How Close Are We?

Self-driving cars could revolutionize the way we travel, giving us more time to work, play, learn, and relax. But when it comes to making autonomous vehicles a reality, cutting-edge technology is only the tip of the iceberg.

What are the steps we need to take to modernize our power grid, and how close are we to zero-emissions electricity?

Lightsabers might be elegant weapons for a more civilized age, but they only exist in the world of fiction. Could we use modern technology to make the most famous movie weapon of all time?

Mapping the inner workings of our brains means we could understand disease, consciousness, and what makes us human.

The successor to the Hubble space telescope, the James Webb Space Telescope, is the most challenging space engineering project humans have ever attempted.

Architects and futurists have toyed with the idea of building a marine metropolis for decades. With sea level rise putting 90% of coastal cities at risk, could floating cities like this one offer a solution?

Brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) have the potential to transform how we interact with technology, for everything from rehabilitation to cyborg-ish enhancement. So how do we teach a machine to decode our intentions?

All around the world, researchers are working to get to the bottom of longevity, unlocking the secrets of how we can extend our lifespans well into our 100s... and beyond. How close are we to immortality?

There have been some wild proposals about how to make Mars more suitable for humans, but how close are we to achieving that?

Microplastics are not only floating through the ocean, but also in our atmosphere, food, and bodies. So how close are we to reinventing plastic?

Over 86% of all life on Earth is undocumented. How Close Are We unfolds the story behind the field research, catalogers and cryogenic labs that are racing to understand, register and cryo-preserve all life on Earth before some of it disappears forever.