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Special Reports
The Transistor at 75
The past, present, and future of the modern world’s most important invention
The Great AI Reckoning
Deep learning has built a brave new world—but now the cracks are showing
The Next Pandemic
COVID-19 has galvanized tech communities. The tens of billions we’re spending on vaccines, antivirals, tests, robots, and devices are transforming how we’ll respond to future outbreaks of infectious disease.
Chip Hall of Fame
The stories of the greatest and most influential microchips in history—and the people who built them
Project Moon Base
Humans are preparing to build the first permanent settlement in space
East Africa’s Big Bet On Drones
IEEE Spectrum traveled across East Africa to capture new perspectives on the growing drone industry
Blueprints for a Miracle
Can technology slow emissions of greenhouse gases enough to halt climate change? IEEE Spectrum reporters fanned out across the globe to find out
Puerto Rico After the Storm
Electricity may be fully restored—but the hard work of hurricane-proofing the grid remains
Blockchain World
When Bitcoin was unleashed on the world, it filled a specific need. But it wasn’t long before people realized the technology behind Bitcoin—the blockchain—could do much more than record monetary transactions.
Can We Copy the Brain?
Intensive efforts to re-create human cognition will transform the way we work, learn, and play
The Full Cost of Electricity
A project to identify and quantify the full-system cost of electric power generation and delivery—from the power plant to the wall socket
Trusting Robots
Robots will soon have the power of life and death over human beings. Are they ready? Are we?
Hacking the Human OS
Medicine has always sought to understand the human body’s operating system. Now, with biometric sensors and big data analytics, we’re learning how to fix the bugs.
50 Years of Moore’s Law
The glorious history and inevitable decline of one of technology’s greatest winning streaks
Engineering Heroes
Turns out, there are plenty of extraordinary engineers. You just need to look for them.
The Future We Deserve
Bright scenarios for eight of today’s hottest technologies. Plus: What could possibly go wrong?
The Self-Driving Car
All the tech tricks and politics that will make driverless cars common place
The Highs and Hazards of Bitcoin
Bitcoin has gone from being an experiment in anarchy to becoming a billion dollar online currency
The STEM Crisis Is a Myth
There is indeed a STEM crisis—just not the one everyone’s been talking about
The Age of Plenty
Smart technology and better management policies will let us feed the hungry hordes to midcentury and beyond
The Genetic Revolution
Exploring the achievements that are ushering in the era of personalized genetic medicine
Fastest on Earth
To explore what’s fastest on earth we’ve roamed the globe to check out speedy things on wheels, tracks, legs or wings, and in the water
The Future of Money
The last days of cash: How e-money technology is plugging us into the digital economy
Fukushima and the Future of Nuclear Power
What really happened at Fukushima, and what it means for nuclear power
Robots for Real
Meet some of the world’s most creative minds in robotics to find out how their robots will transform our lives—for real
Water vs. Energy
Our thirst for water competes with our hunger for energy. Only radical new ideas will get us out of this mess.
Why Mars? Why Now?
It’s been 40 years since Apollo astronauts took humanity’s first baby step into the cosmos. Now it’s time to take the next one.
25 Microchips That Shook the World
A list of some of the most innovative, intriguing, and inspiring integrated circuits
China’s Tech Revolution
How technology is driving the country’s economic boom and what that means for the World
A How-To Manual for the Megacity
Urban living has its advantages, but the challenges are formidable. Here’s a how-to manual of technology solutions.
Life in 2030
Humanoid robots, self-driving cars, smart wearables—are they the stuff of science fiction? Or are they more likely than we think?
What's Wrong With Weapons Acquisitions?
IEEE Spectrum contributing editor Robert N. Charette examines the root causes of the current crisis in weapons acquisitions
Software Failure
As organizations waste tens of billions of dollars annually on failed software projects, the key to consistently creating large, reliable, and efficient IT systems remains elusive
