Smart Takes
Busting hurricanes with ocean cooling pumps
A climate scientist at Stanford University's Carnegie Institute is trying to cool the seas to weaken hurricanes and minimize the death and destruction they bring.
Business Brains
High-speed rail helps European economy; can it help the US?
European Union report cites increased 'social cohesion' as a result of high-speed rail links. But North America is laid out differently.
Pure Genius
What can older dogs teach us about longevity?
A veterinarian sets off to make (dog) house visits across the country, to learn why some canines have reached a very old age.
Intelligent Energy
Future for self-tinting windows looks rosy
Sage Electrochromics receives $72 million in federal funding for smart windows. Their high-tech glass dims and brighten automatically and could be a clear choice for green buildings.
Thinking Tech
Lessons from Toyota: Has software become too complex?
Is the unintended acceleration in Toyotas caused by faulty software? It doesn't matter when it comes to the question of software complexity. How massive can software systems become and still be safe?
Science Scope
Can ancient DNA from eggshells be used to resurrect an extinct bird?
Australian researchers extracted DNA from a 19,000-year-old emu eggshell as well as other extinct birds, shedding light on how the avian creatures lived and died.
Rethinking Healthcare
Alcohol and old studies
Some time in the not-too-distant future, we will be able to look at data on millions of women and parse it carefully so we get their actual intake, not an estimate, and a firm result on this question. But that time is not now.
Smart Video
Active SmartPlanet
- Science changing its mind on dinosaurs again
- Energizing the silent majority for vaccines
- War against sudden global warming may already be lost
- Blaming evolution for our slow response to global warming
- How should New York City deal with rising sea levels? Five designers duke it out
- Physicist proves that teleportation of energy is possible
- Dems run quarterback draw on health care fourth down
- Toyota issues software patch for Prius; Do autos need to adopt IT best practices?
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