Articles: Technology
I've written about technologies as diverse as robotics, exotic plastics called artificial muscle, and synthetic biology. Behind every technology lie epiphanies, discoveries, and a lot of hard work. In other words, there’s a human story, and that’s the story I seek.
Will Artificial Muscle Make You Stronger?, Popular Science
An arm-wrestling match between a 17-year-old girl and a robot showcases new materials that could power machines—and someday even human limbs and organs. (Reprinted in Best of Technology Writing 2006; Winner, Best Print Feature, Society of Professional Journalists, Indiana Professional Chapter.)
The Man Who Mistook His Girlfriend for a Robot, Popular Science
When David Hanson set out to build a robotic head, he saw no reason not to make it look just like a human. Then he stumbled into the Uncanny Valley. (Winner, American Society of Journalist and Authors’ Outstanding Article Award for magazine profile writing.)
Something Funny Down on the Pharm, Popular Science
The battle over genetically modified food is over: Supercrops won.
Now crops designed to yield drugs and vaccines have come close to slipping into our food supply. No one knows if they're safe, and everyone involved seems to have something to hide.
Creating a Smart Arm, Popular Science
Todd Kuiken has given one patient the world's first mind-controlled robotic limb.
Soldiers of Fortune?, Popular Science
Innovations in battlefield medicine are ensuring that more
combatants survive. Often, the technology follows them home.
The New Science of Cell Hacking, Popular Science
Programming bacteria like computers, scientists tap an unexpected labor force.