Innovation
New ideas and scientific and technological advancements
Can Crowdsourcing Really Spark Innovation?
Companies and scientists are using games and competitions to bring in fresh thinking from outsiders.
October 24, 2011 |
By Randy Rieland
Turning Fallen Leaves into Dinner Plates
The paper plate was invented in 1904, and Americans now throw away an estimated trillion disposable plates and utensils per year
October 21, 2011 |
By Lisa Bramen
3D Printers Are Building the Future, One Part at a Time
Don't just download music. Download sculpture. Or a bicycle. That's the promise of 3D printing
October 20, 2011 |
By Randy Rieland
Seven Reasons to Believe Electric Cars Are Getting in Gear
They're not ready for prime time, but electric cars are starting to pick up speed.
October 18, 2011 |
By Randy Rieland
Naval Gazing: The Enigma of Étienne Bottineau
In 1782, an unknown French engineer offered an invention better than radar: the ability to detect ships hundreds of miles away
October 13, 2011 |
By Mike Dash
Pop-Up Relief in Kenya’s Slums
Solar-powered huts built by a Montana-based construction company provide two big needs: water and cellphone power
October 13, 2011 |
By Meera Subramanian
Why We Don’t Like Creativity
Everyone talks about innovation, but most people seem uncomfortable with the creative forces that make it happen
October 12, 2011 |
By Randy Rieland
Edison vs. Westinghouse: A Shocking Rivalry
The inventors' battle over the delivery of electricity was an epic power play
October 11, 2011 |
By Gilbert King
How Smart Can a City Get?
Experts think it's only a matter of time before cities are being run by sensors connected to powerful computers
October 11, 2011 |
By Randy Rieland
Steve Jobs: Futurist, Optimist
The innovator wasn't just this generation's Thomas Edison, he was also its Walt Disney
October 06, 2011 |
By Matt Novak
In Search of Queen Victoria’s Voice
The British monarch was present when a solicitor demonstrated one of the earliest audio recording devices. But did she really say "tomatoes"?
October 06, 2011 |
By Mike Dash
Space Travel in the 22nd Century
NASA and the Defense Department want scientists to start dreaming the next impossible dream: Exploring another solar system.
October 05, 2011 |
By Randy Rieland
The Boston Globe of 1900 Imagines the Year 2000
A utopian vision of Boston promises no slums, no traffic jams, no late mail deliveries and, best of all, night baseball games
October 04, 2011 |
By Matt Novak
Pet Tech Gears Up
Pet products are already a huge business. Innovations like pet GPS and remote feeding devices are making it even bigger
October 03, 2011 |
By Randy Rieland
An Online Food Education
Sharpen your cooking skills, get a culinary degree, learn to write about food or feed your inner geek with these courses
September 30, 2011 |
By Lisa Bramen
Drones Get Smarter
We're moving closer to the day when flying robots will make decisions on their own
September 29, 2011 |
By Randy Rieland
The Farmer and the Dell—or the iPhone
New technology is taking the farmer-consumer relationship to another level
September 28, 2011 |
By Lisa Bramen
Are Machines Dumbing Us Down?
The idea that technology is causing us to lose our mental edge won't go away
September 27, 2011 |
By Randy Rieland
Can Solar Survive the Solyndra Swirl?
Following the collapse of the ballyhooed solar firm, these are dark times for renewable energy. But big players are still betting it's more than treehugger fantasy
September 21, 2011 |
By Randy Rieland
When Patents Cramp Innovation
Patents are supposed to turn ideas into inventions. But in the tech world, they've become the weapons of choice when companies like Google and Apple face off.
September 14, 2011 |
By Randy Rieland
