Innovation
New ideas and scientific and technological advancements
The Magazine of the Future (on floppy disk!)
More than 20 years before the iPad, an entrepreneur saw the potential of interactive, digital magazines
April 23, 2012 |
By Matt Novak
To the Asteroids and Beyond
A group of big-name tech billionaires wants to open up a new frontier in space--mining space rocks.
April 23, 2012 |
By Randy Rieland
Next Up? The Smart Watch
If the crowd-funding spike for the Pebble smart watch is any indication, wearable tech is about to go mainstream.
April 20, 2012 |
By Randy Rieland
Design for a Water-Scarce Future
Design strategies for arid regions go back centuries, but in the face of climate change, drylands design is a whole new ballgame
April 19, 2012 |
By Sarah C. Rich
The Disco-Blasting Robot Waiters of 1980s Pasadena
In 1983, a Chinese fast-food restaurant hired a curious-looking pair of servers: Tanbo R-1 and Tanbo R-2.
April 19, 2012 |
By Matt Novak
When Innovation Flows Uphill
Think that all the best inventions happen in rich countries and trickle down to poor ones? Think again.
April 18, 2012 |
By Randy Rieland
How the Titanic Tragedy Reshaped the Fishing Industry
Alarmed by the sinking of the ocean liner, a radio pioneer devised a way to detect icebergs—and then submarines, reefs and schools of fish
April 13, 2012 |
By Peter Smith
E-Book Recreates a Monster
Frankenstein is back, but this time his story is interactive, as publishers scramble to "enhance" novels.
April 12, 2012 |
By Randy Rieland
When Animals Inspire Inventions
Whether it's tiny robots swimming inside our bodies or super-efficient 3D solar panels, nature never stops providing answers
April 09, 2012 |
By Randy Rieland
Google Goggles Aim to Augment Reality
The internet giant's newest innovation is a wearable computing device that projects data right in front of our eyes
April 06, 2012 |
By Joseph Stromberg
The High-Tech Minimalist Sock-Shoe
Nike's latest innovation promises to improve runners' comfort, help the environment, and revolutionize shoe manufacturing
April 06, 2012 |
By Sarah C. Rich
Welcome to the 21st Century Ballpark
The new Marlins Park in Miami isn't another retro stadium. No, it's high-tech and arty and a little bit wacky
April 05, 2012 |
By Randy Rieland
Better Feet Through Radiation: The Era of the Fluoroscope
In the 1940s and 50s, shoe stores were dangerous places. At the center of the shopping experience was the shoe-fitting fluoroscope—a pseudoscientific machine that became a token of mid-century marketing deception.
April 04, 2012 |
By Sarah C. Rich
Salk, Sabin and the Race Against Polio
As polio ravaged patients worldwide, two gifted American researchers developed distinct vaccines against it. Then the question was: Which one to use?
April 03, 2012 |
By Gilbert King
The Brain is Full of Surprises
New research suggests the brain is more organized than previously thought and alsothat a full memory can reside within only a few neurons
April 02, 2012 |
By Randy Rieland
Bruce McCall Illustrates the Future That Wasn't
According to past predictions, we should be living in an era of flying cars and other marvels. But be glad that some advances haven't happened
April 2012 |
By Bruce McCall
Dear Science Fiction Writers: Stop Being So Pessimistic!
Neal Stephenson created the Hieroglyph Project to convince sci-fi writers to stop worrying and learn to love the future
April 2012 |
By Annalee Newitz
Time to Reinvent the Parking Lot
Some urban planners and architects say we can do a lot better than asphalt slabs and concrete boxes
March 29, 2012 |
By Randy Rieland
Is the Future of Journalism Computerized?
New artificial intelligence programs can analyze data sets to produce news articles that mimic the human voice
March 29, 2012 |
By Joseph Stromberg
The Milkman’s Robot Helper
Could futuristic technology have saved the milkman from extinction?
March 28, 2012 |
By Matt Novak
