H1N1 influenza virus particles shown in a colorized transmission electron micrograph

The Next Pandemic

Scientists Are One Step Closer to a “Personalized” Flu Shot

While still decades away, new research shows how custom vaccines could be developed

Stanford scientists are building up an archive of mosquito sounds.

The Next Pandemic

Before You Swat That Mosquito, Record It on Your Cell Phone

That’s the strategy behind Abuzz, a crowdsourcing project designed to track mosquito activity around the world

This Ex-Trapeze Artist Made Parachutes Safer

Toward the end of WWI, it became clear to the U.S. government that pilots needed parachutes to better save their lives

The Ten Best STEM Toys of 2017

Kid tested and parent approved, these tech toys stand out for holiday wish lists

This drug delivery system folds up to fit in a capsule, then would reopen in the stomach

Can Digital Pills and Drug Delivery Systems Get People to Take Their Meds?

They are among new approaches to dealing with a big problem in American health care

A medium-size passenger jet burns roughly 750 gallons of fuel per hour.

Future of Energy

Can Sugarcane Fuel Airplanes?

Scientists have engineered sugarcane to increase its oil content, and they are developing renewable jet aircraft fuel from the oil

The Ten Best Board Games of 2017

Want to be a hit at your next party or family gathering? Bring a board game.

The inherent flexibility and adaptability of the Shotgun Chameleon House in Houston grew from designer Zui Ng’s desire to create an economically and environmentally sustainable house. The exterior staircase serves as a separate entrance for potential renters.

What the Housing Market in America Needs Is More Options

From granny pods to morphing apartments, the future of shelter is evolving

This Pressure Suit Helped Pilots Survive New Heights

Aviation pioneer Wiley Post needed an oxygenated pressure suit to survive a high-altitude transcontinental flight. Enter engineer Russell Colley

The way a fruit fly fires neurons could inform machine learning.

How Fruit Fly Brains Could Improve Our Search Engines

Fruit flies have a unique way of matching data, which could teach scientists to create better, faster search algorithms

Future of Energy

The Man Dead Set On Building an Offshore Wind Farm on Lake Erie

Lorry Wagner has Cleveland on track to lead a nascent offshore wind industry in the U.S., creating clean energy and jobs for a city in need of both

A solar and battery-powered microgrid got San Juan’s Children’s Hospital quickly back online after Hurricane Maria.

Future of Energy

Why Puerto Rico’s Power Can’t Come From Solar ‘Microgrids’ Alone

The island could benefit from on-site solar and battery backup, but the strategy isn’t a cure-all for its energy woes

The sKan device detects minute temperature changes associated with melanoma.

This Inexpensive Scanning Device Could Catch Skin Cancer Early

A team of biomedical engineers has won this year’s Dyson Award for “the sKan,” which detects the thermal changes associated with melanoma

A demonstration of the technology, with the light fabric sewn into a onesie

These Light-Emitting Pajamas Could Help Treat Newborns With Jaundice

The method has an advantage over traditional phototherapy in that it allows babies to receive treatment in the comfort of their parents’ arms

Little Children on a Bicycle

How Instagram Is Changing the Way We Design Cultural Spaces

As neighborhoods, restaurants and museums become more photogenic, are we experiencing an “Instagramization” of the world?

The minimLET toilet kit

A Sleek Portable Toilet and Other Design Solutions for Disaster Victims

The toilet kit, from a Japanese design studio, is part of wave of interest in design fixes for the problems created by disasters

The Next Pandemic

Watch: Experts Discuss “The Next Pandemic: Are We Prepared?”

Thought leaders gathered at the National Museum of Natural History on November 13 to discuss the past, present and future of the flu

The herbarium of Washington, D.C.'s Natural History Museum teems with pressed specimens of thousands of distinct plants.

How Artificial Intelligence Could Revolutionize Archival Museum Research

A new study shows off a computer program’s specimen-sorting prowess

Existing cars can stop when they detect pedestrians.

Computer Systems and Sensors Could Put a Stop To Car-Based Attacks

Driver aid systems and self-driving vehicle control systems could override a driver who is trying to strike people

How a Ripped-Off Sequel of Don Quixote Predicted Piracy in the Digital Age

An anonymous writer’s spinoff of Cervantes’ masterpiece showed the peril and potential of new printing technology

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