Scientific Innovation
A Submarine Dangerously Tests How Deep It Can Go
The USS Tang was a state-of-the-art Balao class submarine, certified by the Navy to dive up to 400 feet
E.O. Wilson Urges Tomorrow’s Scientists to Seek Earth’s Undiscovered Riches
In a Smithsonian talk, the eminent biologist argued for more protected areas and greater efforts to map the diversity of life
The First Telephone Book Had Fifty Listings and No Numbers
It came out less than two years after Alexander Graham Bell invented the device
The History and Science Behind Your Terrible Breath
Persistent mouth-stink has been dousing the flames of passion for millennia. Why haven’t we come up with a cure?
Contraceptive Gel Called the “IUD For Men” Makes It Through Monkey Trials
Vasalgel aims to make contraception for men as easy and effective as IUDs have for women
Watch the Original 1959 Ad for the First Office-Ready Xerox Machine
When the Xerox 914 entered offices, the working world changed forever
These Four Black Women Inventors Reimagined the Technology of the Home
By designating the realm of technology as 'male,' we overlook key inventions that took place in the domestic sphere
The Father of Canning Knew His Process Worked, But Not Why It Worked
Nicolas Appert was trying to win a hefty prize offered by the French army
Can Eagle-Eyed Artificial Intelligence Help Prevent Children From Going Blind?
Deep learning pinpoints cataracts more accurately than humans, and could help prevent this form of vision loss in children
In One 1968 Presentation, This Inventor Shaped Modern Computing
Douglas Engelbart’s career was about seeing the possibilities of what computing could do for humanity
Why Did People Think Steam-Powered Cars Were a Good Idea?
In the early days, steam cars were as common as gas ones. Why aren’t we driving them today?
Scientists Can Turn This Gecko-Inspired Gripping Device On or Off With the Flick of a Light
The mighty lizard inspires yet another innovation that could prove a boon to robotics and manufacturing
When Robots Take All of Our Jobs, Remember the Luddites
What a 19th-century rebellion against automation can teach us about the coming war in the job market
Hear This, 2017: Scientists Are Creating New Ears With 3D-Printing and Human Stem Cells
Two decades after the "earmouse," researchers have mastered a powerful technique for growing ears from fat-derived stem cells
Why Holograms Will Probably Never Be as Cool as They Were in "Star Wars"
But those that do exist must be preserved and archived
Sure, Earth Could Get Hit by a Deadly Asteroid—But There’s an Upside
Con: Devastating outer space impacts. Pro: Global unity!
Your Breath Does More Than Repulse—It Can Also Tell Doctors Whether You Have Cancer
An artificial “nose” could be the next tool for diagnosing illnesses from cancer to Crohn's disease
For a Larger-Than-Life Space Icon, John Glenn Was Remarkably Down-to-Earth
Friends and colleagues recall his abiding love for Smithsonian’s work, the history of spaceflight and peanut butter buckeyes
The Best Books About Innovation of 2016
If you have a lover of big ideas on your holiday shopping list, consider these thought-provoking titles published this year
Drilling Deep: How Ancient Chinese Surgeons Opened Skulls and Minds
A new review finds evidence that the Chinese performed trepanation more than 3,500 years ago
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