Innovation

Future of Energy

The Things People Do To Foil Energy-Saving Buildings

New research on how occupants inhabit energy-efficient buildings reveals behaviors designers don’t anticipate—and a slew of bloopers

November 29, 2017

American Ingenuity Awards

Why Jony Ive Is Apple’s Design Genius

His work has become the seeds of a tech revolution that is rapidly changing our lives

December 2017

American Ingenuity Awards

Marley Dias’ Inspirational Goal to Collect Books About Girls of Color

What can we learn from a 12-year-old who’s turning the literary world upside down? Everything

December 2017

American Ingenuity Awards

Why the Team Behind Sesame Street Created a Character With Autism

The bravest new face on television is a Muppet that doesn’t say much. But she speaks volumes about life on the spectrum

December 2017

American Ingenuity Awards

A Neurosurgeon’s Remarkable Plan to Treat Stroke Victims With Stem Cells

Gary Steinberg defied convention when he began implanting living cells inside the brains of patients who had suffered from a stroke

December 2017

Can an Algorithm Diagnose Pneumonia?

Stanford researchers claim they can detect the lung infection more accurately than an experienced radiologist. Some radiologists aren’t so sure.

November 28, 2017

The Next Pandemic

To Make Precision Medicine, Scientists Study the Circadian Rhythms in Plants

Biologists are taking a close look at how precisely calibrated timekeepers in organisms influence plant-pathogen interactions

November 27, 2017

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

November 27, 2017

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

November 24, 2017

The Ten Best STEM Toys of 2017

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

November 22, 2017

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

November 22, 2017

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

November 21, 2017

The Ten Best Board Games of 2017

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

November 21, 2017

What the Housing Market in America Needs Is More Options

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

November 20, 2017

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

November 17, 2017

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

November 16, 2017

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

November 10, 2017

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

November 9, 2017