Li Zhou

Li Zhou

 

Li Zhou is the digital editorial intern for Smithsonian.com. She has previously written for The Boston Globe, PolicyMic and Interview Magazine.

This smartphone-controlled lock could replace your keys.

A Lock that Opens When You Say "Open Sesame" and Other Wild Ideas That Just Got Funded

A company is designing athletic apparel with colorful prints based on micrographs of chicken pox and muscle cells

Evan Creelman, Newlight COO; Mark Herrema, Co-Founder and CEO; and Kenton Kimmel, Co-Founder and CTO, with a few products made of AirCarbon.

Creating Plastic From Greenhouse Gases

Newlight Technologies is turning carbon emissions into plastic for everyday items

Using dirt containing bacteria that generate electricity, kids can build their own mud batteries.

A Kit to Build Your Own Mud Battery and Other Wild Ideas That Just Got Funded

Also, a campaign to build a Little Free Museum

David Lerner uses a conductivity and temperature meter to test for sewage in water, a method that's more costly and less effective than using tampons.

How Scientists Are Monitoring Water Quality With Tampons

The feminine hygiene products glow under ultra-violet light after absorbing pollutants called optical brighteners

The party doesn't start until Disco Dog walks in.

A LED Vest for Puppies and Other Wild Ideas That Just Got Funded

A new tool for runners moves beyond calories to measure the intensity of workouts

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As Part of a Museum Dance Off, National Museum of American History Breaks it Down

Twenty-eight museums around the world vie for the ultimate honor

This winter jacket is light, thin and made of the same special ingredient that insulates astronaut spacesuits.

A Winter Jacket Made From the Same Material as NASA Spacesuits and Other Wild Ideas That Just Got Funded

Plus, a high-tech update to the tried-and-true jump rope

What is the Nine Millionth Patent?

The landmark announcement is part of the United States Patent and Trademark Office's celebration of the 225th anniversary of the Patent Act

A 3D visualization of the Three-Eyed Raven concept.

The Set Designer From Game of Thrones Hints at What's to Come in Season Five

Production Designer Deborah Riley discusses the influences behind the intricate and imposing sets of the hit HBO show

Building a Bionic Pancreas

A device that tracks blood sugar and automatically administers insulin and glucagon could take some pressure off Type 1 diabetes patients and their parents

Bringing the toolbox into the 21st century.

A Tricked-Out Toolbox, a Teeny-Weeny Coffee Brewer and Other Wild Ideas That Just Got Funded

There's also a pearl necklace that can store photo and audio files

Christopher Gray, one of the Scholly founders, pitches on Shark Tank.

An App Matches Students with College Scholarships They Can Use

More than $100 million in scholarships go unclaimed every year. Scholly is connecting students with these and other funds

Billy Strayhorn playing piano in a home, May 26th,1952.

This New Collection of 12,000 Photographs Chronicles the American Jazz Scene

A donation from the family of photographer and historian Duncan Schiedt captures the music's "essence"

Farmers use the machine and provide feedback.

Farmers Can Shell Coffee in a Fraction of the Time With This Bike-Powered Machine

A team at an MIT International Development Design Summit is making coffee production a little easier for small-scale farmers in Tanzania

Duke Ellington with his orchestra.

What to Listen to and Watch for When Enjoying Jazz

For Jazz Appreciation Month, a guide to understanding the nuances, subtleties and surprises of America's unique music

This structure serves as everything from a climbing wall to a bench to a meditation space.

A Bus Stop Climbing Wall and Other Wild Ideas That Just Got Funded

Unbreakable shoelaces? They come in stylish colors and patterns

A Moon Landing in Virtual Reality, Bookniture and Other Wild Ideas That Just Got Funded

Could a new material that uses static charge to stick to any surface spell doom for Post-it notes?

The iTBra by Cyrcadia Health aims to screen for breast cancer in a new way, but still requires much testing.

Could a Bra Actually Detect Breast Cancer?

Using thermodynamic sensors, the iTBra could one day screen for breast cancer, but experts are wary

Terrifying. An ancestor of the modern-day croc stood nine feet tall and walked on its hind legs. It's been lovingly christened the "Carolina Butcher."

Before There Were Crocodiles, There Was the "Carolina Butcher"

A newly discovered crocodilian ancestor was a nine-foot-tall predator that stood on its hind legs

Bust some ghosts in this board game based on the 1984 classic.

A Ghostbusters Board Game, Lights That Respond to Music and Other Wild Ideas That Just Got Funded

Also, a sensor that uses thermal technology to track the amount of gas left in a tank

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