Four free sites, updated every morning

The Progress series

Four free, plain-English websites on the fields that will shape the coming decades: the science of extending the human lifespan, robotics, artificial intelligence and nanotechnology. Each follows its whole field as it changes, where it is heading and what it will mean for our lives, and aims to be the clearest place to keep up with it.

The shared mission

Three questions, asked of every field.

All four work the same way. They gather new research, trials, approvals and news every morning, explain it in plain English, show how far each idea has really got, and link every claim to its source.

  1. 1

    What is happening in the field?

    What is being researched, built and tested, by whom, and what changed this morning.

  2. 2

    Where is it heading?

    How far each development has really got and how soon it could arrive, from the evidence rather than the hype.

  3. 3

    What will it mean for my life?

    How it will change health, work and daily life, and what you can and can't use for now.

How the Progress sites work

Never the judge.

A Progress site never gives its own opinion on whether something works, is safe or is worth buying. Each item gets a stage instead: how far has this got? Stages are worked out automatically by published rules, and every page says which rule placed it.

Longevity ProgressHow far has this been tested in people?
  1. Stage 4Widely recommendedApproved by the FDA for that use, or recommended in a major health guideline. The approval or guideline is linked.
  2. Stage 3Large studies in peopleAt least one large (phase 3) trial in people, or at least five large randomized trials, has been published.
  3. Stage 2Small studies in peopleThere is at least one trial in people, published or registered, but no large ones yet.
  4. Stage 1Tested in animals onlyOnly studies in animals or cells have been found so far.
How Longevity Progress decides
Robotics ProgressHow far has each robot got?
  1. Stage 5Regulator-cleared or mass marketCleared where approval applies, or widely sold.
  2. Stage 4Paying customersDelivered and paid for, beyond pilots.
  3. Stage 3PilotWorking with a named customer in a real setting.
  4. Stage 2Pre-ordersOrders or deposits taken; not delivered.
  5. Stage 1Demo onlyShown in videos or staged events; no units with customers.
How Robotics Progress decides
Intelligence ProgressHow far has the evidence got for each task?
  1. Stage 6Widely used with a verified recordTested with real people or cleared by a regulator, used by at least 10% of US adults according to a published survey, with at least three independent studies in people.
  2. Stage 5Regulator-clearedA regulator has cleared or approved it for the task, where approval applies. Tasks no regulator covers are marked “No approval process exists”.
  3. Stage 4Tested with real peopleA randomized trial or field study has tested it with real people doing the task.
  4. Stage 3Independently testedSomeone other than the maker has tested it: an independent benchmark, a peer-reviewed paper, or a hands-on test by a trusted outlet.
  5. Stage 2LaunchedA product that does the task is available to the public, linked and dated.
  6. Stage 1ClaimedA company says, in a passage checked word for word, that its AI can do the task.
How Intelligence Progress decides
Nanotech ProgressHow far has each technology got?
  1. Stage 5Everyday lifeWidely used, often without people knowing nano is involved.
  2. Stage 4Approved or on saleCleared by a regulator where that applies, or sold to the public.
  3. Stage 3Real-world testingTested in people, in the field, or with named customers.
  4. Stage 2Working prototypeWorks beyond the first experiment: in animal studies, as a device prototype or on a pilot production line.
  5. Stage 1Lab discoveryShown in a lab or a computer model, in a published paper or preprint.
How Nanotech Progress decides

Lifespan research

Longevity Progress

The research and development racing to extend the human lifespan.

The research and development racing to extend the human lifespan: every new longevity study and trial, with what named experts say about it, gathered every morning from PubMed, ClinicalTrials.gov, bioRxiv, medRxiv and the FDA.

Written for anyone curious whether, and how soon, science will let us live much longer. No science background needed.

  • Start here
  • Goals
  • Age reversal
  • Research
  • Trials
  • Tests
  • Supplements
  • Skincare
  • Hair
  • Devices
  • Clinics
  • Books
Visit longevityprogress.com (opens in a new tab) More about it

Robotics

Robotics Progress

The whole field of robotics, where it's heading and how it will change our lives.

The whole field of robotics, where it's heading and how it will change our lives: humanoids, robotaxis, surgical robots, home robots, drones and robots for aging at home, in plain English with every claim sourced.

Written for curious people who aren't robotics engineers, with a section on robots that help people live at home as they age.

  • What's new
  • Videos
  • Start here
  • Available now
  • What's coming
  • Claim check
  • Robot stocks
  • Your work
  • Books
Visit roboticsprogress.com (opens in a new tab) More about it

Artificial intelligence

Intelligence Progress

Where AI is going, what it's changing, and what it can and can't do for now.

Where AI is going, what it's changing, and what it can and can't do for now: makers' claims set against independent tests, studies with real people, regulators, court records and predictions, checked every morning and explained in plain English.

Written for curious people who use AI, or hear about it constantly, and want to know what it means for their work and life.

  • Can AI do it yet?
  • Superintelligence
  • Models
  • Tools
  • Agents
  • Coding
  • Startups
  • Work
  • Chips & power
  • News
Visit intelligenceprogress.com (opens in a new tab) More about it

Nanotechnology

Nanotech Progress

How far the world's smallest technology has really got, from nanomedicines and chip transistors to batteries and everyday products.

What is happening in nanotechnology, every morning in plain English: nanomedicines, chips, batteries, materials and everyday products, each placed by how far it has really got, with every claim linked to its source.

Written for curious people who aren't scientists, with plain answers on what is already in their lives and whether it is safe.

  • What's new
  • Start here
  • Already in your life
  • What's coming
  • Nanobots
  • Is it safe?
  • Nano or marketing?
  • Companies
  • Trials
Visit nanotechprogress.com (opens in a new tab) More about it

Where the fields meet

The sites meet where their fields do.

Some questions belong to two fields at once.

How the sites are made

Plain English. Every claim sourced.

The Progress sites are published by Progress Series Media. Its founder is a software engineer, not a doctor, a robotics engineer or an AI researcher, so the sites never ask you to trust anyone's opinion, the founder's included.

  1. 01

    Gathered every morning

    New items come from primary sources each morning: registries, regulators, research databases and trusted news.

  2. 02

    Every claim sourced

    Every claim links to its source. Expert quotes are word for word, checked by machine against the page they came from.

  3. 03

    Company claims labelled

    What a company says about itself is labelled company-reported.

  4. 04

    Money never changes the evidence

    Sponsors never change stages, rankings or coverage.

The Progress sites summarize published research, tests and reporting for general information. They are not medical, legal, financial or investment advice.