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Innovation / Innovators

An Iraqi girl stands on former marshland, drained in the 1990s because of politically motivated water policies.

Is a Lack of Water to Blame for the Conflict in Syria?

A 2006 drought pushed Syrian farmers to migrate to urban centers, setting the stage for massive uprisings

Satellite photo of Earth's artificial lights at night.

A New Way to Illuminate Inequality Around the World

Want to know where the poor live? Look at where the light isn’t

Banksy melds street-fighting passion and pacifist ardor in his image of a protester whose Molotov cocktail morphs into a bouquet.

The Story Behind Banksy

On his way to becoming an international icon, the subversive and secretive street artist turned the art world upside-down

Sebastian Thrun is turning his expertise in artificial intelligence to humans.

How Artificial Intelligence Can Change Higher Education

Sebastian Thrun, winner of the Smithsonian American Ingenuity Award for education takes is redefining the modern classroom

Anne Kelly Knowles uses geography and technology to trace history.

The Civil War

Looking at the Battle of Gettysburg Through Robert E. Lee’s Eyes

Anne Kelly Knowles, the winner of Smithsonian American Ingenuity Awards, uses GIS technology to change our view of history

With the help of spy planes and B-57 bombers, Jim Anderson discovered the link between climate change and ozone loss.

The Ozone Problem is Back – And Worse Than Ever

James Anderson, the winner of a Smithsonian American Ingenuity Award, has discovered the alarming link between climate change and ozone loss

Esperanza Spalding has brought new life to jazz.

Esperanza Spalding Took on Bieber, Now Takes on Jazz

The innovative bassist and winner of the Smithsonian American Ingenuity Award for performing arts is taking jazz to a whole new place

Elon Musk is a man of all trades when it comes to technology.

Elon Musk, the Rocket Man With a Sweet Ride

The winner of the Smithsonian Ingenuity Award for technology hopes to launch a revolution with his spaceship and electric car

Only a sophomore in high school, Jack Andraka may have invented a new test for a deadly form of cancer.

Jack Andraka, the Teen Prodigy of Pancreatic Cancer

A high school sophomore won the youth achievement Smithsonian American Ingenuity Award for inventing a new method to detect a lethal cancer

Bryan Stevenson crusades for thousands of young people in America's prisons.

Why Mass Incarceration Defines Us As a Society

Bryan Stevenson, the winner of the Smithsonian American Ingenuity Award in social justice, has taken his fight all the way to the Supreme Court

Pardis Sabeti's many talents range from music to genetics.

Pardis Sabeti, the Rollerblading Rock Star Scientist of Harvard

The recipient of the Smithsonian American Ingenuity Award for natural sciences blazed a new view of how to treat infectious diseases via genetics

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How Benh Zeitlin Made Beasts of the Southern Wild

The Oscar nominee for Best Director transformed filmmaking as he assembled a new myth out of Hurricane Katrina

Matt Groening, creator of the Simpsons, was going to name the main character Matt, but didn't think it would go over well in a pitch meeting, so he changed the name to Bart.

Matt Groening Reveals the Location of the Real Springfield

Twenty-five years after The Simpsons made their TV debut, the show’s creator talks about Homer’s odyssey—and his own

10 Innovators to Watch

Thomas Jefferson believed that his version of the New Testament distilled "the most sublime and benevolent code of morals which has never been offered to man."

How Thomas Jefferson Created His Own Bible

Thanks to an extensive restoration process, the public can now see how Jefferson created his own version of the Scripture

Walmart gets into the social media game.

Walmart Goes Social

The day is coming soon when Walmart and other retailers will analyze your “social genome” by tracking what you say on Facebook and Twitter

A new logo and new name

Change Is Good

The new Smithsonian magazine blog about innovations gets a new title: Innovations

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What Will America Look Like in 2050?

A Smithsonian/Pew poll finds optimism about science and social progress despite worries about the environment and population growth

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The Last Word

A quick questionnaire with Trenton Doyle Hancock

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The Last Word

A quick questionnaire with Sufjan Stevens

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