Technology

Virtual Superhuman Powers Translate into Real Life Helpfulness

Thinking like a superhero in virtual reality may induce people to be more helpful in real life

January 31, 2013

These Machines Will Be Able to Detect Smells Your Own Nose Cannot

We're getting closer to the day when your smartphone knows you have a cold before you do

January 30, 2013

Mona Lisa Travels by Laser, to Space And Back Again

To test the reaches of laser communication, NASA beamed a digital image of Leonardo da Vinci's famous portrait to a satellite orbiting the moon

January 25, 2013

Learning From Nature How to Deal With Nature

As cities like New York prepare for what appears to be a future of more extreme weather, the focus increasingly is on following nature's lead

January 23, 2013

Can a Buzzing Fork Make You Lose Weight?

HapiFork, a utensil that slows down your eating, is one of a new wave of gadgets designed to help you take control of your health

January 17, 2013

How to Win Inauguration Weekend: There’s an App for That

One man won the election, but with free tours and insider information, you can still win the weekend. Plus hours, eating spots and where to rest your feet

January 16, 2013

Cardboard Cockroach Is the Fastest, Creepiest Robot in the World

The cardboard cockroach can sprint up to 7 miles per hour on its spindly little legs, using them much as an actual cockroach does

January 14, 2013

How Smart Should TVs Be?

January 11, 2013

Video: Tiny Artificial Muscles Dance Like Mexican Jumping Beans

MIT scientists have created thin polymer sheets that expand and contract when in contact with water, lifting several times their weight

January 10, 2013

The Gadgets of the Future From the Electrical Shows of Yesterday

Decades before the debut of the Consumer Electronics Show, early adopters flocked to extravagant high-tech fairs in New York and Chicago

January 10, 2013

President Obama’s Autopen: When is an Autograph Not an Autograph?

When the President signed the fiscal cliff deal from 4,800 miles away, he did it with the help of a device that dates back to Thomas Jefferson

January 8, 2013

What Turned Jaron Lanier Against the Web?

The digital pioneer and visionary behind virtual reality has turned against the very culture he helped create

January 2013

Six Innovators to Watch in 2013

All are inventive minds pushing technology in fresh directions, some to solve stubborn problems, others to make our lives a little fuller

December 27, 2012

The Best Inventions of 2012 You Haven’t Heard of Yet (Part 2)

Here's the second half of a list of innovations that, while not as splashy as Google Glass, may actually become a bigger part of our daily lives.

December 21, 2012

The Best Inventions of 2012 You Haven’t Heard of Yet (Part 1)

They haven't received much attention yet, but here are some of the more innovative--and useful--ideas that have popped up this year.

December 18, 2012

A More Human Artificial Brain

Canadian researchers have created a computer model that performs tasks like a human brain. It also sometimes forgets things

December 14, 2012

10 Gifts to Celebrate Innovation

From glasses that fight jet lag to a plant that waters itself to a rocking chair that fires up the iPad, here are presents no one will forget

December 7, 2012

Your Cell Phone Could Soon Become Part of a Massive Earthquake Detection System

In the future, your cell phone's accelerometer could help detect earthquakes

December 5, 2012

Take Two Pills and Charge Me in the Morning

Health and medical mobile apps are booming. But what happens when they shift from tracking data to diagnosing diseases?

December 4, 2012

Are You Smarter Than Your Grandfather? Probably Not.

Senility isn’t the answer; IQ scores are increasing with each generation. In a new book, political scientist James Flynn explains why

December 3, 2012