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Smart News / Smart News Ideas & Innovations

NASA's Perseverance rover takes a selfie on September 10, 2021.

Listen to the Sound of a Dust Devil Swirling Around on Mars

For the first time, scientists have recorded the noise of a Martian dust storm using a microphone on NASA’s Perseverance rover

Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Director Kimberly Budil and White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Director Arati Prabhakar at a Tuesday press conference announcing the finding

Fusion Breakthrough Raises Hopes for Clean Energy

This process that powers stars is still decades away from widespread use on Earth

SharkGuard takes advantage of sharks’ “sixth sense”—their ability to detect electromagnetic fields using specialized organs called ampullae of Lorenzini.

An Electric Pulse Could Scare Sharks Away From Fishing Hooks

A new device could reduce bycatch of blue sharks by 91 percent and pelagic stingrays by 71 percent, research suggests

Rice is a major staple crop around the world.

Perennial Rice Could Raise Yields and Cut Costs

These plants that grow back year after year show promise, but they are not a silver bullet

GPT-3 generated a Thanksgiving menu featuring "roasted turkey with a soy-ginger glaze" and "pumpkin spice cake with orange cream cheese frosting."

Should You Let Artificial Intelligence Plan Your Thanksgiving Dinner?

While A.I. recipe generation has come a long way, it won’t outdo humans anytime soon

Chicken nuggets made from lab-grown meat in Singapore, the only country where lab-grown meat can currently be sold. 

Lab-Grown Meat Is Safe to Eat, FDA Says

The “no kill” product cultivated from animal cells has only small regulatory hurdles left before it can be sold in restaurants

New research suggests earbuds may be an affordable, low-stigma alternative to hearing aids for some people.

Are AirPods the Hearing Aids of the Future?

New research suggests that personal sound amplification products like earbuds may help some people hear better in certain scenarios

The Space Launch System rocket lifted off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, early Wednesday morning, kicking off NASA's Artemis moon program.

The Revolution in Moon Exploration

NASA Launches Artemis 1 in Giant Leap Toward Returning to the Moon

The historic event has brought humanity one step closer to walking again on the lunar surface

Frida Kahlo allegedly drew Fantasmones Siniestros in her diary in 1944.

Did This Man Destroy a Frida Kahlo Drawing to Make an NFT?

Businessman Martin Mobarak’s stunt is now under investigation by the Mexican government

Human red blood cells at 1,000 times magnification. 

Scientists Perform First Transfusions of Lab-Grown Blood

A clinical trial is testing how lab-grown cells might help patients with blood disorders and rare blood types

An illustration of a springtail jumping

Springtails Are Nature’s Tiny Gymnasts, Videos Reveal

The insect-like creatures that leap through the air with remarkable control might inspire new jumping robots

Untitled by Suhail Doshi

Art Meets Science

These A.I.-Generated Images Hang in a Gallery—but Are They Art?

At “Artificial Imagination,” a new Bay Area exhibition, artworks created by DALL-E 2 go on display

Nearly ten percent of all deer-vehicle collisions occur in the two weeks surrounding the time change in the fall.  

Deer-Car Collisions Rise When Daylight Saving Time Ends

Forgoing the “spring forward, fall back” pattern could save 33 human lives, 37,000 deer and more than $1 billion per year, study suggests

Car companies are only required to test vehicle safety using crash dummies modeled after men.

The First Female Crash Dummy Has Arrived

Women are more likely to get injured in car crashes, but the currently available test dummies don’t reflect the average female body

In 1966, the Beatles released Revolver, an album that was scores more experimental than their previous work.

Art Meets Science

The Beatles’ ‘Revolver’ Reissue Is Here—With a Little Help From A.I.

New technology offers new insights into the 1966 album’s 14 tracks and 2 singles

Singer Claire L. Evans of YACHT performs in Los Angeles.

Art Meets Science

How Artificial Intelligence Helped Make an Experimental Pop Album

YACHT’s “Chain Tripping,” made using only A.I.-generated melodies and lyrics, is the subject of a new documentary

Illustration of Neisseria gonorrhoeae bacteria

Could a Morning-After Pill Prevent Sexually Transmitted Infections?

San Francisco has formally recommended doxyPEP, which works like Plan B but targets STIs

A cluster of galaxies that Slayton created in Minecraft

This 18-Year-Old Recreated the ‘Entire Universe’ in Minecraft

From the video game’s blocks, he built galaxies, a nebula, a black hole and the solar system

The robot Ai-Da in front of one of its self-portraits.

Art Meets Science

Meet Ai-Da, the First Robot to Speak Before U.K. Parliament

The robot answered questions about technology, art and consciousness

Mechanical engineer Xiulin Ruan helped develop the world's whitest paint.    

The World’s Whitest Paint May Soon Help Cool Airplanes and Spacecraft

The ultra-white color reflects up to 97.9 percent of sunlight and may reduce our reliance on air conditioning

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