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Smart News / Smart News Ideas & Innovations

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What Colorado’s Floods Looked Like to Drones

Flooding took down power lines, took out sewage systems, and shut down entire towns. Here’s what all that looks like from the perspective of a drone

Your Facebook “Likes” Are an Expression of Free Speech

‘Like’ away, Facebook activists. Your thumbs ups are constitutionally protected

Women Can Now Map Street Harassment, One Catcall at a Time

Some, however, are doubtful that the app will actually enact any change

Designers Are Trying to Build an Invisible Skyscraper in South Korea

Most architects want everybody to see their buildings. But in South Korea, designers are working to achieve exactly the opposite: an invisible skyscraper

Build Your Very Own Incredible, Wind-Powered Creature

Your next rainy day, you now have no excuse to be bored. You’re welcome

This was most definitely not made by NASA.

NASA’s 3-D Printer Is Not Like the 3-D Printers You’ve Heard Too Much About

NASA’s 3-D printer is the 3-D printer your 3-D printer wishes it could be

Drones Could Carry Defibrillators Straight to Heart Attack Victims

For heart attack victims, life expectancy decreases by about 10 percent for every minute that ticks by after an emergency

This Company Just Added Auto-Pilot to Their Bulldozers

Construction equipment operators have to go through apprenticeships and training to learn to maneuver machines. But one company thinks that’s all too hard

Iranian Schools May Soon Teach “Drone Hunting”

The details of the new high school curriculum remain elusive, but the plan was likely inspired by the drones being deployed to the Middle East these days

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Scientists Attempt to Replace Human Taste Testers With Test Tubes

If everybody tasted differently, can you actually objectively evaluate how food tastes?

America Bet 500 Million Tiny Copper Space Wires Would Help Beat the Soviets

During the Cold War, filling space with tiny copper bits didn’t seem like such a bad idea

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This Underwater Expedition Is the Only Live Stream You Need to Watch Today

Right now, the Okeanos Explorer has a rover in the water about 600 meters below the ocean. You can join it by watching this live stream

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Hackers Can Take Over Your Car

if you install a computer in something, a skilled hacker can probably take it over

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Hawaiian Regulators Are Not Excited About These Awesome Jetpacks

Does it look like a ton of fun? You bet. Is its use on a broad scale a good idea? Officials aren’t so sure

9 Percent of People Would Have Sex With a Robot (And 42 Percent of Them Would Consider It Cheating)

Robots are getting better at everything. Including sex

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Talking Robot to Keep Japanese Astronaut Company at the ISS

The conversationalist robot Kirobo has just been launched into the abyss, and is scheduled to arrive at the International Space Station by August 9

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These People Build Real, Life-Sized, WALL-E Robots

Forget stuffed animal replicas or little plastic figurines, this team just made a real, life-sized Wall-E Robot

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Energy Innovation

Oil May Finally Be Hitting Its Peak

Oil consumption may be nearing its peak

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Sail-Powered Ships Are Making a Comeback

New pressures have engineers turning to old ideas, and Rolls-Royce is working on a sailing ship

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Small Airplanes of the Near Future May Run on Natural Gas

In the near future, it may become both cheaper and greener to fly small planes

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