In this week’s edition of The Prototype, we look at how the Administration is trying to turn back the technological clock, a startup building giant robot boats, manipulating DNA with electricity and more. To get The Prototype in your inbox, sign up here . Getty Images

In Isaac Asimov’s epic Foundation series , one sign that the Galactic Empire was in decline was its reliance on fossil fuels instead of more advanced forms of energy. That technological regression was taken as a sign by the book’s characters that scientific expertise was being lost.

That detail came to my mind earlier this week when the Trump Administration announced plans to revive coal power in the United States, including a $625 million package to extend the lifespans of existing power plants. The Administr

See Full Page