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Innovation / Technology

Future of Energy

A Potato Battery Can Light Up a Room For Over a Month

A crop-based power system coming out of Israel is significantly cheaper than batteries, but why isn’t anyone interested?

A row of servers, housed in an Iceland data center.

Is the Future of the Internet in Iceland?

With free air cooling and 100 percent renewable electricity, does it make sense to outsource our data to Iceland?

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The Freshman at MIT Who is Revolutionizing Nanotechnology

Teenager Saumil Bandyopadhyay has harnessed cutting-edge physics to upend industries ranging from automobiles to astronomy

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The Brilliance Behind the Plan to Land Curiosity on Mars

Adam Steltzner’s ingenious ideas were crucial to the most spectacular space mission of our time

Teaching a simulated robot to walk is significantly easier if it starts with a simple body plan and grows limbs as it learns.

Beware. Scientists are Creating Machines That Can Evolve on Their Own

Or to put it a nicer way, researchers have found a way for robots to grow on their own

Can This Water-Recycling Shower Save $1,000 in Bills?

A Swedish industrial designer hopes his unique filtration system is the answer for rising water costs

This Spray-On Fabric Is a Wardrobe In a Can

Inspired by silly string, British designer Manel Torres’ spray-on clothing is re-wearable and recyclable

Soon this field in inner-city Detroit could be lined with maple trees.

Can Planting Gardens and Orchards Really Save Dying Cities?

Urban planners sure hope so, particularly in places like Detroit where a company plans to start filling abandoned lots with small forests

5 High-Tech Steps to Making the Easiest and Fastest Thanksgiving Dinner Ever

Just because the Pilgrims did Thanksgiving dinner the hard way, doesn’t mean you have to

“One Coin for all your cards.”

Soon, You Might Pay for Everything With a Coin

Coin, a new product that allows users to store up to eight cards in one place, could be in use as early as this coming summer

Move and This Interface Will Adjust Its 3D Form Accordingly

MIT students have developed a motion-based interface that allow users from afar to build formations in real time

Sleeping in This Underwater Hotel Room Is Like Staying in an Artificial Reef

Swedish artist Mikael Genberg explains how his underwater room off the coast of Tanzania can actually be good for the environment

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The 2013 Smithsonian American Ingenuity Awards Liveblog

Follow along as we celebrate the best in innovation

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This New Plane Seat Morphs to Make You and Your Seatmate More Comfortable

Shape-shifting seats with adjustable widths promise more choice for passengers, but aren’t they really a sneaky way to discriminate?

Photographer Rose-Lynn Fisher captures tears of grief, joy, laughter and irritation in extreme detail. Above: Tears of timeless reunion

Art Meets Science

The Microscopic Structures of Dried Human Tears

Photographer Rose-Lynn Fisher captures tears of grief, joy, laughter and irritation in extreme detail

People Can Now Simultaneously Watch Different Shows on the Same TV

OLED technology allows up to 10 people to watch different shows on the same TV set

This Bulletproof Suit Lets You Escape the Line of Fire in Style

A Toronto-based fashion house teamed up with a military contractor to make a protective fabric from carbon nanotubes

The Foodini

Hungry? A Startup Wants You to 3D Print Your Next Meal

The Foodini may allow people to painlessly prepare healthier meals instead of reaching for that factory-processed stuff sitting in the freezer

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10 Things We’ve Learned About Fat

Experts have long known that trans fat isn’t good for us, but research has turned up surprises—chocolate and chili peppers can help us lose fat

The BladeGlider: Nissan’s Concept Car Looks Like a Jet Fighter

The Japanese automaker is working to bring to market a car that actually resembles an aircraft, with its unique aerodynamic styling

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