Innovation

Before digital cameras, you needed instant film to get instant pictures. With instant-film photography, you can watch the image slowly come together in a matter of minutes. While it seems like magic, the process relies on elements of science. Find ou

By Tom Harris

Black lights look like normal lights, but they do something completely different. Switch one on, and fingernails, laundry detergent, highlighters, money and teeth will glow in the dark. Find out what why.

By Tom Harris

Remember "astronaut ice cream"? That was freeze-dried. You can find freeze-dried spaghetti and meatballs and even omelets. Find out what "freeze-dried" means and how such a state is achieved.

By Tom Harris

If you've ever tasted a Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut, you know there's something special to these melt-in-your-mouth treats. How do they make a doughnut that's crispy outside yet soft inside? Find out.

By Tom Harris

The occasional oddball research premise slips past the people who review government grant applications. What are some of the craziest instances of your tax dollars at work?

By Robert Lamb

Since the dawn of cartoons and comic books, kids have imagined themselves endowed with superpowers. What extraordinary abilities are scientists working to bring to you right now?

By Chris Jones

Cotton candy is a fluffy mass of sugary delight and a popular carnival treat that's been exciting children for more than a century. But how does cotton candy get its fine, downy texture?

By Christine Venzon

Whether it's providing us with a quick dose of energy or satisfying a sweet tooth, we love sugar. But is sugar a good fuel for us and our cars?

By Jacob Silverman

For the backyard chef and the experienced foodie alike, nothing means luxury like a fine steak, with melt-in-your-mouth tenderness and rich flavor.

By Eleanor Duse

Pet microchips are supposed to ensure recovery of your lost animal. But these chips have received as much opposition as they have praise. Find out when the devices work and when they fail.

By Jane McGrath

As you surf the Web, your mind is distracted by the thought of warm cookies floating in cold milk. Will this craving ever subside, or do you need chocolaty satisfaction ASAP?

By Cristen Conger

Touch-sensitive lamps is explored in this article from HowStuffWorks. Learn about touch-sensitive lamps.

Will slipping some java into a child's sippy cup result in an undersized tyke? An old wives' tale would have you believe so. Does coffee affect your measurements -- or does it just help you stay awake?

By Michael Franco

For such a pedestrian item, mirrors resonate deeply in the human psyche. They represent truth and illusion at the same time, and this dichotomy has shown up in literature time and again.

By Gallagher Flinn

A burn injury is one of the most devastating things a body can endure, and until recently, a serious third-degree burn meant certain death. Skin grown in a lab (yes, you read that right) improves the odds.

By Molly Edmonds

The ancient Chinese brought us many great innovations, including some that we take for granted in the modern world. Let's examine 10 of ancient China's greatest inventions.

By Josh Clark & Sascha Bos

With the launch of the Kepler telescope and observatory in 2009, scientists' knowledge of our universe has taken a quantum leap forward in a little more than five years. Orbiting our own planet, Kepler's mission is a simple one: Search for habitable planets elsewhere in the universe. This orbiting telescope is so powerful that it […] The post 10 Mindblowing Discoveries of the Universe appeared first on Goliath.

By Jack Sackman

For generations science fiction writers have helped to shape the future with their imaginations. In his classic novel From the Earth to the Moon, Jules Verne wrote a fictional account of traveling to space nearly a century before it actually happened. What's more, radar, geostationary satellites, and powerful computers that fit in your pocket were all […] The post 12 Of The Coolest Theoretical Ideas From Science Fiction appeared first on Goliath.

By Wes Walcott

From the moment we are awoken by our alarm clock in the morning, right through to when we turn out the light before going to sleep, we use an enormous amount of inventions that make our day to day lives much easier. Many of these are relatively new inventions, whilst there are also dozens of […] The post 10 Amazing Inventions We Don't Appreciate Enough appeared first on Goliath.

By Jonny Hughes

The pollution produced by cars, trucks and factories can be recycled as ink, cleaning the air of dangerous particulate matter and turning it into a useful product.

By Jim Marion

Not every wonderful invention was created intentionally. Some of the products we cherish most were born because of clumsiness or lazy tendencies. While others were discovered by watching how others interact with things differently than we do. For researchers who spend months, or even years experimenting, this spontaneous discovery can be thrilling. While not every […] The post 15 Of The Coolest Accidental Inventions appeared first on Goliath.

By Rachel Despres

Until a certain female NASA mission specialist unwittingly propelled adult diapers into the media spotlight, we never gave this question much thought. How else has the space agency changed the business of elimination?

By Nicholas Gerbis

Want to see some cool NASA technology? Just look up. No, you don't need a telescope, but you might want to use a ladder. Not only has the space agency sent Americans to the moon, but it helped put some useful gear into your attic, as well.

By Sara Novak

NASA has worked with some of the most high-tech substances in modern history, including plastic, polymers and resins. But the organization has worked with plants, too -- all for better air and water quality.

By Tristin Hopper

NASA space helmets are nifty devices that allow astronauts to operate in the hostile environment of space, but did you know that the technology behind them has also directly benefitted eyeballs here on Earth? Learn more about NASA and optics.

By Stephanie Crawford