Science & Technology

The future is in good hands with these innovators, and these stories of inventions, technology, and scientific ingenuity are changing not only the way we see the world, but also the world itself.

Image: A floating solar farm with two workers walking on top of it.

Floating Solar Farms Are a Game Changer

The sun’s power is virtually infinite — opportunities to collect and make use of it are not. As demand for renewable energy increases, so does the need for places to generate it. Over the last few years, a technological evolution has resulted in solar farms that take up no land at all.

Image: Two whales swimming in the ocean, one under the surface and the other breached and spraying whale snot into the air.

How Whale Snot is Saving an Ocean Near You!

Whale biologists at the Ocean Alliance are pioneering a new, non-invasive way to study whales using drones that allows scientists to observe whales like never before. These insights are giving us a glimpse into the lives of the largest creatures to ever live, and helping us understand how to better protect the oceans that they call home and we depend on.

Image: The James Webb Space Telescope's "Cosmic Tarantula"

The Most Detailed Look at Space We’ve Ever Seen Begins to Answer Humankind’s Biggest Questions

On Christmas Day 2021, NASA launched a piece of technology into orbit that has gotten us closer than ever before to some of humanity’s deepest questions. This machine is giving us the best look we’ve ever had at the very origins of our universe. Here's a look at the first four images from the James Webb Space Telescope.

Image: Purple, sparkly slime. Not the exact slime that makes up the slime robots, but certainly a more aesthetic version!

These Slime Robots Could Save Your Life!

When I say “robot” what do you think of? I’m guessing it’s something boxy, solid, metal, maybe a little rigid in its movements. So, what if I told you that scientists are working on a liquid robot, or to be more accurate, a slime robot. This strange little guy challenges our understanding of what robots can be capable of, and in the process, has the power to revolutionize medicine!

Image: A woman sitting by the sea, drinking water out of a water bottle.

New Portable Device Makes Seawater Drinkable On The Go

Whether you're in the city or on a mountain, any water can now become drinkable. Using less power than a cell phone charger and powered by a small solar panel, this new portable device can make undrinkable water drinkable on the go!

Image: A shark swimming near the surface of the ocean, one of the many sharks who inspired the Sharklet antibacterial pattern.

The World’s First Germ Resistant Material, Inspired by… Sharks?

Taking inspiration from sharks, we now have a technology that can help prevent the spread of Staph infections, E Coli, MRSA, and other superbugs that we don’t even have antibiotics for yet! Engineers have discovered that shark skin has a unique pattern that can be duplicated and applied to everything from door handles to medical equipment to prevent the spread of deadly diseases.

Image: The wing of an airplane, which may soon be using algae to fly

Airplanes May Soon be Using Algae to Fly

New uses for algae are becoming increasingly widespread. From eating healthier, to a natural fertilizer, and to being used in a bio-jet fuel, this aquatic plant’s popularity is soaring.

Image: A close up of a woman with eyes closed, listening intently to use echolocation and see the world with sound

Seeing the World with Sound: How Humans Can Learn to Use Echolocation!

Close your eyes and just take a second to listen to the world around you. Can you pick a single sound out of the noise and locate where it’s coming from? For those who are blind or vision impaired, the idea of “seeing” with sound isn’t far off. In fact, there is a growing community of people around the world who are using a technique called "FlashSonar" to train their brains to see the world around them in stunning detail using sound.

Image: HeroRAT Froome training to detect mines in Tanzania

These Heroic Rats Save Lives by Detecting Land Mines and Tuberculosis

Step aside Remy from Ratatouille and Templeton from Charlotte’s Web! These rescuer rats trained by nonprofit APOPO might not be nearly as famous, but their work sniffing out land mines and tuberculosis is saving many, many more lives.

Image: The tide rolling in on a beach from above.

Using the Moon to Power our Cities with Tidal Power

What if the moon could be our next renewable energy source? Okay, maybe not the moon itself, but a force that it’s controlled since the first oceans covered our planet: the tides. More consistent and constant than wild or solar, this energy source could be the next leap in renewable energy.

NASA’s Message to Alien Life Celebrates the Best of Humanity

Did you know that back in 1977, NASA launched a time capsule into outer space? This historic message in a bottle is called the Golden Record, and it is a feast for the eyes, ears, mind, and soul. Let’s discover how scientists described humanity to extraterrestrial life forms, and see if it still holds up today!

How to Invent Yourself with Innovative Thinking with Ann Makosinski

Ann Makosinski is our youngest guest in Happy[ness] Hour history but don’t let that fool you her accomplishments are much greater than your average 23 year old. Ann is an inventor, writer, global keynote speaker, and CEO of her own company! A person with aspirations this high who is able to achieve so much at a young age is someone we can all learn something from. She will show us the power of innovative thinking. How it has changed her life and how it has the potential to change all of ours.

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