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Top Tech 2021

Here are some of the technologies you’ll be reading about this year
Image of colorful circles splitting in two directions.
ComputingTopicTypeFeatureSpecial Reports

Deep Learning at the Speed of Light

Lightmatter bets that optical computing can solve AI’s efficiency problem

4 min read
Illustration of the icons in the report.
AerospaceTopicTypeFeatureSpecial Reports

10 Exciting Engineering Milestones to Look for in 2021

Expect advances in Mars missions, wearable brain scanners, and quantum communications

5 min read
Image of the James Webb Space Telescope.
AerospaceTopicTypeFeatureSpectrum CollectionsSpecial Reports

At Last, First Light for the James Webb Space Telescope Nears

The most ambitious space instrument ever will let us see back almost to the big bang


3 min read
Image of a surveillance camera within a sign.
CareersTopicTypeFeatureSpecial Reports

Peering Into the COVID-19 End Game

The pandemic will amp up contact tracing, cloud computing, surveillance, and online gaming

8 min read
Image of the Blue Origin rover.
AerospaceTopicTypeFeatureSpecial Reports

SpaceX, Blue Origin, and Dynetics Compete to Build the Next Moon Lander

If all goes well, in February NASA will pick which design to develop

7 min read
An artist rendering of Carbon Engineering’s new site in West Texas
Climate TechTopicEnergyTypeFeatureSpecial Reports

Carbon Engineering’s Tech Will Suck Carbon From the Sky

It’s not enough to slash greenhouse gas emissions. Experts say we need direct-air capture of atmospheric carbon

6 min read
Photo of Energy Vault’s concept demonstrator with a city behind it.
EnergyTopicTypeFeatureSpecial Reports

Gravity Energy Storage Will Show Its Potential in 2021

Gravitricity and Energy Vault are pioneering a radical new alternative to batteries for grid storage

5 min read
Illustration of a man with apple icon shining.
Consumer ElectronicsTopicTypeFeatureSpecial Reports

This Is the Year for Apple’s AR Glasses—Maybe

With head-up displays, cameras, inertial sensors, and lidar on board, Apple’s long-expected augmented-reality glasses could be a game-changer


6 min read
Photo illustration of the recycle symbol made up of batteries.
EnergyTopicTypeFeatureSpecial Reports

Lithium-Ion Battery Recycling Finally Takes Off in North America and Europe

Li-Cycle, Northvolt, and Ganfeng Lithium are among those building recycling plants, spurred by environmental and supply-chain concerns

5 min read
Image of Boom's Supersonic XB-1 jet.
AerospaceTopicTypeFeatureSpecial Reports

Boom Supersonic’s XB-1 Test Aircraft Promises a New Era of Faster-Than-Sound Travel

The prototype of a planned, 65-seat airliner will fly in 2021

3 min read
Photo of St. Helena’s capital, Jamestown.
TelecommunicationsTopicTypeFeatureSpecial Reports

St. Helena's New Undersea Cable Will Deliver 18 Gb/s per Person

Satellite operators salivate over access to Google’s Equiano cable, but the island’s telecom monopoly stands in the way

5 min read
Photo of a tractor trailer truck
TransportationTopicTypeFeatureSpecial Reports

This Year, Autonomous Trucks Will Take to the Road With No One on Board

The startup TuSimple is deploying tractor-trailers that drive themselves from pickup to delivery

4 min read
Image of a maze with the Earth at the center and a hypodermic needle at the bottom.
BiomedicalTopicTypeFeatureSpecial Reports

This Is How We’ll Vaccinate the World Against COVID-19

We can manufacture and distribute enough coronavirus vaccines to protect humanity

14 min read
Photo illustration of the crystal ball with a smile on it.
CareersTopicTypeFeatureSpecial Reports

Special Report: Top Tech 2021

After months of blood, toil, tears, and sweat, we can all expect a much better year

1 min read