The Fourth Industrial Revolution represents a fundamental change in the way we live, work and relate to one another. It is a new chapter in human development, enabled by extraordinary technology advances commensurate with those of the first, second and third industrial revolutions. These advances are merging the physical, digital and biological worlds in ways that create both huge promise and potential peril. The speed, breadth and depth of this revolution is forcing us to rethink how countries develop, how organisations create value and even what it means to be human. The Fourth Industrial Revolution is about more than just technology-driven change; it is an opportunity to help everyone, including leaders, policy-makers and people from all income groups and nations, to harness converging technologies in order to create an inclusive, human-centred future. The real opportunity is to look beyond technology, and find ways to give the greatest number of people the ability to positively impact their families, organisations and communities.
How scientists solved the riddle of cement’s structure
The findings may guide the development of formulas to make cement more durable and less CO2-intensive.
How to predict an election. Clue: don’t use Twitter
A new study has looked at Twitter's ability to predict election results.
How satellites can help control the spread of disease
Satellites can help us monitor factors contributing to the spread of disease and tackle outbreaks more effectively.
How does sensory information translate into behaviour?
A new state-of-the-art microscope is helping scientists examine neural activity.
How do we ensure everyone benefits from technology?
While the Fourth Industrial Revolution is the next big thing, we still need to spread the benefits of the preceding three, writes Bhaskar Chakravorti.
Where will robots take over the most jobs?
A recent report highlights how increased automation could lead to greater inequality.
Signs of life found in mantle rock from Lost City
Scientists have found traces of life in core samples taken from the seabed near the famous Lost City hydrothermal field.
In the digital era, how much information is too much?
Jonathan Hakim asks how much information consumption is enough?
How much do you know about gravity?
With the discovery of gravitational waves, here's a look back on how our grasp of gravity has evolved over the centuries.
Are your social media habits affecting your sleep?
Young adults who spend a lot of time on social media often get less sleep than their peers, a study finds.
A new way to calculate the universe's biggest structures
New research reveals that galaxy clusters are much more complicated than we thought.
Behind the scenes at the observatory that detected gravitational waves
The story behind LIGO (Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory) and the hunt for gravitational waves.