Critical & Emerging Technologies

In an era of rapidly evolving global threats and dispersed operations, the ability to move heavy equipment and supplies quickly, efficiently, and affordably is more critical than ever. Enter DARPA’s Cost-Efficient Cargo (CEC) program—an ambitious initiative aimed at reinventing military logistics through the development of modern, high-capacity airships capable of …

For decades, the study of viruses has been like searching for stars with a telescope that only recognizes familiar constellations. Researchers could detect viruses that resembled known ones—those with genetic sequences already cataloged—but this left an entire universe of unknown viruses, often referred to as the “viral dark matter,” hidden …

In the world of microelectronics, efficiency is everything. From data centers and electric grids to radar systems and electric vehicles, the quest for smaller, faster, and more power-efficient devices has driven decades of innovation. Yet silicon—the workhorse of the semiconductor industry—is reaching its physical and performance limits. To break through …

The modern military runs on logistics. For every meal, spare part, and bullet delivered to the front lines, a hidden cost follows in the form of waste. Mountains of plastic packaging, empty water bottles, and food containers pile up, creating not just an environmental problem but also a logistical and …

  In the blink of an eye, a high-velocity impact occurs. A bullet strikes armor, a micrometeoroid pummels a spacecraft, a football player suffers a helmet-to-helmet collision, or a hypersonic vehicle slices through the atmosphere at Mach 7. These events unfold in milliseconds, yet the hidden force radiating through the …

In today’s battlespace, power is as critical as firepower. From portable radios and drones to electric vehicles and directed energy weapons, modern militaries depend on reliable energy storage to gain and sustain a tactical edge. The humble battery, once an afterthought, has become a strategic enabler. Among the competing chemistries, …

Introduction The aviation industry is at a crossroads. Long criticized for its environmental footprint, it now finds itself in the middle of a technological revolution aimed at achieving cleaner skies and more efficient travel. Hybrid-electric propulsion has emerged as one of the most promising solutions, blending traditional engines with electric …

While traditional lasers operate on the principle of light amplification (photons), sound lasers work similarly but with sound waves (phonons) instead. Phonons are the quantized units of vibrational energy that move through matter, and sound lasers use these vibrations to create a coherent, focused beam of sound. This process mimics …