WSJ’s The Future of Everything The Wall Street Journal

Some of the world’s biggest aviation companies, including Boeing and Airbus, are working on the next generation of planes. One big goal? Making air travel greener by cutting its carbon footprint. So, they're ditching traditional jet fuel in favor of other options, like hydrogen fuel cells, electricity from batteries, and “sustainable aviation fuels." That could mean major changes in how we fly and how much we pay to get to our destinations. WSJ’s Danny Lewis talks with Boeing, Airbus and others about how this push to change how planes are powered could shape the future of flight.



Further reading: 

The Most Valuable U.S. Power Company Is Making a Huge Bet on Hydrogen 

Electric Planes Could Soon Take Off, but They May Not Go Far 

Fossil-Fuel Veterans Find Next Act With Green Hydrogen 

United Airlines Creates Fund for Sustainable Aviation Fuel 

Airlines Push to Reduce Carbon Footprint With Greener Fuels 

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Imagine getting from your home to the airport and skipping all the traffic on the road in a flying taxi. They once were the domain of science fiction and Saturday morning cartoons, but a growing number of companies are working to make taxis in the sky a reality, and the FAA is coming up with regulations to keep them safe. In this conversation from the Future of Everything festival in May, WSJ’s Alex Ossola speaks to Billy Nolen, the acting FAA administrator, about the business and technology behind air-taxi travel and the challenges facing regulators.



Further reading: 

FAA Plans New Sky Lanes for Air Taxis 

When Will Flying Taxis Get Off the Ground? The CEO of Boeing-Backed Wisk Aero Has Some Ideas. 

United to Invest $15 Million in Flying-Taxi Maker Backed by Embraer 

For eVTOLs to Really Take Off, Airspace Needs an Overhaul. Here’s Why. 

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NASA’s Perseverance rover is currently collecting samples on the surface of Mars, and some of them will be coming to Earth—that is, if all goes well. NASA has a complex plan to bring bits of the Red Planet here, arriving in 2033, so scientists can study them to answer some burning questions. What’s the planet’s history? What is its dust like? And, are there any signs that life may have existed there? WSJ’s Alex Ossola speaks to Lindsay Hays, an astrobiologist at NASA and deputy lead scientist for the Mars Sample Return mission, about how this mission could help us better understand the history of our own planet and shape future missions to Mars and beyond.



Further reading: 

NASA Lands Perseverance Rover Safely on Mars After ‘Seven Minutes of Terror’ 

NASA Collects Mars Rock Samples in Historic First for Perseverance Rover 

NASA’s Perseverance Rover Begins Its Search for Life on Mars 

Mars Photos: See NASA’s Perseverance Rover’s First Visions of Red Planet  

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At the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, epidemiologists looked to our sewers to help figure out the scale of the virus’ spread. It worked, giving some public health officials a heads-up before Covid surges. Now, researchers are taking the lessons from that pandemic, and working to put the wastewater from bathing, toilets, laundry machines and dishwashers to use in monitoring the spread of other diseases. WSJ’s Danny Lewis speaks with environmental microbiologist, engineer and epidemiologist Marlene Wolfe about why it’s so important to look at wastewater if we want to stop the next pandemic. 



Further reading: 

For Future Viral Threats, Health Officials Look to Sewage - WSJ 

From the Sewers, Clues to Covid-19’s Next Moves - WSJ 

CDC Will Test Sewage for Polio in Some U.S. Communities - WSJ 



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Severe droughts in the American South and West are raising new questions about how to ensure millions of people have access to clean, safe water. That’s why several local water systems, including one that provides water to 19 million people in Southern California, are looking to a method of water recycling that brings treated wastewater back into the system. It’s called “direct potable reuse,” but many people have dubbed it “toilet to tap.” Can it succeed despite the ick factor? WSJ’s Alex Ossola visited Los Angeles to find out just how it would work, and how the public is reacting.

Further reading: 

California Could Face Cuts to Colorado River Usage Under Federal Proposal 

California Governor Lifts Most Drought Restrictions on Water Use 

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Our sense of smell is deeply linked to our emotions, due to the connections between the tissue structures that identify odors and the parts of the brain that govern our memories and feelings. But what if those smells are linked to traumatic memories? Researchers are finding success using a combination of artificial scents and virtual reality to treat people with severe cases of trauma. WSJ’s Danny Lewis examines how new innovations could make this therapy more accessible.



Further reading: 

High-Tech Smell Sensors Aim to Sniff Out Disease, Explosives—and Even Moods - WSJ 

The Metaverse’s Effects on Mental Health: Trivial or Troubling? - WSJ 

The New Halloween Scare: ‘Oh, My God, That Smell Was Gross.’ - WSJ 

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