Here’s what you need to know about the cruise ship hantavirus outbreak

Fri, 08 May 2026 16:19:40 +0000

Originally published by MIT Technology Review

MIT Technology Review Explains: Let our writers untangle the complex, messy world of technology to help you understand what’s coming next.You can read more from the series here.

Eight passengers aboard a Dutch-flagged cruise ship have contracted a type of hantavirus, a rare virus transmitted by rats. Three of them have died. As the ship prepares to dock in the Canary Islands, plans are being finalized to let the remaining passengers and crew disembark safely.

Here’s how technology transformed babymaking

Fri, 08 May 2026 09:00:00 +0000

Originally published by MIT Technology Review

Technology is changing the way we make babies. The pioneering work of the scientists who invented IVF led to the birth of the first “test tube baby” in 1978. We’ve come a long, long way since then.

This week, I’ve been working ona pieceabout the cutting edge of IVF technologies and what’s coming next. Think AI and robots and, potentially, gene-edited embryos.

My reporting has also made me think about just how much progress has been made in the last five decades. Clinicians have improved hormonal treatments. Embryologists have devised ways to culture embryos in the lab for longer. IVF clinics today offer multiple genetic tests for embryos.

Biotechnology and Health on Cowlpane

Here’s what you need to know about the cruise ship hantavirus outbreak

Here’s how technology transformed babymaking