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Water

The better we can track hydration in plants, the more we can avoid both over- and under-watering our crops.

The Innovative Spirit fy17

This Snap-On Sensor Could Tell Farmers Exactly How Much To Water Their Crops

A team at Penn State University is developing a clip-on leaf sensor that measures water stress on individual plants

The Contemplative Court at the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture

The Innovative Spirit fy17

In This Quiet Space for Contemplation, a Fountain Rains Down Calming Waters

One year after the Nation’s first black president rang in the opening of the African American History Museum, visitors reflect on its impact

An illustration of what the surface of exoplanet TRAPPIST-1f could look like if it had liquid water

New Research

Could These Nearby Earth-Sized Exoplanets Harbor Liquid Water?

Analysis of the TRAPPIST-1 stellar system shows that several of its planets have the right conditions for liquid water

The Indus Valley, north of Besham, Pakistan

In Pakistan, Arsenic-Laced Groundwater Puts 60 Million People at Risk

Most live in the Indus River Valley

New Research

The Scientific Reason You Should Add a Splash of Water to Your Whiskey

A computer simulation shows that diluting whiskey brings flavor molecules to the surface, improving the aroma and taste of the tipple

A rendering of how a performance on the Floating Museum's moving exhibit "River Assembly"

Catch the Museum Floating Through the Chicago River

On a converted barge, the Floating Museum reflects on Chicago’s industrial past and cultural present

An environmental sample processor is lowered into Lake Erie.

Underwater Robot Labs Monitor Toxins

The labs have been deployed in Lake Erie, where blooms of toxic algae have made water undrinkable in past years.

The algal scrubber in action.

The Innovative Spirit fy17

Smithsonian Scientists Are Using Algae to Revitalize America’s Waterways

Walter Adey’s algal turf scrubber filters pollutants to clean water

This month, several news outlets misleadingly reported that women's birth control was causing "transgender" fish.

How One Bad Science Headline Can Echo Across the Internet

Recent articles claiming birth control causes “transgender” fish show how science communication can mislead—even when it relies on facts

Cenote Ik-Kil, Tinúm Municipality, Yucatán, Mexico

Dive Into Five of the World’s Deepest Freshwater Swimming Holes

Take the plunge into some interesting geology

A drinking fountain next to St. Peter's square after the Vatican began shutting down its fountains due to Italy's drought.

Vatican Shuts Off Its Historic Fountains in Midst of Scorching Drought

It is the first time that authorities can remember being forced to take such a step

Webster's Waterfall is just one of more than 150 waterfalls located in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.

Just 50 Miles From Niagara Falls Lies the True Waterfall Capital of the World

Niagara Falls has nothing on Hamilton, a Canadian city with more than 150 waterfalls

This structure in Tuscany holds clues to why Roman concrete is still so strong.

New Research

Why Ancient Roman Concrete Is So Strong

A rare chemical reaction strengthens it even today—and that could help threatened coastal communities

Coral reefs, like this one off the coast of South Africa, are rich both in hue and aquatic sounds.

Coral Reefs Sound Like Popcorn, and That’s a Good Thing

The oceans boast a vibrant soundscape, but we may be slowly silencing their symphonies

This mass of ocean fossils was found in Montana, which used to be covered by a gigantic body of water.

Cool Finds

Scientists Are Putting Tens of Thousands of Sea Fossils Online

The Western Interior Seaway is gone, but not forgotten

For the times that licking an ice cream cone is too difficult, this patented motorized ice cream cone does the work for you. Happy summer.

The Innovative Spirit fy17

Motorized Ice Cream Cones and Floating Campgrounds: 14 of the Wackiest Summer Fun Patents

Inventors never stop thinking of new ways to have fun, as these 14 patents show.

Natural Phenomenon Creates Awesome Waterslide at Great Sand Dunes National Park

Each spring and early summer, melting snow creates waves in Colorado

Thank tiny phytoplankton for this brilliant bloom.

Cool Finds

The Strait That Separates Europe and Asia Turned a Brilliant Turquoise

The Bosphorus and Black Sea are even more beautiful thanks to phytoplankton

Charles Blomfield

Cool Finds

After 130 Years, Lost Natural Wonder May Have Been Rediscovered in New Zealand

It was believed the Pink and White Terraces were destroyed in an eruption, but research suggests they are buried under ash and mud

Once rare floods could afflict cities like San Diego more often in the future, a new study finds.

New Research

Catastrophic Coastal Floods Could Become Much More Likely

A new study predicts a median 40-fold increase in flood frequency by 2050

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