Astronauts describe the sight of Earth from orbit — the overview effect — as life-altering. Can we recreate this experience on the ground? — It was my first space walk. I held onto the edge of the International Space Station and looked down at the Earth below me. It was breathtaking and beautiful. I felt an overwhelming sense of connection, and I began to cry. This wasn’t a real trip to space — my…

How a robot’s eyes are developed could provide a shortcut around the uncanny valley — Marty works at a grocery store and has a very specialized job scanning the aisles for spills and hazards. He’s one of 500 Martys at Stop and Shop and Giant Food stores across the U.S., a fleet of robot assistants that prompt questions from curious customers: Does each robot really…

The policy aimed to protect children, but critics say the flawed project presented serious privacy risks — When today’s politicians were at school, they may well have discovered pornography through a ragged magazine passed around the back of the class, or an illicit VHS tape at their friend’s house. Today, the scale, diversity, and immediacy of the porn available online makes those kind of formative encounters seem…

VR experiences make some people — especially women — feel nauseous and ill. Here’s how the industry is trying to fix that. — I was just settling in to a feeling of invincibility, gliding through fluffy clouds wearing a colorful wingsuit. But it didn’t last long. A little over a minute later the nausea began, my head started to sweat and throb, and I panicked as my virtual reality headset steamed up.

Touch adds intimacy to VR experiences — but how do we make it safe for everyone? — I was in the living room of my childhood home, watching my mother as she stared out of the window, reeling from the news of her diagnosis. I could feel the carpet soft under my toes, and hear music in the background. …