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Smart News / Smart News Ideas & Innovations

Researchers have found that graphene could work as a hair dye.

Graphene Hair Dye Is Gentle on Your Locks. But Is It Safe?

Unlike traditional hair dyes, graphene coats the hair surface without chemically altering it

New Research

Why Some People “Hear” Silent GIFs

This week, researchers published their findings on the largest study to date on the phenomenon, which is called visually evoked auditory response or vEAR

New Research

Kids Are Drawing Women Scientists More Often Than They Did Decades Ago

But analysis of studies over the past 50 years show that sketches of male scientists still dominate

Scientists are using high-powered X-rays to reveal a hidden text beneath a 10th century religious text.

High-Powered X-Rays Reveal What’s Beneath 11th-Century Religious Text

The hidden text is a translation of ancient Greek medical philosopher Galen’s writing

NASA’s Psyche mission to a distant metal asteroid that pass near Mars will carry a revolutionary Deep Space Optical Communications (DSOC) package. This artist’s concept shows Psyche spacecraft with a five-panel array.

NASA Plans to Send High-Definition Video of Mars to Earth With Lasers

In 2022, NASA will launch the Psyche mission, carrying sophisticated communication technology

The oldest glacier in the Alps is protected by special white blankets to prevent it from melting.

This Swiss Town Is Protecting Its Glacier With a Blanket

But a high-tech solution might be on the way

Illustration of the Parker Solar Probe spacecraft approaching the Sun.

Get a “Hot Ticket” to Send Your Name to the Sun

Sign up to have your name placed on a microchip that will travel on board the Parker Solar Probe

Dubai is home to three million residents, making city-wide DNA testing no small feat.

Dubai Wants to DNA Test Its Millions of Residents to Prevent Genetic Disease

The ambitious plan is part of its Dubai 10X Initiative to improve health in the city

Bigelow's inflatable modules, called B330, could host commercial ventures and travelers in the near future.

Cool Finds

A Space Hotel Could Be Coming Soon to Skies Near You

Bigelow Aerospace wants to launch two inflatable modules for a space habit as early as 2021

Construction Underway on Clock That Will Keep Time for 10,000 Years

Funded by Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, the $42 million mechanical timekeeper will be located inside a mountain in west Texas

Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park gives a view of Neníisótoyóú’u (Longs Peak) in Colorado, left of center.

Cool Finds

This Account is Reclaiming the Indigenous Names for Mountains One Geotag at a Time

A Navajo climber is leading a social media campaign to spread awareness of the indigenous names of peaks

SpaceX launches it's first re-used Falcon 9 rocket

Five Things to Know About SpaceX’s First Internet Satellite Launch

Along with an earth-observing satellite, the company will be testing two of a planned 12,000 internet satellites

St. Mary's church in Norfolk

How Churches Are Improving Wi-Fi Access in Rural England

A new program is outfitting places of worship with wireless transmitters and fiber cables

New Research

This Electronic “Skin” Already Has a Sense of Touch. Now It Can Also Heal Itself

The new e-skin can both heal itself and be recycled, limiting electronic waste

Cropped stamp featuring a portrait of William Shakespeare.

Software Points to Possible Inspiration for 11 Shakespeare Plays

Researchers used plagiarism software to highlight similarities between Shakespeare’s work and an obscure, unpublished manuscript

Material scientist Liangbing Hu (left) holds wood stronger than titanium and tougher than steel after a two-step process. Mechanical engineer Teng Li (right) holds an untreated block of the same wood.

New Research

New Super Wood Beats Metals in Feats of Strength

A new method combining chemical, pressure and heat treatments can create ultra-dense material that is stronger than steel

This Book Is Bound in Lab-Grown Jellyfish Leather

Clean Meat, a history of cellular agriculture, is the first book with a lab-grown leather cover

This Newly Digitized 16th-Century Planisphere Is the Largest-Known Early Map

Explore continents, islands and unicorns with scholar Urbano Monte’s epic map that’s been digitally pieced together by Stanford’s David Rumsey Map Center

These Billboards Could Be the First to Feature Immersive Virtual Reality Drawings

Tandem billboards on Sunset Boulevard play host to a fascinating new public art installation

Trending Today

Massive Data Project Will Help People Identify Enslaved Ancestors

Michigan State’s ‘Enslaved: The People of the Historic Slave Trade’ will combine available historical data on slavery into one searchable hub

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