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July 2021 Issue

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In-depth articles from top experts, Spectrum editors, and contributors

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Insight and analysis on the latest advances in technology

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Spectrum editors and columnists comment on major tech trends

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Articles on DIY projects, engineering careers, and tech history

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July 2021 Issue

Cerebras’ New Monster AI Chip Adds 1.4 Trillion Transistors

Shift to 7-nanometer process boosts the second-generation chip’s transistor count to a mind boggling 2.6-trillion

The Future of Deep Learning Is Photonic

Computing with light could slash the energy needs of neural networks

Engineers: You Can Disrupt Climate Change

Decarbonization, carbon capture, and solar-radiation management will provide work for decades to come

Why the Sapphire Clock Outshines Even the Best Atomic Clocks

Breakthrough oscillator could set the pace for quantum computers

Cryptocurrency Blockchains Don’t Need To Be Energy Intensive

Bitcoin’s proof-of-work protocol is only the first among a range of creative possibilities

A Beginner’s Guide to Topological Materials

The stuff of 2016’s Nobel Prize in Physics could become the logic in future computers and consumer electronics

Drones and Sensors Could Spot Fires Before They Go Wild

Simulations suggest that the approach can achieve early wildfire detection with 99 percent accuracy

If Necessary, Mars Rover Curiosity Could Rip Its Own Wheels Off to Stay Mobile

Curiosity's wheel wear shouldn't be a problem for years, but if things get bad, JPL has a plan to minimize risk with a "wheel shedding" maneuver

Reckoning With Tech Before It Becomes Invisible

Facial recognition, route-finding software, and more have the potential for dire consequences

Why Does the World Harbor So Many Different Voltages, Plugs, and Sockets?

Blame it on the varied evolutionary history of electric power grids and the products that have grown up alongside them

The Triumph of the Electric Motor

A combination of batteries, motors, and smarts is pushing aside internal-combustion engines, large and small

Put the Classic PDP-8 Minicomputer on Your Shelf

This Raspberry Pi–powered replica runs all the original PDP-8 software with enough cycles left to double as a media server

The Inventor of the Black Box Was Told to Drop the Idea and “Get On With Blowing Up Fuel Tanks”

Fortunately, David Warren kept working on his crash-proof flight data recorder

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July 2021 Issue

Shift to 7-nanometer process boosts the second-generation chip’s transistor count to a mind boggling 2.6-trillion

Computing with light could slash the energy needs of neural networks

Decarbonization, carbon capture, and solar-radiation management will provide work for decades to come

Breakthrough oscillator could set the pace for quantum computers

Bitcoin’s proof-of-work protocol is only the first among a range of creative possibilities

The stuff of 2016’s Nobel Prize in Physics could become the logic in future computers and consumer electronics

Simulations suggest that the approach can achieve early wildfire detection with 99 percent accuracy

Curiosity's wheel wear shouldn't be a problem for years, but if things get bad, JPL has a plan to minimize risk with a "wheel shedding" maneuver

Facial recognition, route-finding software, and more have the potential for dire consequences

Blame it on the varied evolutionary history of electric power grids and the products that have grown up alongside them

A combination of batteries, motors, and smarts is pushing aside internal-combustion engines, large and small

This Raspberry Pi–powered replica runs all the original PDP-8 software with enough cycles left to double as a media server

Fortunately, David Warren kept working on his crash-proof flight data recorder

Explore more issues

Download this issue