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Innovation / Technology

Frozen seafood in the lab, ready for DNA testing.

The DNA Detectives That Reveal What Seafood You’re Really Eating

Genetic sequencing allows scientists to uncover increasingly prevalent seafood fraud

Hövding is a helmet cyclists wear on their necks—not their heads.

The Bicycle Helmet That’s Invisible (Until You Need It)

Riffing off of airbag technology, Swedish designers have created a helmet, worn around the neck, that inflates during an accident

Forget Bulky Smart Watches, Slip On a Smart Ring

A team of developers is taking orders for a ring that displays incoming text and email messages and helps locate lost phones

Stores are using sensors to make sense of the madness.

How Are Stores Tracking the Way That We Shop?

More and more are using sensors to follow the cell phone signals of customers to understand how they behave

All-in-One Coffee Machine Turns Raw Beans Into a Freshly Brewed Cup

The Bonaverde, which roasts, grinds and brews the freshest cup of coffee possible, aims to be an industry game-changer

Inventing the Perfect Umbrella

Will a Japanese designer’s new take on umbrellas catch on where others have failed?

A closeup of one of the rocks, with a patch of dust brushed away by Curiosity's instruments, that provides evidence of an ancient lake.

Curiosity Found Evidence of An Ancient Freshwater Lake on Mars

Drilling into Martian rock revealed that it formed at the bottom of a calm lake that may have had the right conditions for sustaining life

What is the Trick to Making the Most Waterproof Stuff on Earth?

It’s all in the texture. An MIT-led team of mechanical engineers is creating a super water-resistant material inspired by the wings of butterflies

This Wheel Turns Your Bicycle Into An Electric Hybrid

The Copenhagen Wheel can be snapped onto just about any bicycle to boost your pedaling power by up to 10 times

This Device Lets People Video Chat With Their Pets

Who says you can’t Skype with your cat or dog? With PetChatz, owners alleviate separation anxiety and even give their furry friends a special treat

One of the ancient human fossils found in Spain's La Sima de los Huesos.

Scientists Just Sequenced the DNA From A 400,000-Year-Old Early Human

The fossil, found in Spain, is mysteriously related to an ancient group of homonins called the Denisovans, previously found only in Siberia

Home deliveries are just one potential use of personal drones.

When Drones Get Personal

So we’ve seen how a drone can deliver a package, but can one become a buddy with a camera?

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

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