Innovation

The 2012 Smithsonian American Ingenuity Awards Liveblog

Follow along as we award the best innovators of the year

November 28, 2012

Shopping Gets Personal

Retailers are mining personal data to learn everything about you so they can help you help yourself to their products.

November 27, 2012

10 Ways Travel Is Getting Better

Sure, it can get aggravating, but here are some innovations that are making it easier and more enjoyable to take a trip

November 20, 2012

Can We Ever Stop Worrying About Blackouts?

Only if utility companies are able to make their power grids smart enough to spot outages and “heal” themselves

November 16, 2012

The Sharing of the Screens

Get ready for the day when your big screen and your small screens work together to connect you with shows and products.

November 9, 2012

We Can Bank Online. Why Can’t We Vote Online?

Voting experts David Becker and Thad Hall discuss the technologies that could forever change the way we register and cast our votes

November 6, 2012

Are Your Political Beliefs Hardwired?

Brain scans suggest Democrats and Republicans actually are different biologically. Welcome to the world of political neuroscience.

November 5, 2012

Should Cities Prepare For the Worst?

Is the crippling of New York City enough to motivate other cities to protect themselves against extreme weather?

November 2, 2012

Tracking the Twists and Turns of Hurricanes

Incredibly powerful supercomputers and a willingness to acknowledge that they’re not perfect has made weather scientists become much more effective in forecasting hurricanes.

October 29, 2012

The Pros to Being a Psychopath

In a new book, Oxford research psychologist Kevin Dutton argues that psychopaths are poised to perform well under pressure

October 28, 2012

Turning Your Hand Into a Remote Control

A Microsoft prototype called Digits could put the power to control everything from TV screens to smart phones in a device you wear on your wrist

October 26, 2012

Take That, Cancer!

The war on cancer has been going on for more than 40 years. Here are 10 small—and maybe not so small—victories scientists have had this year

October 22, 2012

One Step Closer to a Brain

It sounds funny, but when Google created a huge computer network that was able to identify cats from YouTube videos, it was a big leap forward for artificial intelligence.

October 18, 2012

Drawing the Line on Drones

A lot of police departments will soon have their own flying robots. How far should they be allowed to go in shooting video from the sky?

October 15, 2012

The Trouble With Trees

Here are 10 things scientists have learned about trees this year. Thanks to climate change, it’s not a pretty picture.

October 9, 2012

Patient, Heal Thyself

Cutting-edge research in regenerative medicine suggests that the future of health care may lie in getting the body to grow new parts and heal itself.

October 5, 2012

Can You Change Your Political Beliefs?

New research suggests that most people may not be as committed to their moral principles as they think they are

October 1, 2012

Educating Americans for the 21st Century

Why School Should Be More Like Summer Camp

Salman Khan, a rising star in the education world, has a vision for a new kind of classroom

September 30, 2012

Introducing the USS Zumwalt, the Stealth Destroyer

Set to be christened in 2013, this new naval warship will amaze, leaving almost no wake in the open seas

October 2012

Forget the Volt, Make Way for Electric Trucks

Smith trucks are powered by batteries, not diesel, which could make a big difference in the fight against climate change

October 2012