Innovations

There's a Giant Warehouse Full of Product Launches That Failed

Not open to the public, this expansive archive schools marketers in the art of pitchmanship

Experts Assess Why This Plane Fell Off a Cliff

On October 10, 2006, Atlantic Airways Flight 670 overran the runway at Stord Airport in Norway, and careened off a nearby cliff

A battery-powered facial mask did not zap wrinkles.

The Museum of Failure Showcases the Beauty of the Epic Fail

A new exhibition of inventions that bombed boldly celebrates the world’s most creative screw-ups

Glowing proteins produced by the modified E. coli.

DNA Code Gets Two New Synthetic Letters—And Uses Them to Create a New Protein

Researchers hope the advance is a step toward producing a range of new compounds, including designer drugs and biofuels

For the first time, human beings harnessed the power of atomic fission.

The Science Behind the First Nuclear Chain Reaction, Which Ushered in the Atomic Age 75 Years Ago

That fateful discovery helped give us nuclear power reactors and the atomic bomb

Thomas Wilfred Sitting at the Clavilux “Model E,” about 1924

This Artist Painted With Light. An Admiring Astronomer Helped Make Him a Star

The works and machinations of Thomas Wilfred, a lone performer, inventor and visionary, are now on view

John Legend

What Makes John Legend America's Most Versatile Artist

Songwriter, singer, actor, producer, virtual reality maven. John Legend is an entertainment all-star

Jony Ive

Why Jony Ive Is Apple's Design Genius

His work has become the seeds of a tech revolution that is rapidly changing our lives

This Ex-Trapeze Artist Made Parachutes Safer

Toward the end of WWI, it became clear to the U.S. government that pilots needed parachutes to better save their lives

A medium-size passenger jet burns roughly 750 gallons of fuel per hour.

Can Sugarcane Fuel Airplanes?

Scientists have engineered sugarcane to increase its oil content, and they are developing renewable jet aircraft fuel from the oil

This Pressure Suit Helped Pilots Survive New Heights

Aviation pioneer Wiley Post needed an oxygenated pressure suit to survive a high-altitude transcontinental flight. Enter engineer Russell Colley

A solar and battery-powered microgrid got San Juan’s Children’s Hospital quickly back online after Hurricane Maria.

Why Puerto Rico's Power Can't Come From Solar 'Microgrids' Alone

The island could benefit from on-site solar and battery backup, but the strategy isn't a cure-all for its energy woes

The herbarium of Washington, D.C.'s Natural History Museum teems with pressed specimens of thousands of distinct plants.

How Artificial Intelligence Could Revolutionize Archival Museum Research

A new study shows off a computer program’s specimen-sorting prowess

Existing cars can stop when they detect pedestrians.

Computer Systems and Sensors Could Put a Stop To Car-Based Attacks

Driver aid systems and self-driving vehicle control systems could override a driver who is trying to strike people

An illustrated depiction of a scene of Lincoln lying in state

When You Die, You'll Probably Be Embalmed. Thank Abraham Lincoln For That

The president was an "early adopter" of embalming technology, helping to bring the modern death industry to the mainstream

El Greco: Apocalyptic Vision {The Vision of St. John)

Where Do New Ideas Come From?

With close study, the genealogies of even the most original ideas can be traced

Watch This RoboBee Surge From Water to Sky

Researcher hope that someday similar robots could help with everything from biological monitoring to search and rescue

The creative output of Fats Domino, who died October 25, 2017 at the age of 89, was consistently compelling, and fans were delighted to eat it all up.

Fats Domino's Infectious Rhythms Set a Nation in Motion

This Rock ’n’ Roll maverick was a true New Orleans original

“And bats with baby faces in the violet light / Whistled, and beat their wings”—T.S. Eliot, The Waste Land

How a Deadly Flesh-Eating Fungus Helped Make Bats Cute Again

A silver lining to the worldwide epidemic of white nose syndrome: People like bats more now

That black light you had as a teenager might help put an end to that foul barnyard odors in the future.

Is Black Light the Path to a Stink-Free Livestock Farm?

Researchers at Iowa State University are using a new technique involving the UV-light producing device to curb bad odors

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