Scientific Innovation
Prepare to Go Underground
Upside down skyscrapers. Vacuum tubes whisking away trash. Welcome to the future of cities as they begin exploring the next urban frontier.
June 26, 2012 |
By Randy Rieland
Robots Enter the Job Market
In some cases, they're learning to work with humans. In others, they're taking over the whole plant
June 21, 2012 |
By Randy Rieland
The Allure of Brain Scans
They sure make pretty pictures, but are we exaggerating what they can really tell us about what's going on inside our heads?
June 18, 2012 |
By Randy Rieland
Deconstructing Dad
Fatherhood remains a ripe subject for scientific research. Here are 10 recent studies on the transformation from man to dad
June 14, 2012 |
By Randy Rieland
Roiling in the Deep
It's World Oceans Day and here are 10 things scientists know about what's happening under the sea that they didn't a year ago.
June 08, 2012 |
By Randy Rieland
Combinatorial Creativity and the Myth of Originality
The power of the synthesizing mind and the building blocks of combinatorial creativity
June 06, 2012 |
By Maria Popova
Taking Control of Your Dreams
Not a lot of research has been done on lucid dreaming, but new devices are now helping people influence what's going on in their heads while they sleep.
June 04, 2012 |
By Randy Rieland
Talking With Machines
Apple's Siri is far from perfect, but It's shown the potential of voice recognition software and artificial intelligence. Coming soon: Real conversations with our cars.
June 01, 2012 |
By Randy Rieland
The Genome That Keeps on Giving
When scientists mapped the human genetic blueprint, people said it would change medicine because we'd be able to get clues about our future health
May 29, 2012 |
By Randy Rieland
What’s Going On With Ice Cream?
Not only is it now available in once unimaginable flavors, like salted caramel and prosciutto, but scientists also are trying to make it good for you.
May 24, 2012 |
By Randy Rieland
Team Hollywood’s Secret Weapons System
During World War II, Hedy Lamarr raised $7 million in one night by kissing war-bond buyers. But she and the Hollywood composer George Anthiel also designed a radical new torpedo-guidance system
May 23, 2012 |
By Gilbert King
The Rise of the Bionic Human
New technology is allowing the paralyzed to walk and the blind to see. And it's becoming a smaller leap from repairing bodies to enhancing them
May 17, 2012 |
By Randy Rieland
What Makes a 21st Century Mom?
Not an easy answer. But here are 10 recent studies on what it means to be a mother today
May 10, 2012 |
By Randy Rieland
Medicine Goes Small
Nanotechnology is taking health care to the molecular level and changing it in profound ways. But is it all good?
May 02, 2012 |
By Randy Rieland
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
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
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
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
