Innovation | smithsonianmag.com

This Stockholm Neighborhood Was Built on Ambitious Sustainability Goals. When It Came Up Short, It Doubled Down and Became a Blueprint for Others

Tue, 05 May 2026 14:06:27 +0000

The original plan for Hammarby Sjöstad was for an eco-village aimed at attracting the Olympics. They never came, but the locals moved in and, with upgrades, hope to be carbon neutral by 2030

How the Classic American Game of Twister Went From Risqué to Record-Breaking

Fri, 01 May 2026 16:00:30 +0000

Sixty years ago, Johnny Carson and Eva Gabor played Twister on the “Tonight Show,” and the public took it as permission to buy the controversial game

Could Underwater Autonomous Robots Save Coral Reefs?

Thu, 30 Apr 2026 12:00:00 +0000

Reef restoration is a slow process, with divers planting coral fragments one at a time by hand. But roboticists are now developing automated planters that could change the game

These Young Innovators Have Created a 'Fitbit' to Predict Epileptic Seizures

Tue, 28 Apr 2026 15:39:54 +0000

Truman Pierson and Christopher Fitz are developing behind-the-ear EEG patches and an accompanying app that issues an alert if the user is at high risk for a seizure in the next hour

'Fresh Eyes on Ice' Teaches Kids to Collect Vital Ice Data in Remote Alaskan Communities

Thu, 16 Apr 2026 14:10:43 +0000

Students measure ice thickness and monitor spring break-up to help save lives in areas where frozen rivers are used as roadways

Sea Stars Can Lose an Arm and Soldier On. What If Robots Could Do the Same?

Thu, 02 Apr 2026 15:47:10 +0000

Bioinspiration looks to nature for clues on how to build more efficient, resilient robots

This High School Student Invented a Filter That Eliminates 96 Percent of Microplastics From Drinking Water

Fri, 20 Mar 2026 17:30:44 +0000

Virginia teenager Mia Heller’s filtration system harnesses the power of ferrofluid, a magnetic oil that binds to microplastics in flowing water

As the Planet Warms, a Humble Sea Bean Is Proving to Be a Promising Superfood

Tue, 10 Mar 2026 12:00:00 +0000

Known as samphire, sea beans, glasswort or pickleweed, Salicornia thrives in high-saline environments, like coastal marshes, and has a lot of nutritional and medicinal properties