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Scientific Innovation

Much about lightning remains a mystery.

8 Things We’ve Learned Lately About Thunder and Lightning

Such as, storms can make your head hurt. And we should expect more turbulence on transatlantic flights

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One Day Your Phone Will Know If You’re Happy or Sad

By analyzing every tiny facial gesture, voice inflection or even how quickly we tap out a text message, devices are getting good at reading our emotions

Galaxy M106 as captured by the Hubble Space Telescope.

How Edwin Hubble Became the 20th Century’s Greatest Astronomer

The young scientist demolished the old guard’s ideas on the nature and size of the universe

It’s beautiful, but does it know art?

Can Brain Scans Really Tell Us What Makes Something Beautiful?

Some scientists think we’ll be able to define great art by analyzing our brains when we see or hear it. Critics say don’t hold your breath

What makes a 21st century mom?

10 New Things Science Says About Moms

Among then: They answer a lot of questions and their spit is good for us

Research shows that mothers are better than others at problem solving, handling stress and at completing certain memory tasks.

How Motherhood Makes You Smarter

New studies on rats show that being a mom does more than change her body, it may maximize her brainpower too

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Cracking the Code of the Human Genome

The Secret to a Long Life May Be Deep Inside Your Brain

Scientists have found a way to slow the aging process. Unluckily for us, they’ve only been able to do it in mice

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From the Editor

From the Editor

The Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine prints ear, nose and bone scaffolds that can be coated with cells to grow body parts.

What Lies Ahead for 3-D Printing?

The new technology promises a factory in every home—and a whole lot more

A “laser cowboy” makes a 3-D scan of Lincoln’s life mask at the Portrait Gallery.

How the Smithsonian is Coming to You

Between smartphone apps and local exhibitions, the Institution is looking for great new ways to connect to our biggest fans

Music works deep into our brains.

Eight New Things We’ve Learned About Music

It’s right up there with food, sex and drugs when its comes to stirring up pleasure responses in our brains

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Should We Fall Out of Love with Robot Surgery?

The FDA is investigating whether doctors aren’t getting enough training before they start using machines to do surgery. Is the “wow” factor to blame?

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Educating Americans for the 21st Century

The Very Model of a Modern Major STEM School

As science and math-focused campuses multiply around the country, Denver’s School of Science and Technology is deciding what makes a STEM school great

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Educating Americans for the 21st Century

How to Count to 100,000 STEM Teachers in 10 Years

Talia Milgrom-Elcott is building a coalition of the willing, an army devoted to bringing thousands of educators to the classroom

Technician Maggie Halloran explains to a group of high school students how DNA sequencing works at the National Museum of Natural History’s new Laboratories of Analytical Biology (LAB), a molecular biotechnology hub.

Educating Americans for the 21st Century

How Museums Are Fostering the Workforce of the Future

The Smithsonian’s Natural History Museum gives high school students an inside look at collections, labs and the people who run them

Manassas Park Elementary School, Manassas, Virginia. Architect: VMDO Architects, PC.

Educating Americans for the 21st Century

Where Are the Greenest Schools in the Country?

The definition of being eco-conscious is so much more than having solar panels on a roof

Imagine them without the blades

Do Wind Turbines Need a Rethink?

They’re still a threat to bats and birds and now they even have their own “syndrome”. So, are there better ways to capture the wind?

New research says olive oil is one healthy fat.

10 New Things We Know About Food and Diets

Scientists keep learning new things about food, from the diet power of olive oil’s aroma to how chewing gum can keep you away from healthy foods

Smartphones are changing our notion of acceptable behavior.

How Digital Devices Change the Rules of Etiquette

Should sending “Thank you” emails and leaving voice mails now be considered bad manners? Some think texting has made it so

A good night’s sleep is worth the effort.

Lousy Sleep Isn’t Good For Your Body, Either

More and more scientific research is showing that sleep is more important to our state of mind—and body—than we ever could have imagined

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