Why MIT Technology Review Is Embracing Impossible Ideas

Throughout my more than 20-year career as a science and technology journalist, my brain has been in a near-constant tug-of-war between ambition and reality. Learning to find that balance has helped me survive in this industry and ultimately brought me here. This spring, I had the great honor of joining the extraordinary team at MIT Technology Review to take the reins of its print magazine.

If you’ve been following along over the past few issues, you may have noticed some changes beginning to take shape. We’ve brought back a regular roster of lists and infographics—two formats the magazine does particularly well. But the biggest changes are only just beginning. That’s why editor-in-chief Matt Honan asked me to introduce myself and the ideas behind this issue.

Making room for bold ideas

We’re giving ourselves permission to play and experiment. It’s a bit… bold.

Even though I’m realistic, I still have plenty of ideas. Every now and then, I just need a reminder to stop getting in my own way and do what needs to be done. That spirit drives this issue in particular.

Exploring impossible ideas in science and technology

We wanted to end 2026 with a series of stories examining impossible ideas. Why? Because dreaming about living on the moon or uploading your brain is, frankly, a lot of fun.

It’s easy to lose sight of your ambitions when you’re constantly playing whack-a-mole with the world’s problems. But scientists and engineers who refuse to give up on even the most daring endeavors—such as producing artificial blood or deciphering animal sounds—remind us what technology is meant to do in the first place.

We’re expected to embrace cutting-edge research and development and apply it to make life better, safer, healthier, and more enjoyable. When we get carried away and make things worse—see forever chemicals, road deaths, and AI encouraging potentially dangerous user behavior—we have to step back, assess the damage, and find ways to fix what’s broken. Even untangling that mess can seem impossible.

Why ambitious solutions still matter

Just before I came to MIT Technology Review, I created a newsletter about personal actions that can help address the climate crisis. Some might call that a fool’s errand given the scale of the problem, and others have called it exactly that.

They might say it’s as incredible as an AI kill switch, practical nuclear fusion, or superconductors operating at room temperature. But if I learned anything during the three years I spent figuring out how to chip away at one of humanity’s greatest existential threats, it’s that focusing on what we can’t do only makes the darkness darker.

This issue is for those who have the courage to try—and who refuse to say no to anyone, including themselves.

I hope you enjoy it.