The Hoover Dam generates about 4 billion kilowatt-hours of hydroelectric power each year, enough to power the lives of 1.3 million people.

Powering the 21st Century

Where to Take a Tour of the World’s Power Plants

From Nevada’s Hoover Dam to a geothermal plant next to an Icelandic volcano, these six power stations open their doors to visitors

Engineers and doctors 3D printed this custom-made splint that currently holds open the airway of a six-week-old infant and will be gradually absorbed into the body over time.

Doctors Use a Dissolvable 3D-Printed Tracheal Splint to Save a

An infant’s collapsing airway now has a device holding it open; as his tissue strengthens, the splint will be absorbed into his body

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One Day Your Phone Will Know If You’re Happy or Sad

By analyzing every tiny facial gesture, voice inflection or even how quickly we tap out a text message, devices are getting good at reading our emotions

Bubo the robotic owl from the 1981 film Clash of the Titans

A Brief History of Robot Birds

The early Greeks and Renaissance artists had birds on their brains

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Princeton University Celebrates the Art of Science

In a new exhibition, the university showcases 43 images rooted in scientific research that force viewers to contemplate the definition of art

It’s beautiful, but does it know art?

Can Brain Scans Really Tell Us What Makes Something Beautiful?

Some scientists think we’ll be able to define great art by analyzing our brains when we see or hear it. Critics say don’t hold your breath

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The World According to Twitter, in Maps

A new geographic analysis of millions of tweets provides a remarkably broad view of humanity, by language, location and other factors

What makes a 21st century mom?

10 New Things Science Says About Moms

Among then: They answer a lot of questions and their spit is good for us

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What Happens When a Keyboard Goes From Tactile to Touchscreen?

There’s a word for that odd quirk of Apple iPads that hold on to design components of old keyboards

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What Phone Companies Are Doing With All That Data From Your Phone

They’re mining it and selling it. But don’t worry, it’s all anonymous. Maybe

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Interactive: The 50 Largest Ports in the World

Investigate for yourself the mechanisms of global trade

Artist Heather Dewey-Hagborg and her DNA-derived self-portrait.

Cracking the Code of the Human Genome

Creepy or Cool? Portraits Derived From the DNA in Hair and Gum Found in Public Places

Artist Heather Dewey-Hagborg reconstructs the faces of strangers from genetic evidence she scavenges from the streets

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Cracking the Code of the Human Genome

The Secret to a Long Life May Be Deep Inside Your Brain

Scientists have found a way to slow the aging process. Unluckily for us, they’ve only been able to do it in mice

VOTO, a new device that converts the heat from a fire into readily usable electricity.

Five Innovative Technologies that Bring Energy to the Developing World

From soccer balls to cookstoves, engineers are working on a range of devices that provide cheap, clean energy

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Want to See How an Artist Creates a Painting? There’s an App for That

The Repentir app reveals an artist’s creative process by allowing users to peel back layers of paint with the touch of their fingertips

Lego’s new Mindstorms EV3 kit lets users build 17 different robots and program them directly through an “intelligent brick.”

How Lego Is Constructing the Next Generation of Engineers

With programmable robots and student competitions, Lego is making “tinkering with machines cool again”

This wax-and-cardboard disc from 1885 contains a recording of Bell’s voice.

We Had No Idea What Alexander Graham Bell Sounded Like. Until Now

Smithsonian researchers used optical technology to play back the unplayable records

The Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine prints ear, nose and bone scaffolds that can be coated with cells to grow body parts.

What Lies Ahead for 3-D Printing?

The new technology promises a factory in every home—and a whole lot more

Advances in genetic technology have opened a window into the populous and powerful world of microbial life in and around the human body.

Microbes: The Trillions of Creatures Governing Your Health


Scientists are just now beginning to recognize the importance of the vast community of microbes that dwells inside us


The Solar Impulse flying over San Francisco at night.

Look Ma, No Fuel! Flying Cross Country on Sun Power

This week one of the strangest flying machines you’ve ever seen will start its journey across America—without a drop of fuel

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