Innovations

New Research

Sunlight-Tracking Polymer, Inspired by Sunflowers, Could Maximize Solar Power

The SunBOTS bend toward light source and could help solar cells capture more direct sunlight all day long

November 6, 2019

New Research

Double-Sided Tape Inspired by Spiderwebs Could Revolutionize Surgery

The two-sided adhesive instantly dries tissue then creates a strong bond—in just 5 seconds

November 1, 2019

How Syndicated Columns, Comics and Stories Forever Changed the News Media

For many Americans, their “local” paper would soon look much like the paper read halfway across the country

October 30, 2019

A New Gene Editing Tool Could Make CRISPR More Precise

Prime editing offers a new way to make changes to DNA while avoiding some of the drawbacks and clunkiness of traditional CRISPR

October 21, 2019

Here’s Why A.I. Can’t Be Taken at Face Value

Cooper Hewitt’s new show drills down into the inherent biases lurking within computer intelligence systems

September 30, 2019

5 Manufacturing Innovations That Will Change the World

What happens when you combine the strength of the American worker with investment in cutting-edge science and technology? Innovations capable of changing

September 30, 2019

Can Wearable Devices Improve the Accuracy of Clinical Trials?

Can Wearable Devices Improve the Accuracy of Clinical Trials?

September 30, 2019

How Zookeepers Built Karl, the Abyssinian Ground Hornbill, a New 3-D Beak

For this species, a beak is everything and Karl has had his old one re-tooled for hunting and communication

September 25, 2019

Hitting the High Notes: A Smithsonian Year of Music

How Composer John Cage Transformed the Piano—With the Help of Some Household Objects

With screws and bolts placed between its strings, the ‘prepared piano’ offers up a wide range of sounds

September 24, 2019

Can T-Cell Therapy Prevent Immune System Disorders?

Can T-Cell Therapy Prevent Immune System Disorders?

September 23, 2019

Can Maternal Vaccines Reduce Childhood Diseases?

Can Maternal Vaccines Reduce Childhood Diseases?

September 16, 2019

New Research

1.7-Million-Year-Old Rhino Tooth Provides Oldest Genetic Information Ever Studied

Researchers read the proteins preserved in the tooth enamel of an ancient rhino, a trick that may allow them to sequence fossils millions of years old

September 12, 2019

Can Nanoparticles Help Fight Cancer?

Meet the team that is working hard to make this possibility a reality

September 9, 2019

14 Fun Facts About Roller Coasters

For starters, one of the oldest coasters in America carried coal before it carried passengers

August 16, 2019

Trending Today

Here’s How That Internet-Famous ‘Fish Tube’ Works

The cheap, efficient pneumatic tubes may be a good solution for helping salmon and other migratory species move past dams

August 15, 2019

Smithsonian Scientists Are Using Ginkgo Leaves to Study Climate Change—They Need Your Help

Citizen scientists can submit leaf samples from their hometowns through the end of August

August 6, 2019

Robotic Hand Restores Wearer’s Sense of Touch

The prosthetic enabled a test subject to pick up an egg without cracking it, send a text message, peel a banana and hold his wife’s hand

July 26, 2019

The Tokyo 2020 Olympic Medals Will Be Made of Recycled Materials

The design for the medals, created by Junichi Kawanishi, were unveiled this week

July 25, 2019

Did Stonehenge’s Builders Use Lard to Move Its Boulders Into Place?

Animal fat residue found on ceramic vessels suggests the ancient Britons who built the monument greased their wooden sledges with lard

July 16, 2019

New Research

Mussels’ Sticky Threads Could Inspire Ways to Clean Up Oil Spills, Purify Water and More

A new review shows the sticky threads the bivalves used to cling to rocks could have lot of potential engineering applications

July 12, 2019