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Special Report

Innovation for Good

A look at the researchers, inventors and community leaders who are bringing creativity and ingenuity to today's biggest challenges


Made Possible Through the Support of raymond-james-logo-blue.png
Andriy Onufriyenko/Getty Images
Benjamin Choi was one of the top 40 finalists of this year's Regeneron Science Talent Search, the country's oldest and most prestigious science and math competition for high school seniors.

INNOVATION

This High Schooler Invented a Low-Cost, Mind-Controlled Prosthetic Arm

Reseachers tested out the backpack dubbed KNaCK in a volcanic field in New Mexico, and are hoping the tech can support astronaunts on future lunar missions.

SMART NEWS

Lunar Backpack Could Aid Astronauts on Future Missions to the Moon

<p>A Cruise car goes for a ride in San Francisco.</p>

<p></p>

SMART NEWS

Driverless Taxis Are Coming to San Francisco

Health

Researchers at Northwestern University created an implantable device that attaches to a nerve to deliver pain relief.

INNOVATION

This Dissolvable Implant Could Revolutionize Pain Management

Margaret Osborne

About 3.8 million concussions from sports-related injuries occur every year in the U.S.

SMART NEWS

This Wearable Sensor May Help Detect Concussions Early in Athletes

Margaret Osborne

Previously other companies have used 3D printing technology to produce custom prosthetic limbs from lightweight plastics and materials. Still, the ear implant is the first known example of a 3D implant made from living tissue.

SMART NEWS

Surgeons Transplant 3-D-Printed Ear Made From Patient’s Own Cells

Elizabeth Gamillo

Environment

Scientists assessed changes in the gut microbiome of superworms (Zophobas morio) in a new study.

SMART NEWS

Polystyrene-Eating 'Superworms' May Provide Clues for Better Recycling

Margaret Osborne

Royal kombu (aka sugar kelp) harvested from the Netherlands&rsquo; first organic seaweed farm enriches and flavors the Dutch Weed Burger&rsquo;s soy-chip-based patty.

INNOVATION

Is Seaweed the Next Big Alternative to Meat?

Lauren Oster

Grotto Geyser in Yellowstone National Park

SMART NEWS

Scientists Map Yellowstone’s Underground ‘Plumbing’

Sarah Kuta

Education

A new exhibition in Marseille recreates the famous cave and the art found within.&nbsp;

SMART NEWS

Tour a Submerged Cave Packed With Paleolithic Art—Without Ever Venturing Underwater

Sarah Kuta

Like a regular sail uses wind to navigate across an ocean, solar sails use the pressure exerted by sunlight to move through space. (Pictured: a conceptual illustration of a diffractive solar sail)

SMART NEWS

NASA’s New Solar Sail Could Soon Navigate in Space

Elizabeth Gamillo

A 3-D animation put together using data from lidar shows the urban center of Cotoca.

SCIENCE

Lost Cities of the Amazon Discovered From the Air

Brian Handwerk

The List

(Top) Leila Strickland, Michelle Egger, Toby Kiers, Colin Averill, J. Richard Gott (Middle) Leslie Jones-Dove, Devshi Mehrotra, Prisha Shroff, Ik&eacute; Ud&eacute; (Bottom) Tim Farrelly, Omar Salem, David Deneher, Victor A. Lopez-Carmen, Doris Sung

INNOVATION

Sixteen Innovators to Watch in 2022

These trailblazers are dreaming up a future with cell-cultured breastmilk, energy-saving windows and more

Inventions

In an effort to combat counterfeit whiskies, researchers in Australia created a device called NOS.E that can detect and identify differences by "sniffing" spirits.

SMART NEWS

A New Electronic Nose May Help Sniff Out Counterfeit Whiskey


A soup bowl monster made of yarn, created by DALL-E 2.

SMART NEWS

What Do WALL-E and Salvador Dalí Have in Common? Meet DALL-E 2


<p>Many surviving ancient descriptions are fragmented and unable to be radiocarbon dated. Now researchers say a new artificial intelligence program may help fill in those gaps.</p>

SMART NEWS

A New A.I. Can Help Historians Decipher Damaged Ancient Greek Texts

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