Smart News Ideas & Innovations

The so-called puss caterpillars have sharp spines that can inject powerful venom into humans.

Scientists Reveal Why Asp Caterpillar Stings Are So Excruciatingly Painful

A toxin in the insect's venom, which can punch a hole in cell walls, could inspire new drug-delivery methods in humans

Threads is the latest app launched by Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp.

Meta's Threads Becomes the Most Quickly Downloaded App Ever

The Twitter competitor launched on Wednesday and already has more than 70 million sign-ups, per CEO Mark Zuckerberg

Twenty Blues trains are now running—and plans are in the works to bring more than 100 into operation.

Europe's First Battery-Powered Trains Are Here

The tribrid trains now running in Italy can switch between battery power, electricity and diesel

An animated rendering of one of Leonardo's designs for a flying machine

Explore Animated Models, Digitized Sketches and More in Leonardo da Vinci's Largest-Ever Online Retrospective

The new Google Arts & Culture hub features high-resolution scans, 3D renderings and artificial intelligence experiments

A woman adds artificial sweetener to a drink. The paranoia over the health dangers of aspartame can be traced back to an early Internet hoax.

The Decades-Long Struggle to Figure Out Whether Aspartame Is Bad for You

As groups within the World Health Organization are reviewing the artificial sweetner’s potential to cause cancer, take a look back at a hoax from the '90s

The white spots on the edges of a monarch butterfly's wings might give it an advantage while migrating, according to new research.

Monarch Butterflies’ Signature White Spots May Help Them Fly

These long-distance migrants could get a boost from their striking coloration, which may reduce drag by heating and cooling air unevenly

Research on creating food in space will help future missions to Mars and beyond. The Deep Space Food Challenge, co-sponsored by NASA, encourages development of novel space foods.

Move Over, Freeze-Dried Fruitcake—Here's the Latest in Astronaut Food

Eight companies developing next-generation space meals have advanced to the final round of competition in a contest co-sponsored by NASA

Paul McCartney and John Lennon performing with the Beatles in 1965

Art Meets Science

The Beatles Will Release One Last Song

Paul McCartney revealed this week that the new record will include A.I.-generated vocals from John Lennon

The ship has three retractable sails covered in solar panels.

Could This Futuristic Vessel Be the World's First Zero-Emissions Cruise Ship?

Hurtigruten Norway's new design includes batteries and retractable sails equipped with solar panels

Researchers hope that an injection could one day be a faster and safer substitute for surgical cat sterilization.

Scientists Develop New Birth Control for Female Cats—No Surgery Necessary

The one-time injection of a gene therapy could eventually be used to control cat populations

The tiny device generates electricity from the air in a way that resembles how clouds make the electricity we see in lightning bolts.

This New Device Generates Electricity From Thin Air

Nearly any material covered with tiny holes can derive energy from humidity, per a new study, opening doors to more sustainable power

Turkish world-record-holding free-diver Sahika Ercumen swims amid plastic waste on June 27, 2020, to raise awareness about plastic pollution.

Scientists Discover Microbes That Could Revolutionize Plastic Recycling

These bacteria and fungi can break down certain plastics at cool temperatures, saving money and energy compared to some current methods

This X-ray of a study participant shows recording electrodes placed in the brain in red, as well as two controllers implanted in the shoulders.

Scientists Decode Brain Waves Linked to Chronic Pain

A new way to objectively measure chronic pain could lead to new treatments for the common condition that can be debilitating

The concrete and mortar used to build this 387-square-foot, single-story house contains 8 percent diaper shreds.

See the House Engineers Built From Dirty Diapers

Using concrete and mortar made with shredded diapers could address issues like plastic waste and sand shortages, per a new study

A death cap mushroom, the most poisonous mushroom in the world. Around 90 percent of all mushroom-related fatalities are caused by the fungus.

Possible Antidote to World's Deadliest Mushroom Discovered

A dye used in medical imaging appeared to make the death cap's toxin less fatal to mice in a new study

An experimental "peanut patch" could help ease stress in families of young children with allergies.

A Skin Patch Could Help Allergic Toddlers Tolerate Peanuts

Some young children with allergies could eat low doses of peanuts without a severe reaction after wearing the patch for a year in a clinical trial

Using stereo cameras and lidar, EELS is able to create a 3D map of its surroundings, understanding the environment before navigating through it.

NASA's Snake-Like Robot Could Look for Life on an Icy Saturn Moon

Designed to weather the toughest of terrains, EELS might one day autonomously move through narrow vents on Enceladus

The Neo P1 starts at $179, roughly five to ten times the price of a normal pothos plant.

Could Genetically Modified Houseplants Clean the Air in Your Home?

A Parisian start-up wants to filter harmful chemicals indoors with engineered pothos plants

Computer scientist Geoffrey Hinton in 2015

The 'Godfather of A.I.' Now Warns of Its Dangers

Geoffrey Hinton quit Google this week to speak his mind on artificial intelligence, which he says may soon grow smarter than—and even manipulate—humans

A spinning 3D view of one person's cerebral cortex. Pink indicates above average activity and blue shows below average activity.

Researchers Use A.I. to Decode Words From Brain Scans

A new tool translates "something deeper than language," generating text that captures the gist of podcasts or silent films viewed by participants

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