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Smart News / Smart News Ideas & Innovations

Sketchy Skype Calls Actually Do Hurt Your Emotional Connection

“If one wanted to go to less trouble in undermining the world’s unity, one could start with a dodgy internet connection obstructing conversational flow”

Can You Make Medical Devices Out of LEGOs?

Using ribbons, buttons, LEGOs and 3D printing, this scientist is trying to make it easier and cheaper for doctors and nurses to create medical devices

A Game Designer Thinks He Can Improve on Chess’ 1,500-Year-Old Rules

A young MIT-grad and game designer named David Sirlin says he’s come up with something better than the timeless board game

Washing Your Hands in Hot Water Wastes Energy–And Doesn’t Make Them Any Cleaner Than Cold

If Americans turned down the heat when washing their hands they could save 6 million metric tons of CO2 every year

Robot

In the DARPA Robotics Challenge, Robots Drive, Climb, Bust Through Walls And Prepare to Take Over the World

Trials for the DARPA Robotics Challenge this weekend will put these robots to the test

There’s a Simple, Effective Way to Get Kids to Eat Vegetables—Pay Them

Kids throw away around $3.8 million of uneaten veggies and fruits from school lunches each year

NSA Metadata Collection Is Unconstitutional, Judge Says

A U.S. District Court Judge ruled that the NSA’s metadata surveillance violates the Fourth Amendment

The inside of a newly assembled Ikea temporary home.

Ikea’s Getting Into the Refugee Shelter Business

Ikea’s latest installments are popping up in Lebanon, where around one million Syrians have sought refuge from the violence plaguing their own country

Some Olympic Athletes Have To Crowd-Source Money to Get to Russia

While Olympic athletes may be our heroes, they aren’t getting rich off their work, and some have to crowd-source funding for their trips to Sochi

This Computer Algorithm Can Tell If You’re a Hipster

One day, they could help flash ads for single-speed bikes when you walk by

Hey Guys, What You Eat Affects Baby’s Health, Too

Men’s habits and diets leading up to pregnancy can also affect the health of their babies

You Can Be Really Good at Certain Skills Without Having Any Idea How They Work

How well do you know the tools you use every day?

Can Crowds Predict the Future?

You probably shouldn’t rely on crowd wisdom to make personal decisions, but when it comes to global outcomes, the crowd might be smarter than you think

All turnips, all the time.

The Moon: The Only Place in the Universe Anyone’s Excited About Turnips

Someone at NASA has a real thing for turnips

This Group Knows You’ve Committed a Crime And Wants to Hear All About It

Have you ever committed a crime? Stop lying, you definitely have

(A to L) 3D estimates of front views and lateral views rendered as point clouds overlaid with reflectivity data.

This Camera Capture Images in the Dark, Using Just a Few Particles of Light

The most obvious application for this camera is for spying and surveillance, but it may also be used for remote sensing or to study microscopic structures

Smaller Hands Need Smarter Designs for Smart Phones

No more thumb cramps or having to use your other fingers to press buttons!

Pregnant Silhouette

Can Babies Be Born Addicted to Junk Food?

The tastes you grew up with, tend to stick with you

Many public schools currently serve lunch on one-use-only foam trays.

Six Public School Systems Are Trying to Replace Foam Lunch Trays With Compostable Ones

Healthier food and less wasteful utensils and packaging are next on the school lunch reform list

Would you murder this robot?

Should Robots Have Rights?

Would you murder a robot? If you did, should you be charged for it?

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