If you’re a parent or a teacher, you’ve probably wondered how to balance play and safety for the kids in your care. You don’t want to put children in danger, but you also don’t want to rob them of the joy of exploration. This week, we talk with psychologist Peter Gray about how this balance has changed — for parents and children alike — and what we can do about it.

Digital tools are pulling us away from fixed texts and back toward fluid, interactive communication.

University leaders rethink campus infrastructure, smart technology and hybrid work models to remove pain points and create a seamless digital experience

A new Wharton study finds that too few women are working with emerging tech, and that exclusion is driving a growing divide in pay.

The Thanksgivings of yore featured overcooked turkeys and Jell-O salad. Surely we’ve evolved.

The democratic party is falling behind while Trump accelerates technology innovation. Related: The surprising issue driving a wedge between Trump and his MAGA base

‘I’m the least retired person in the world,’ Amazon founder says

Why did Grok say he’s better than Jesus?

Engagement with technology, far from contributing to “brain rot,” may offer cognitive benefits to older adults.

Government-spec’d glory projects produce tech demos. Enduring progress demands a better way forward. Counterpoints KEY TAKEAWAYS OF FIRST LINK ABOVE: In this op-ed, Blake Scholl, CEO of Boom Supersonic, argues that government-led “glory projects” ultimately hurt the aerospace industry they were meant to advance. He writes that both the Apollo and Concorde programs chased prestige over practicality, producing technological marvels with no sustainable path forward. Scholl belie

Before we can build the future, we have to imagine it. KEY TAKEAWAYS In this op-ed, Beatrice Erkers argues that progress begins with culture: the stories, symbols, and shared visions that make certain futures feel worth building. She explores how cultural forces like memes and movies act as “invisible infrastructure,” shaping technology, policy, and ambition long before they materialize in the real world. According to Erkers, we must deliberately invest in a culture of hope —

New special issue “The Engine of Progress” is out now.

Hated by some in the U.S., the warplane has tilted the balance in the Middle East Quick Summary Israel’s military advantage, largely due to its F-35 fleet, is threatened by a potential US sale of F-35s to Saudi Arabia. Israeli officials fear F-35 sales to Saudi Arabia could lead to sales to other nations like Turkey, eroding Israel’s air superiority. Israel acquired 25 more F-35s in June 2024, bringing its total to 75, and seeks advanced US technology to maintain its military

New devices navigate without satellites or risk of enemy jamming signals Quick Summary Scientists are exploring the use of quantum sensors as a secure alternative to GPS with military and civilian applications. A recent test involved a device that shines lasers at atoms that behave like compass needles. GPS signal jamming and spoofing has become commonplace, leading scientists to explore the quantum properties of atoms to aid navigation in contested environments.

Across a number of key benchmarks, the new model received top scores. Related

Now in its third year, a survey on the use of AI in business paints a clear picture about how far the technology has come in a short time, and where it’s headed.

From chatbots to agents

Called Project Prometheus, the company is focusing on artificial intelligence for the engineering and manufacturing of computers, automobiles and spacecraft.

The danger of stablecoins lies in the ways they are meant to be safe.

The General Atomics linkup is a first for the Air Force’s collaborative combat aircraft effort.