Welcome to the February issue of The Highlight

Humanoid robots — actually useful ones, the kind you might encounter in day-to-day life — have long been the territory of science fiction, not reality. But their sci-fi ubiquity makes them an understandably tantalizing prospect, and “embodied AI” — AI given a physical system — is already making a difference in the world. Could this finally be their moment? In this month’s Highlight cover story, Adam Clark Estes explains what he learned watching a robot make lemonade, and what it tells us about the future of humanoid robots. Also in this issue: A jobless boom. The ethics of small pet ownership. And remembering the man who killed smallpox. There’s a silver lining to our health care cost crisis By Dylan Scott We’re in an economic boom. Where are the jobs? By Heather Long The forgotten hero who helped eradicate one of humanity’s oldest killers By Bryan Walsh Who on Earth still doesn’t have electricity? By Umair Irfan Coming February 4 The robots we deserve By Adam Clark Estes Coming February 5 The case against owning small pets By Kenny Torrella Coming February 6