Innovation

Do you know how common everyday items, such as mirrors, fireworks or sunglasses work? This collection of Innovation articles explores the workings of objects you may come into contact with on a regular basis.

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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

You might argue we have scientists to thank for our own survival. What breakthroughs have kept the human race from dying out?

By Patrick J. Kiger, Colleen Cancio & Kate Kershner

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Even if you don't operate a scanning electron microscope all that frequently, you might want to brush up on these 10 scientific laws and theories. After all, they're some of our best tools for describing how the universe works.

By Jacob Silverman

Seven million (and counting) YouTube viewers can't be wrong. Nano quadrotors are tiny, autonomous flying machines that have the Internet buzzing.

By Chris Opfer

Bend but don't break: That's the idea behind many of these temblor-thwarting technologies. They may even allow a building's inhabitants to walk out unharmed and start picking up the pieces after the earthquake subsides.

By William Harris

Most loss of life in earthquakes comes from people being trapped inside crumbling buildings. And engineers have come up with many techniques to lessen the structural damage. But is there a way to make a building completely earthquake-proof?

By Laurie L. Dove

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Surprisingly, the date stamped on your unopened can of tuna doesn't really have much to do with how safe it is to eat. So what does it mean, and how can you decide whether to eat it or chuck it?

By Laurie L. Dove

You might have heard of George Washington Carver and Neil deGrasse Tyson. But what about Patricia Bath? Or Percy Julian? Meet 10 African American scientists who have made the world a better place for everyone.

By Laurie L. Dove

Before the scientific method came along, science dabbled in some pretty far-out ideas in its youth. Remember miasmas? And spontaneous generation? And the four elements?

By Nicholas Gerbis

If you step on a crack, you'll break your mother's back. Surely you know this jingle from childhood. It's a silly example of a correlation with no causation. But there are some real-world instances that we often hear, or maybe even tell?

By Nicholas Gerbis & Melanie Radzicki McManus

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After the success of craft breweries, it was perhaps inevitable that moonshine would get its own day in the sun. But while you can make both beer and whiskey at home, there are some major differences between them – starting with legality.

By Laurie L. Dove

Beer is quickly becoming a trendy mixer for more adventurous cocktail drinkers. However, this acidic ingredient doesn't always play well with others. Why can't beer and milk just get along?

By Laurie L. Dove

The age of a beer can dramatically influence its flavor, and usually not for the better. But what about its alcohol content? Does a decade-old barley pop still pack the same wallop as one bottled the week before?

By Laurie L. Dove

A quickly poured beer or soda can create a layer of foam -- also known as a "head" -- toward the top of the glass. But while a soda head rapidly disappears, a beer head lingers even after you've begun to drink the beer. How can this be possible?

By Laurie L. Dove

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Few would argue that lab rats lead an easy life. Add to it the assertion that they are prone to cancer just by being lab rats, and we've found a whole new level of depressing. But is it true?

By Kate Kershner

Rats! They're just like family. Evolutionarily, anyway. So when it comes to research and biomedical study, what can they do for us?

By Kate Kershner

The Hybrid Sports Bike, still in its prototype stage, is a three-in-one: a pedal-powered bicycle souped-up with both a gas engine and an electric motor. But how could a gas-powered bike be environmentally friendly?

By Julia Layton

Ahhhh, the good old No. 2 pencil and its oft-used eraser. Have you ever wondered exactly what science is at work when that pink, rubbery lifesaver eradicates your blunders?

By Maria Trimarchi

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In 1925, after an auto paint job gone wrong, a young research assistant was struck by the idea for adhesive tape. But how does tape actually stick, and how are we able to peel it off a roll?

By Julia Layton

Five metallic balls on slender threads sit side by side. As one on the end hits the rest, the one on the opposite end rises and falls. Why don't the balls in the middle move? It's complicated.

By Chris Schulz

If you thought that all NASA did was send shuttles into space, prepare to think again. Whether in the doctor's office, hospital or home medicine cabinet, you probably don’t go a day without bumping into some NASA technology.

By Linda C. Brinson

You might be familiar with space blankets -- those lightweight blankets worn by marathon runners or spectators in a football stadium. The technology was invented by NASA and is just one spinoff in the area of insulation. What are some others?

By John Kelly

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NASA's technological innovations haven't just gotten us to the moon and beyond -- some have also helped make life a little greener here on Earth. What are five surprisingly grounded technologies spearheaded by NASA?

By Jessika Toothman

You think you really know an invention until -- whammo -- someone comes up with a new use for it. Ointment that soothes tired cow teats and treats baldness? Who would have thought?

By William Harris