Innovation

Innovation

a painting of a man standing outside of a building.
Centuries ago, the typical British coffeehouse was more like a "school without a master" than a place to grab a quick boost of caffeine.
a drawing of a man standing next to a painting of a woman.
Who’s afraid of utopia? AI doubters have cold feet. History can warm them.
a Tardigrade animal is shown in this image.
Tardigrades can completely dehydrate and later rehydrate themselves, a survival trick that scientists are harnessing to preserve medicines in hot temperatures.
on-the-job training
To gain its full value, L&D leaders must be open to challenging assumptions about how they approach on-the-job training.
a group of people taking pictures of a projector.
One of Apple's key innovations serves as a psychological breakthrough, as its technology eliminates the isolating feel of headset use.
a close up of a red and white shrimp.
The intensely white coloration of the shrimp is a remarkable feat of bioengineering.
three robots
Named "Phoenix," this AI-powered humanoid could be your next coworker.
A surreal painting shows a large distorted human face with closed eyes, supported by sticks, floating above a calm landscape with a boat and building in the background.
4mins
Ancient societies revered dreams. Modern science tells us why.
a room with a bunch of different types of helmets on display.
Science fiction movies capture a classic human flaw: getting the future mostly wrong.
a painting of different colors with arrows painted on it.
The Shirky Principle states that "institutions will try to preserve the problem to which they are the solution."
A vintage-style illustration of a child holding up a plate and looking at a ball or orb floating above it, set against a solid blue background.
5mins
Geniuses and prodigies are captivating. But generalists rule the world.
John Templeton Foundation
a person cooking hot dogs on a grill.
The first-of-its-kind approval could change how we think about gene-edited foods.
a close up of a rock with holes in it.
A next-generation instrument on a delayed rover may be the key to answering the question of life on Mars.
A child standing in front of a wall of jellyfish.
Despite a reputation for catastrophe and cat killings, curiosity is a beneficial drive that improves our lives and well-being.
a diagram of the energy storage system.
Old coal mines can be converted into "gravity batteries" by retrofitting them with equipment that raises and lowers giant piles of sand.
creating a culture of innovation
Creating a culture of innovation requires champions and cheerleaders at every level and in every function within an organization.
A pair of scissors appears to cut through a black and white illustration of a DNA double helix.
4mins
Forget AI. Gene editing is still our most powerful — and dangerous — technology.
a close up of a statue
As the stream of AI-generated art turns into a deluge, NFTs could become a cornerstone of the Virtual Renaissance.
a drawing of an astronaut on the moon.
In the spirit of the 1969 moon landing, we now have a golden opportunity to pursue “nondisruptive” creative solutions.
A woman with curly hair, wearing a red blouse, smiles at the camera against a plain white background.
4mins
Asking the wrong questions can hold you back. Natalie Nixon explains how to ask divergent questions to become a great thinker.
a drawing of lightning striking over a mountain.
Laser-guided lightning isn't the only manmade way to create lightning.
a group of white objects sitting on top of a black surface.
Data scientists first gained prominence by making us click on ads — now the profession spans a multiverse.
stack of shipping containers
Without modularization, many epic projects simply would be impossible.
a fighter jet flying over a mountain range.
Lockheed Martin's Skunk Works engineering division has devised many jaw-dropping aircraft. Here are some of the best — and one ship.
In 1903, a Vermont doctor bet $50 that he could cross America by car. It took him 63 days, $8,000, and 600 gallons of gas.
newspapers on a printing press
Just like with AI, people worried about job security and the spread of disinformation. Machines were destroyed and book merchants were chased out of town.
a very large spiral shaped object in the sky.
Finding this missing piece of water’s path through the universe offers clues to how it came to be on Earth.
Geological time drawn as a spiral
Humanity can avoid catastrophe — if we look beyond our blinkered present.