Innovation | smithsonianmag.comhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/rss/innovation/RSS feed for InnovationenFri, 18 Sep 2026 18:02:03 +0000From 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/We’ve Been Strapping Cargo to Our Backs for Millions of Years, but Backpack Innovation Really Took Off Around the Civil Warhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/weve-been-strapping-cargo-backs-millions-years-backpack-innovation-took-off-around-civil-war-180989280/Discover the origin story for an accessory being comfortably lugged by nearly every hiker and student, with about 450 million sold each yearTue, 01 Sep 2026 12:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/weve-been-strapping-cargo-backs-millions-years-backpack-innovation-took-off-around-civil-war-180989280/For Many Americans, Covid Is Still a Chronic, Disabling Disease. These Scientists Are Working Tirelessly to Bring Them Reliefhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/many-americans-covid-still-chronic-disabling-disease-scientists-working-tirelessly-bring-them-relief-180989290/Long Covid saps the strength and vitality of patients, who have little recourse to fight it. A team of specialists—including an afflicted researcher working mostly from her bed—is looking for answersMon, 31 Aug 2026 12:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/many-americans-covid-still-chronic-disabling-disease-scientists-working-tirelessly-bring-them-relief-180989290/Why Gen Z Is Learning to Paint Like 19th-Century Artistshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/why-gen-z-is-learning-to-paint-like-19th-century-artists-180989359/Paint groups are popping up in parks. Art schools are seeing a surge in applications. The rise of A.I. has people turning to more traditional art formsTue, 18 Aug 2026 18:14:03 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/why-gen-z-is-learning-to-paint-like-19th-century-artists-180989359/Australia's Social Media Ban for Teens May Not Be the Best Solution, But It's Certainly Getting People Talkinghttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/australias-social-media-ban-for-teens-may-not-be-the-best-solution-but-its-certainly-getting-people-talking-180989355/The Aussie experiment comes amid a lack of clear evidence that the apps harm most adolescents. It may take a dramatic research pivot to finally reveal what’s going on and how to fix it.Mon, 17 Aug 2026 19:15:28 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/australias-social-media-ban-for-teens-may-not-be-the-best-solution-but-its-certainly-getting-people-talking-180989355/The Global Web of Subsea Cables That Connects the World Can Now Detect Whales—Even When They're Silenthttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/the-global-web-of-subsea-cables-that-connects-the-world-can-now-detect-whales-even-when-theyre-silent-180989326/A diving whale revealed how existing technology makes it possible to monitor cetaceans swimming quietly across the seabedThu, 13 Aug 2026 14:26:39 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/the-global-web-of-subsea-cables-that-connects-the-world-can-now-detect-whales-even-when-theyre-silent-180989326/How the Boogie Board Became One of Summer's Most Popular Toyshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/how-the-boogie-board-became-one-of-summers-most-popular-toys-180989316/Fifty-five years ago, surfer Tom Morey cut a piece of polyethylene foam with a carving knife and created a wave-riding board with a low barrier of entryWed, 12 Aug 2026 17:02:02 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/how-the-boogie-board-became-one-of-summers-most-popular-toys-180989316/This High Schooler Invented a Plant-Based Plastic That Removes Microplastics From the Environment as It Biodegradeshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/this-high-schooler-invented-a-plant-based-plastic-that-removes-microplastics-from-the-environment-as-it-biodegrades-180989254/Eighteen-year-old Arya Satheesh created her award-winning Eco Purge to help address the global problem of plastic pollutionThu, 06 Aug 2026 11:06:54 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/this-high-schooler-invented-a-plant-based-plastic-that-removes-microplastics-from-the-environment-as-it-biodegrades-180989254/The History of the Beach Read, From 19th-Century 'Moral Debasement' to BookTokhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/the-history-of-the-beach-read-from-19th-century-moral-debasement-to-booktok-180989238/The still-popular genre got its start 150 years ago, when publishers profited off the rise of travel in the United States during an otherwise slow publishing seasonMon, 03 Aug 2026 14:22:30 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/the-history-of-the-beach-read-from-19th-century-moral-debasement-to-booktok-180989238/The First At-Home Test for Infected Ticks Could Improve Lyme Disease Diagnosishttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/the-first-at-home-test-for-infected-ticks-could-improve-lyme-disease-diagnosis-180989235/LymeAlert will hit the market in August. The latest tool against the tick-borne illness could become a medicine cabinet stapleFri, 31 Jul 2026 12:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/the-first-at-home-test-for-infected-ticks-could-improve-lyme-disease-diagnosis-180989235/How A.I. Will Reshape Radiology—Without Replacing Radiologistshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/how-ai-will-reshape-radiologywithout-replacing-radiologists-180989220/Human experience and flexibility are still necessary even as digital diagnostic tools improveWed, 29 Jul 2026 18:15:28 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/how-ai-will-reshape-radiologywithout-replacing-radiologists-180989220/A Brief History of Hold Music, From Early Patents to the Soundtrack of Customer-Service Purgatoryhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/a-brief-history-of-hold-music-from-early-patents-to-the-soundtrack-of-customer-service-purgatory-180989185/Sixty years ago, Alfred A. Levy patented his “telephone hold program system.” Little did he know a teenager’s unearthed New Age practice tape would become its enduring anthemFri, 24 Jul 2026 16:00:08 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/a-brief-history-of-hold-music-from-early-patents-to-the-soundtrack-of-customer-service-purgatory-180989185/