December 2013

The 2013 Smithsonian American Ingenuity Awards

Mars Attack!

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

Notes from the Edge

The singer-composer brings new sophistication to pop composition, conjuring ethereal dreamscapes from her suburban roots

Voices Carry

The Voice of Witness project spearheaded by Dave Eggers and Mimi Lok gives the victims of crisis a megaphone

Quantum Mechanic

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

Warp Factor

John Rogers, a revolutionary materials scientist, is pushing the boundaries of the medical world

Visualizing Ben

Historian Caroline Winterer’s analysis of Franklin’s letters applies big data to big history

Climb Higher

Caroline Hoxby and her team of researchers are revolutionizing the way the best colleges reach out to talented low-income students

Escape Artist

The artist uses video, music, mirrors, railroad cars, even entire buildings to create works that make every viewer a participant

Code Breaker

Biologist Michael Skinner has enraged the chemical community and shocked his peers with his breakthrough research

Can You Hear Me Now?

One of the earliest examples of ingenuity in the Western Hemisphere is composed of gourds and twine

Dreaming of Shakespeare

For the renowned director of the screen and stage, the Bard is a fantasy and a nightmare