Portland, Maine’s Plan to Become a Technology Town

Private equity firm co-founder David Roux’s donation of $100 million will help to translate Portland, Maine’s commitment to technology—and its ability to accelerate economic growth—into research and graduate programs under the Roux Institute banner. Northeastern University will manage the programs, and attendees can earn masters and doctorates in AI and machine learning. While Portland isn’t struggling economically (its unemployment rate is 2.2%), city officials and economists fear …

Our Cosmos is a Spacecraft Graveyard

While it’s common to think of the universe as dark, mysterious and infinite, it’s less often that we consider all the human-made space junk floating around nearby. The cosmos is a graveyard of spacecraft—each with its own story. These defunct vessels “glide silently in Earth’s vicinity” with “their mission to chronicle the wonders of the universe long ended.” The Kepler, for instance, trails our planet since running …

Inside Cruise’s Fully Autonomous Vehicle

With similar measurements as most SUVs, a new vehicle by Cruise (a subsidiary of GM) requires passengers to forfeit all control of the car. Without a steering wheel or pedals, the interior design references subway cars, rather than buses or vans. Officially named Origin, the first model is most obviously different from competitors’ autonomous rides in the absence of the option to take control should …