.

Further reading: 

Five Farming Technologies Tackle Climate Change Threats 

Widespread Drought Creates Winners and Losers in U.S Agriculture 

Harvesting Crews Hustle to Bring In Wheat Crop Hit by Drought, Late Rains 

The Environmental Upside of Modern Farming 

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The risks from fungal pathogens are increasing. Severe infections used to be rare, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates more than 75,000 people in the U.S. are hospitalized for fungal diseases each year, and the World Health Organization says rates of severe fungal infections are likely to increase as fungi adapt to warmer temperatures and become resistant to drugs. Could a vaccine be the answer? WSJ’s Danny Lewis explores how scientists are looking into new ways of reducing the threat from dangerous fungi.

Further reading: 

Deadly Fungal Infections Confound Doctors—‘It’s Going to Get Worse’

Deadly Fungi Are Becoming More Common and We’re Running Out of Ways to Treat Them 

Dangerous Fungi Are Spreading Across U.S. as Temperatures Rise 

Fatal Fungi Threaten Global Health, WHO Says 

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 So-called “forever chemicals” are seemingly everywhere. A recent government study found close to half of U.S. tap water contains at least one PFAS chemical. They’re also on a lot of our clothes, where the chemicals are used to promote water resistance or repel stains. But some of the things that make PFAS so effective also means they stay in our bodies for years. And these chemicals have been linked to health issues, including high cholesterol and an increased risk of kidney cancer. Now, as clothing companies look to eliminate PFAS from their products, they’re facing another challenge: what to replace the chemicals with—ideally without sacrificing performance. WSJ’s Alex Ossola dives into the textile industry’s efforts to move on from PFAS and change our expectations around our clothing. 

Further reading: 

Lots of Tap Water Contains ‘Forever Chemicals.’ Take These Steps to Reduce Your Risk. 

What to Know About ‘Forever Chemicals,’ or PFAS, and Your Health 

How ‘Forever Chemicals’ Are All Around Us, From Winter Coats to Fast-Food Wrappers 

EPA Proposes Limits for ‘Forever Chemicals’ in Drinking Water 

Coastal Town Brings Mass Litigation—and an ‘Existential Threat’—to Chemical Giants 

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You may have heard about Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro. It’s tough to miss the online chatter, the ads on TV and all the news coverage. They are part of a class of drugs originally designed to treat diabetes, and all three have been shown to help people lose significant amounts of weight. That’s leading to big sales for drug companies and helping change the way we think about weight loss. WSJ’s Ariana Aspuru digs into how these drugs work, the big money involved and what it means for millions of Americans who meet the criteria for obesity. 

Further reading: 

Pill for Obesity Has Wall Street Salivating 

Will Ozempic Change ‘Body Positivity’ for Good? 

No More Shots: Pill Versions of Ozempic-Like Drugs Are Coming 

The Drugs That Are Gaining on Ozempic 

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For the first time in decades, NASA is planning to send astronauts back to the moon. Their spacesuits will be very different from what Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin wore when they walked the lunar surface in 1969. Spacesuits today are thinner and lighter, while still making sure astronauts can complete tasks and stay alive. In this conversation from the Future of Everything festival in May, WSJ’s Danny Lewis speaks to Amy Ross, one of NASA’s top spacesuit engineers. She explains how the lessons learned from designing next-generation moon suits will eventually help astronauts explore Mars, while leading to other innovations here on Earth.

Further reading:

NASA, Canadian Space Agency Select Astronauts for Artemis Moon Mission 

NASA's New Artemis Spacesuits Are Designed to Put a Woman on the Moon 

NASA Plans to Bring Bits of Mars to Earth. It May Change How We See Space 

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Forecasting hurricanes is an inexact science. That's why they're called forecasts. But government researchers and meteorologists are working to make their predictions better, to help people know when they should evacuate and when it's safe to stay put. And that means using all sorts of new technology, including drones that sail right into the storms. WSJ's Ariana Aspuru visited the National Hurricane Center in Florida to find out how those forecasts come together and see the new models in the works to improve accuracy and save lives.

Further reading: 

The Science for Determining Climate-Change Damage Is Unsettled - WSJ 

Atlantic Hurricane Seasons Are Starting Weeks Earlier, Raising Risks to Coastal Areas - WSJ Tornadoes, Hurricanes and Wildfires Racked Up $165 Billion in Disaster Damage in 2022 - WSJ 

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Some of the world’s biggest aviation companies, including Boeing and Airbus, are working on the next generation of planes. One big goal? Making air travel greener by cutting its carbon footprint. So, they're ditching traditional jet fuel in favor of other options, like hydrogen fuel cells, electricity from batteries, and “sustainable aviation fuels." That could mean major changes in how we fly and how much we pay to get to our destinations. WSJ’s Danny Lewis talks with Boeing, Airbus and others about how this push to change how planes are powered could shape the future of flight.

Further reading: 

The Most Valuable U.S. Power Company Is Making a Huge Bet on Hydrogen 

Electric Planes Could Soon Take Off, but They May Not Go Far 

Fossil-Fuel Veterans Find Next Act With Green Hydrogen 

United Airlines Creates Fund for Sustainable Aviation Fuel 

Airlines Push to Reduce Carbon Footprint With Greener Fuels 

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Imagine getting from your home to the airport and skipping all the traffic on the road in a flying taxi. They once were the domain of science fiction and Saturday morning cartoons, but a growing number of companies are working to make taxis in the sky a reality, and the FAA is coming up with regulations to keep them safe. In this conversation from the Future of Everything festival in May, WSJ’s Alex Ossola speaks to Billy Nolen, the acting FAA administrator, about the business and technology behind air-taxi travel and the challenges facing regulators.

Further reading: 

FAA Plans New Sky Lanes for Air Taxis 

When Will Flying Taxis Get Off the Ground? The CEO of Boeing-Backed Wisk Aero Has Some Ideas. 

United to Invest $15 Million in Flying-Taxi Maker Backed by Embraer 

For eVTOLs to Really Take Off, Airspace Needs an Overhaul. Here’s Why. 

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