space

What does today’s sci-fi mean for our real-life future? Cyberpunk author Neal Stephenson argues that it’s time to get over our love of dystopia. A class at MIT searches sci-fi classics for technologies they can invent right now, although maybe they shouldn’t. Geoengineers take a tip from Carl Sagan — who saw a green future […]

Scientists have been trying for a long time to piece together a question: When did traits of modern humans—like complex thinking and behaviors—first develop? Anthropologists have uncovered tools in Kenya that date to 280,000 years ago that contained non-local materials, indicating that early humans developed social networks and advanced technology tens of thousands of years earlier than […]

While Europe was in the Dark Ages, scientific discovery was blooming in the Islamic world. Now, centuries later, some Muslim countries are making new investments in space exploration.

Currently, the International Space Station is the only destination for astronauts traveling into lower-earth orbit. It’s also the only way for scientists to conduct experiments in microgravity. After two decades, it’s still proving to be incredibly useful to researchers. But time is running out. President Trump has indicated he wants to defund the station as scheduled […]

Jan. 31, 2018: On Tuesday, President Trump delivered his first State of the Union Address to a joint session of Congress and to the nation. The Takeaway explores what communities large and small are looking for from the Trump Administration. Plus, a look at what’s next for Puerto Rico as FEMA cuts aid; the escalating crisis in Yemen; why the White House is reversing on Russian sanctions; what Watergate can teach us about today’s political climate; and everything you need to know about today’s lunar lunacy. 

July 25, 2017: Several states have been pushing back against the Trump Administration’s voter fraud initiative. But Vanita Gupta, who was head of the civil rights division at the Department of Justice under President Obama, says that a voter purge may be coming. She explains today on The Takeaway. Plus, we examine the growing feud between President Trump and Attorney General Sessions, we take a look at tensions between Israel and Jordan, the future of the MLB, and the economic realities of space exploration. 

May 31, 2017: NASA is on a mission to fly directly into our sun’s atmosphere. We explore this historic announcement, plus a look at U.S.-European relations in the Trump era, an attack in Afghanistan, an Army milestone, and a challenge to science education. 

January 03, 2017:

1. The Top Risks Facing the World in 2017 (11 min)

2. House GOP Starts 2017 with Ethics Stumble (7 min)

3. Chicago’s Gun Violence Has an Outsized Impact on Kids (11 min)

4. Brazilian Prison Riot One of the Deadliest in History (4 min)

5. 2017: The Dawn of The Next Space Race (8 min)

August 25, 2016:

1. An Attack on Progress at American University in Afghanistan? (5 min)

2. Will the U.S. Turn its Back on Afghan Translators? (7 min)

3. ISIS Draws New Attention to Child Soldiers (7 min)

4. The Earth Next Door: What You Need to Know About Proxima B (4 min)

5. Zika Fight: GMO Mosquitoes Spark Calls for Referendum in Florida (7 min)

6. Liquor Bans: The Solution to Alcohol Problems on Campus? (7 min)

May 12. 2016: 

1. In Africa, a Celebration of Growth and Entrepreneurship (11 min)

2. Brazilian Senate Moves to Impeach President Dilma Rousseff (4 min)

3. Hillary Clinton Promises to Share Government Info on U.F.O.s (4 min)

4. Gaming App Helps Researchers Fight Dementia (7 min)

5. Inside a Massive Database of Dreams (7 min)