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Smart News / Smart News Ideas & Innovations

Scientists used acidic and basic solutions to trigger chemical reactions in algae.

These Marine Algae Glow When Waves Disturb Them. Their Bioluminescence Could Power Electricity-Free Lamps of the Future

The single-celled organisms usually shimmer for mere milliseconds, but researchers figured out how to sustain their illumination. The technology could one day be used to light robots’ ways in the deep sea or space

A 19th-century painting of HMS Erebus, one of two ships involved in John Franklin's 1845 expedition to the Arctic

New Research

This Sailor From the Franklin Expedition Died in the Arctic in a Uniform That Didn’t Belong to Him. Now, DNA Has Revealed His Identity

New research has identified four members of the doomed 1845 search for the Northwest Passage, including the owner of a paper-stuffed wallet that has long mystified historians

An illustration of lymphocytes, or white blood cells in the immune system, which include T cells and other disease-fighting cells

You’ve Been Told to ‘Feed a Cold.’ Turns Out, Eating May Truly Boost Your Immune System Cells, According to a New Study

T cells, which target infection and disease, can become more effective after a meal. The finding might help improve cancer-fighting therapies and optimize our response to vaccines

The A.I. model outperformed two doctors when presented with data from dozens of real E.R. patients.

A.I. Outperformed Doctors at Diagnosing Real-World E.R. Patients in a New Study. That Doesn’t Mean Computers Will Replace Clinicians

One of OpenAI’s large language models did better than physicians in several experiments, hinting that A.I.-assisted emergency medical care could be around the corner

The winner ran the half-marathon in 50 minutes and 26 seconds.

A Humanoid Robot Just Beat the Human World Record for the Fastest Half-Marathon During a Race in China

A self-navigating robot called Lightning, developed by Chinese electronics company Honor, won the 13.1-mile race. Its results and others mark significant advancements since last year’s inaugural event, where only 6 of the 21 androids reached the finish line

On Thursday, Artemis 2 astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen gave their first press conference since splashing down. Here, Hansen holds Rise, the crew’s mascot and zero-gravity indicator, which visually demonstrated when they had entered space.

After Rounding the Moon, Artemis 2 Astronauts Reflect on the Magnitude of the Experience: ‘We as Countries and as Humans Did This’

In their first press conference since returning from space, the four-person crew described feeling small but united with people on Earth and said the mission was an achievement by all of humanity

When male greater sage grouse attempt to attract a mate, they puff up their chest, droop their wings and fan their tail feathers into a starburst shape.

One of the American West’s Most Iconic Birds Is Attempting to Mate Near a Dangerous Airport. Could Robo-Birds Help Save Them?

Conservationists are deploying dancing animatronic birds to lure male greater sage grouse away from the Jackson Hole Airport, where dozens of the creatures have been struck and killed by planes

Artemis 2's Orion capsule splashed down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego.

Artemis 2 Astronauts Successfully Return to Earth After Completing a Historic Mission Around the Moon

The crewmembers splashed down Friday after breaking a space-faring record and viewing lunar features never seen by human eyes during their ten-day trip. It marks the first time anyone has left Earth’s orbit in more than 50 years

Earth, partially illuminated, appears over the moon’s horizon at 6:41 p.m. Eastern time on Monday—just three minutes before the Artemis 2 astronauts reached the far side of the moon, initiating a communications blackout with NASA’s teams on the ground.

See the Awe-Inspiring New Photos of the Moon and Earth Sent Back From the Artemis 2 Mission

The astronauts are on their way home after looping around the moon on a historic flyby. Here are the dazzling images they captured

Researchers stimulated digital replicas of the patients' hearts with electrical signals to locate the sources of their irregular heartbeats.

Doctors Used ‘Digital Twins’ of Patients’ Hearts to Fix Their Irregular Heartbeats

A small clinical trial suggests the technology can help physicians perform life-saving surgeries more efficiently and safely

A replica of the rare Apple I is on display at the museum.

See a Colorful Wall of Vintage iMacs and a Re-creation of Steve Jobs’ Garage at a New Apple Museum in the Netherlands

The tech world changed forever when two college dropouts founded Apple on April 1, 1976. Fifty years later, a museum dedicated to the company’s history and evolution has opened in the city of Utrecht

The Artemis 2 crew reported an issue with the toilet shortly after takeoff.

Artemis Astronauts Overcome Toilet Trouble and Officially Head Toward the Moon

Houston, we have a potty problem

The escalator opened to passengers on February 17, 2026.

The World’s Longest Outdoor Escalator Just Opened in China. Riding the 3,000-Foot-Long System to the Top Takes More Than 20 Minutes

The new “Goddess” escalator in Wushan County features 21 individual escalators and 8 elevators. The modular design carries riders up 800 feet in elevation

Artemis 2 will take four astronauts around the moon.

NASA’s Artemis 2 Mission Launches, Sending Humans Toward the Moon for the First Time in More Than 50 Years

Four astronauts have begun a ten-day mission in which they’ll loop around the moon, laying the groundwork to put humans on the lunar surface as early as 2028

Ball pythons (shown), along with Burmese pythons, were studied in the new research.

Could Python Blood Lead to the Next Generation of Weight-Loss Drugs?

Researchers discovered an appetite-suppressing molecule in python blood. If one day turned into a medication, it might lack some of the common negative side effects of GLP-1s

While the cells can play the game, they’re not very good at it.

A Clump of Human Brain Cells on a Computer Chip Learned to Play the Nostalgic Video Game ‘Doom’

The technology could one day help researchers develop drugs and tailor treatments to individual patients

The antimatter went on a roughly 30-minute road trip.

In a First, the World’s Most Expensive and Volatile Substance—Antimatter—Traveled by Truck

The work paves the way for longer-distance transport of the rare material so scientists can study it at other facilities

Touch screens can be a challenge for users with long fingernails.

A New Nail Polish Might Someday Solve Touch Screen Struggles for Users With Long Fingernails

The experimental coating could effectively transform fingernails into touch screen-compatible styluses

Two participants tried the device, which translates thoughts of specific finger movements into strokes on a virtual keyboard. 

An Experimental Brain Implant Allows People With Paralysis to Type Their Thoughts With Their Minds

One of the two participants wrote words up to a speed similar to an able-bodied person texting on a smartphone

The YouTube watch page on display at the Victoria and Albert Museum's South Kensington location

Watch the First-Ever Video Uploaded to YouTube, a Grainy 19-Second Clip Called ‘Me at the Zoo’

The Victoria and Albert Museum in London has acquired the site’s very first video, which went live on April 23, 2005

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