iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Revoy’s electric dollies can attach to semitrucks, turning them into #hybrid vehicles without modifying the engine. A 36-ton truck can run 320 to 400 kilometers on electric power. buff.ly/Ai5xSUn

062

IEEE Spectrum @spectrum.ieee.org · 4h

The #NobelPrize for Medicine just went to the pioneers of optogenetics, a technique that lets scientists control neurons with light! Revisit our 2016 feature on the tiny wireless implants that brought this remarkable capability to freely moving lab mice: buff.ly/miuDBxC

065

IEEE Spectrum @spectrum.ieee.org · 9h

From Silicon Valley joyrides in the tZero to celebrity deposits on the Roadster, #Tesla’s early years expose how hard it is to turn mind-bending performance into a manufacturable, safe, and scalable product. buff.ly/CQBhoWj

010

IEEE Spectrum @spectrum.ieee.org · 04/10/2026

Figure promises a slim, practical, fully electric, general-purpose humanoid robot with 5 hours of battery life. With members from Boston Dynamics, Waymo, Google, and the Florida Institute for Human and Machine Cognition, they say their team has the experience to deliver. buff.ly/atyUVsV

150

IEEE Spectrum @spectrum.ieee.org · 03/10/2026

As #AI inference eclipses training, hardware teams are rethinking memory hierarchies. Raptor’s 3D stacks, Majestic’s 128 TB racks, and wafer-scale SRAM engines are all competing to own the decode phase. buff.ly/TTyfiU3

054

IEEE Spectrum @spectrum.ieee.org · 02/10/2026

By folding #DNA into specific patterns, researchers may be able to create new solutions for drug delivery and immunotherapy. A new #AI tool allows scientists and engineers to design DNA layouts that can fold into any shape they want. buff.ly/g2uxR4f

033

IEEE Spectrum @spectrum.ieee.org · 02/10/2026

#OpenAI’s new chip, Jalapeño, was designed in under 20 months, using LLMs to speed up the chip design process. And they say that could get even faster. buff.ly/bnKXH5p

081

IEEE Spectrum @spectrum.ieee.org · 02/10/2026

People are expressing their desire for #privacy with adversarial clothing designed to fool computer vision systems. It might not work against all surveillance methods, but wearing the clothing sends a direct message. buff.ly/ZwGqdaj

0195

IEEE Spectrum @spectrum.ieee.org · 01/10/2026

What would actually happen if you let an #AIagent run a business? Andon Labs is finding out by giving agents control over real businesses and seeing what happens. Real-world experiments are revealing failure modes impossible to find in simulations. buff.ly/AWiyGUY

131

IEEE Spectrum @spectrum.ieee.org · 01/10/2026

Over 50 companies are working to make commercial carbon-free #fusion energy. Terra Fusion is attempting to do it with magnetic mirrors, which are cheaper to build and easier to maintain than other fusion options. buff.ly/KazAclP

191

IEEE Spectrum @spectrum.ieee.org · 30/09/2026

The U.S. federal government is making it harder for students and highly skilled workers to get visas, forcing U.S. tech companies to hire workers abroad. University programs are struggling, too, and are projected to lose hundreds of millions to billions of dollars per year. buff.ly/8i9BAVR

093

IEEE Spectrum @spectrum.ieee.org · 30/09/2026

New datasets are becoming available to train #robots to have a sense of touch via tactile feedback. Explore the #data: buff.ly/tnD2YoW

010

IEEE Spectrum @spectrum.ieee.org · 29/09/2026

For the first time, the ocean’s thermal layers will be generating electricity. In the Lakshadweep Archipelago off the coast of India, this project aims to generate 65 kilowatts of electricity and produce 100,000 liters of potable water per day. buff.ly/3NAmxcv

052

IEEE Spectrum @spectrum.ieee.org · 28/09/2026

A group of #space tech aficionados wants to send humanity’s first mission to another star: Alpha Centauri. The Fermi Explorer could launch as soon as 2029, but would take 80,000 years to reach its destination. buff.ly/yvGnWmp

151

IEEE Spectrum @spectrum.ieee.org · 27/09/2026

Amid #AI chatbots that can increasingly create emotional bonds with users, #China has moved to create more regulation on the kinds of AI chatbots that are allowed. This new regulation led to an outpouring of heartbreak on social media. buff.ly/6sEUbyL

021

IEEE Spectrum @spectrum.ieee.org · 26/09/2026

Anthropic, Google, and OpenAI have all announced their intentions to start watermarking #AI-generated text. But will this change the meaning or quality of the output writing? buff.ly/n7UPbZi

043

IEEE Spectrum @spectrum.ieee.org · 25/09/2026

President Trump recently signed executive orders on the development of the #quantum computing industry, including mandates to develop a scientifically relevant quantum computer by 2028. Is this even achievable? buff.ly/O6yFsAC

341

IEEE Spectrum @spectrum.ieee.org · 25/09/2026

Google #DeepMind's AI just mapped 9 billion possible DNA variants in an online repository of pre-computed predictions made using the #AlphaGenome model. buff.ly/APIhcOD

032

IEEE Spectrum @spectrum.ieee.org · 24/09/2026

Rivian’s gambit is simple: build its own autonomous driving, prove it in #robotaxis. buff.ly/ILEVdWz

053

IEEE Spectrum @spectrum.ieee.org · 24/09/2026

With so much code written by #AI, companies are changing how code review is done. Engineers are scrutinizing plans before AI begins coding, deploying specialized AI agents to catch common flaws, and requiring developers to defend the code their agents produce. buff.ly/5OUqnqZ

0102

IEEE Spectrum @spectrum.ieee.org · 23/09/2026

Humans, for good reason, don't trust machines to do a better job than them. But there is a growing body of scientific research saying that #autonomous driving is safer than human-driven vehicles: buff.ly/UhAGevW

011

IEEE Spectrum @spectrum.ieee.org · 23/09/2026

Aletta is the first autonomous blood-draw device authorized for use in the United States. It can find a vein and draw blood without a human operator. buff.ly/kivlaG6

041

IEEE Spectrum @spectrum.ieee.org · 22/09/2026

Stephen Roddy works on displaying #data as sound. This can help translate information when you can’t look at it or can’t use traditional graphic models. buff.ly/ga4OWAi

196

IEEE Spectrum @spectrum.ieee.org · 22/09/2026

Trapped under rubber after a rockslide? Fear not! Cyborg paramedic cockroaches may be on their way to save you. buff.ly/BPwS4mG

000

IEEE Spectrum @spectrum.ieee.org · 21/09/2026

What better device to explore the darkest craters of the #Moon than a giant robotic ball that can shoot rockets? RoboBall is 340 pounds and drives around by moving a pendulum within its shell. buff.ly/VcR7ZeI

2103

IEEE Spectrum @spectrum.ieee.org · 21/09/2026

Two startups are searching for a new generation of #superconductors that could work at 10 to 20 degrees Kelvin. They are using machine learning algorithms to speed up their discovery process. buff.ly/LUToQOB

061

IEEE Spectrum @spectrum.ieee.org · 20/09/2026

Training a workforce that relies too heavily on #AI can cause humans to lose valuable skills and insight. Systems engineer Richard Mitchell argues for “manual gates” in processes, where humans are forced to take control to preserve skills that might otherwise decay. buff.ly/cAW93oY

041

IEEE Spectrum @spectrum.ieee.org · 19/09/2026

Conventional #quantum teleportation sends quantum states one at a time. Researchers in China have developed a way to expand the bandwidth of quantum networks to 100 channels. buff.ly/FLn5zMF

150

IEEE Spectrum @spectrum.ieee.org · 18/09/2026

Walking #robots are everywhere now… But 30 years ago, they were brand new. The first-ever robot that could walk by itself was the Honda P2. Where do you think robots will go in the next 30 years? buff.ly/2S2VZj0

361

IEEE Spectrum @spectrum.ieee.org · 18/09/2026

When solar power projects fail, community opposition is increasingly the reason, according to a new survey across Germany, Italy, Spain, and the US: buff.ly/VEk3pHZ. 57% cited community opposition as a cause of failure. Sardinia's situation, in particular, is fascinating. buff.ly/2Rmatzo

230

IEEE Spectrum @spectrum.ieee.org · 18/09/2026

The Department of Energy #DoE just launched a competition for $215 million to make good on Trump's goal of a "scientifically relevant" #quantum computer by 2028. Is it realistic? Read what the experts said earlier this year: buff.ly/BaULCaR

150

IEEE Spectrum @spectrum.ieee.org · 16/09/2026

Do you have a small #server rack in your basement or garage? You can now rent it out for #AI inference and earn some passive income. For security, both the server host and the AI training company get the minimum access possible to accomplish what they need to do. spectrum.ieee.org/ai-inference...

161

IEEE Spectrum @spectrum.ieee.org · 16/09/2026

The first #battery started as a physics feud over a twitching frog leg. spectrum.ieee.org/voltaic-pile...

030

IEEE Spectrum @spectrum.ieee.org · 15/09/2026

A new motion-sensing system is easily incorporated on top of a person’s clothing, requires very little power, and has over 99 percent accuracy. It uses 0.318 milliwatts of power, which can be provided by a single battery. spectrum.ieee.org/wearable-mot...

061

IEEE Spectrum @spectrum.ieee.org · 15/09/2026

Spain has extended the lifetime of two #nuclear power plants for three additional years. Multiple factors make it difficult for European governments to phase out nuclear power on previously promised schedules. spectrum.ieee.org/spain-nuclea...

250

IEEE Spectrum @spectrum.ieee.org · 15/09/2026

Stephen Cass acquired a sample of Trinitite from the first atomic bomb test. But how can he know that it's legitimate? Introducing the pocket gamma ray spectrometer! Build your own: buff.ly/BQqz0wC

170

IEEE Spectrum @spectrum.ieee.org · 14/09/2026

According to a recent report, the CHIPS Act is making progress on its manufacturing goals, but lags in R&D. Only 5 percent of the research funds have been allocated so far. spectrum.ieee.org/chips-act-im...

060

IEEE Spectrum @spectrum.ieee.org · 14/09/2026

This #DIY Scanwheel project uses a Nipkow drum, RP2040 PIO, and a parameterized OpenSCAD design to make a pocketable 4,096×20-pixel display that can stream video from your computer. spectrum.ieee.org/mechanical-t...

031

IEEE Spectrum @spectrum.ieee.org · 13/09/2026

Cargo ships that run on green #methanol are now running in the oceans. A new wave of startups is exploring new ways of creating the low-carbon methanol needed for shipping. spectrum.ieee.org/methanol-fue...

090

IEEE Spectrum @spectrum.ieee.org · 12/09/2026

The world’s erbium, used in fibre-optic cable amplifiers, and yttrium, used in thermal coatings for jet engine blades, are almost entirely provided by #China. But geopolitics is putting this supply at risk, destabilizing industries. spectrum.ieee.org/rare-earth-s...

081

IEEE Spectrum @spectrum.ieee.org · 11/09/2026

You may have heard of the Bombe, used to break the Enigma code during World War II. But there was an even tougher code that needed a much more sophisticated machine to break: Colossus. It was built by a telephone engineer using his own money. Here’s the story. buff.ly/n2IP3Yh

1143

IEEE Spectrum @spectrum.ieee.org · 11/09/2026

The Silico platform interprets the behavior of #AI, instead of treating it like a black box. Working with a medical AI company, it found that the AI was using DNA fragment-length patterns for prediction, an indicator humans hadn’t been looking at. spectrum.ieee.org/silico-ai-in...

010

IEEE Spectrum @spectrum.ieee.org · 10/09/2026

#NASA’s synchronal bimodal nuclear rocket design combines high-thrust nuclear thermal propulsion with continuous nuclear electric power, opening the door to sustained, high-agility deep-space missions. Crewed Mars missions can move faster and stay powered for years. spectrum.ieee.org/bimodal-nucl...

1111

IEEE Spectrum @spectrum.ieee.org · 10/09/2026

Seismic sensors used for #earthquake detection can give information about a #hurricane’s boundary layer, the hardest area to study. spectrum.ieee.org/earthquake-s...

011

IEEE Spectrum @spectrum.ieee.org · 10/09/2026

A new #NSF-funded pilot program is here to connect academia to industry, integrating experience into Ph.D. programs. Students will complete at least one year of their doctoral studies at an industry site. spectrum.ieee.org/nsf-iphd-phd...

030

IEEE Spectrum @spectrum.ieee.org · 08/09/2026

From #OpenAI's solution to the Navier-Stokes Millennium Prize Problem to #Anthropic's proof of Fermat's Last Theorem, it's clear #AI is changing how mathematics is done. How will mathematicians adapt? spectrum.ieee.org/ai-in-mathem... #ai #math #openai #tech #ainews

264

IEEE Spectrum @spectrum.ieee.org · 03/09/2026

Harvest never had a true successor. But its ideas resurfaced anyway: in automated tape robots, in streaming architectures, in hardware that inspects network traffic. How much of today's "cutting-edge" tech is, in part, a repurposed discovery? (8/8) spectrum.ieee.org/cold-war-cod...

040

IEEE Spectrum @spectrum.ieee.org · 03/09/2026

In 1962, the NSA had a computer so secret the world didn't even know it existed. It was called Harvest, and for 14 years it processed America's most sensitive intercepts—faster, in its time, than any machine on Earth. 🧵 (1/8) spectrum.ieee.org/cold-war-cod...

1154

IEEE Spectrum @spectrum.ieee.org · 03/09/2026

Someday you might be able to tell your car, “I’m late. Drive faster,” and have it listen. Engineers have created a system that uses natural language inputs to adjust parameters of #self-driving cars, while ensuring the vehicle is still within safe limits. spectrum.ieee.org/autonomous-v...

020

IEEE Spectrum @spectrum.ieee.org · 02/09/2026

In an #AI-driven “chaos period” where 39% of workers’ core skills are expected to change by 2030, adaptable engineers are those who see the need to change, evaluate their options, and make choices, instead of going with the flow. spectrum.ieee.org/adaptable-en...

020