Innovation

In 2003, Air France donated Concorde F-BVFA to the Smithsonian. The aircraft was the first Air France Concorde to open service to Rio de Janeiro, Washington, D.C., and New York and had flown 17,824 hours.

When Concorde First Flew, It Was a Supersonic Sight to Behold

The aircraft was a technological masterpiece, but at one ton of fuel per passenger, it had a devastating ecological footprint

Three F-14 Tomcats fly in a tight formation over the Red Sea during Operation Desert Storm. The F-14s primary function was to intercept multiple airborne threats in all weather conditions and at night.

Operation Desert Storm Was Not Won By Smart Weaponry Alone

Despite the "science fiction"-like technology deployed, 90 percent of ammunitions used in Desert Storm were actually “dumb weapons"

A concept (preliminary) rendering for the Mulciber Stove, which its inventors say gives off less smoke per hour than one cigarette.

Future of Energy

How to Modernize the Wood Stove and Help Save the Planet

The humble wood stove is getting a high-tech makeover, and may be going green

How Wearable Tech Is Creeping Into the Beauty Industry

With the release of L’Oréal's new UV-monitoring patch, beauty wearables are hitting the big time

This Powerful Metal Glue Sets at Room Temperature

MesoGlue uses nanorod technology to fuse items together without heat, potentially replacing soldering

A City Fabrick pop-up space.

Could Pop-Up Social Spaces at Polls Increase Voter Turnout?

Placemaking the Vote, one of the finalists in the Knight Cities Challenge, wants people to hang out at their polling places

A "wind tree" installed at the COP21 climate talks in Paris. Each tree produces enough energy to light 71 parking spaces (or power one average American home for four months).

Age of Humans

These Creative Wind Turbines Will Have You Rethinking What You Know About Wind Power

Wind turbines don't have to all look the same. Here are some that are helping cities go green—and look like art in the process

Adam Steltzner celebrates the successful landing of the Curiosity rover on Mars on August 5, 2012.

What Landing a Rover on Mars Teaches You About Leadership and Teamwork

In his new book, NASA engineer Adam Steltzner shares his insights on how to inspire people to make the impossible possible

Knee bending machine from Dr. G. Zander’s medico-mechanische Gymnastik by Alfred Levertin (Stockholm: 1892).

Dr. Gustav Zander's Victorian-Era Exercise Machines Made the Bowflex Look Like Child's Play

A Smithsonian librarian highlights the precursor to today's gym enthusiasts

Madison Hill of Samsung demonstrates a Family Hub Refrigerator at the 2016 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

Six Cool Gadgets From This Year's CES

The Consumer Electronics Show has long been the launchpad for some of our most beloved electronics products

How the Phonograph Changed Music Forever

Much like streaming music services today are reshaping our relationship with music, Edison's invention redefined the entire industry

Seven of the Most Innovative Gyms in the World

Go way beyond free weights and stationary bikes at these clever workout facilities

Thin Red Line Aerospace Chief Engineer and CEO Maxim de Jong inspects a UW-CAES “Energy Bag” during initial test inflation

Future of Energy

Could Renewable Energy Be Stored in Balloons in the Ocean?

Underwater compressed air energy storage is promising, but the fate of this tech remains unknown

Jeannette Garcia is pioneering recyclable plastics.

Eight Innovators to Watch in 2016

These thinkers are making fascinating developments in medicine, economics, art, music and more

An Underwater Museum in Egypt Could Bring Thousands of Sunken Relics Into View

The proposed site might revive tourism in Alexandria and also further research into the ancient ruins

This New App Wants to Help You With Your Homework

With GotIt!, high school students take a photo of a tricky math or science problem and get live tutoring by text from the highest bidder

A pile of letters wait to be loaded in a sorting machine at a USPS processing and distribution center.

Have Bad Handwriting? The U.S. Postal Service Has Your Back

Don’t worry, your Christmas gifts and cards will make it to their destination, even if your writing looks like chicken scratch

Making Sugar Twice as Sweet

An Israeli startup has invented a process to coat inert particles with sugar molecules, tricking the tongue into thinking food is sweeter

Everybody Loves Lists

Our Top Ten Stories of 2015

From treasures buried in glaciers to the racial history of a vanished city in Oregon, here are the most-read stories on Smithsonian.com this year

Farmigo relies on a decentralized system of neighborhood organizers and pickup locations.

Smart Startup

It's Like Uber, But for Farmers' Markets

A startup called Farmigo is trying to create a better food system for both eaters and farmers

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