Innovation | smithsonianmag.comhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/rss/innovation/RSS feed for InnovationenThu, 29 Oct 2026 11:00:00 +0000Before Mountain Biking Became One of the Most Popular Recreational Sports, Adventurous Souls of the American West Had to Invent a Rugged Bikehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/before-mountain-biking-became-popular-recreational-sports-adventurous-souls-american-west-invent-rugged-bike-180989645/The origin story has two settings: In Colorado, a gang of riders had the tenacity to conquer a treacherous terrain, and in California, others had the technology to design the ideal rideThu, 29 Oct 2026 11:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/before-mountain-biking-became-popular-recreational-sports-adventurous-souls-american-west-invent-rugged-bike-180989645/Could This Dutch Invention Help Tackle Plastic Pollution in America's Waterways?https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/could-this-dutch-invention-help-tackle-plastic-pollution-in-americas-waterways-180989651/The Netherlands has had success with the Bubble Barrier, which pumps air bubbles from the bottom of a canal or river to direct plastic to the surface. Now, Lansing, Michigan, is looking to be the first to install the technology statesideFri, 09 Oct 2026 17:49:27 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/could-this-dutch-invention-help-tackle-plastic-pollution-in-americas-waterways-180989651/This Lollipop Could Help Blind Women Independently Detect Pregnancyhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/this-lollipop-could-help-blind-women-independently-detect-pregnancy-180989608/Design student Sneha Rao is developing Tact, an edible pregnancy test that allows people with vision impairment to feel its results on their tonguesTue, 06 Oct 2026 18:14:23 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/this-lollipop-could-help-blind-women-independently-detect-pregnancy-180989608/The Humble History of the Bedpanhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/the-humble-history-of-the-bedpan-180989560/Over the past few centuries, inventors have tweaked the design of the receptacles here and there, but overall, not much has changed about the dependable medical supplyThu, 24 Sep 2026 19:04:30 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/the-humble-history-of-the-bedpan-180989560/From 22,000 Miles Up, This Satellite Tracks Airborne Health Threats Almost in Real Timehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/from-22000-miles-up-this-satellite-tracks-airborne-health-threats-almost-in-real-time-180989523/The new instrument, called TEMPO, captures hourly snapshots of the pollutants swirling in the daytime atmosphere over North America—“chemical weather” reports that are helpful to public health researchers and government officialsFri, 18 Sep 2026 18:02:03 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/from-22000-miles-up-this-satellite-tracks-airborne-health-threats-almost-in-real-time-180989523/Could Artificial Intelligence Help With Early Diagnosis of Schizophrenia?https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/could-artificial-intelligence-help-with-early-diagnosis-of-schizophrenia-180989486/The tool may pick up subtle differences in the speech of people with the mental health condition better than human psychiatristsFri, 11 Sep 2026 13:31:01 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/could-artificial-intelligence-help-with-early-diagnosis-of-schizophrenia-180989486/