Technology

What’s next for the Internet of Things?

Source: TED

The Internet of Things is a movement to make the objects around us, from umbrellas to traffic lights, internet capable. Learn about the technology that already exists and what the future holds.

Activism Or Slacktivism? How Social Media Hurts And Helps Student Activism

Source: St. Louis Public Radio

Listen to the radio piece to learn about “slacktivism,” or supporting a cause simply by “liking” it on social media, and how experts suggest turning it into real activism.

Social Insects Inspire Design of Autonomous Robots

Source: ASME

Robotics may seem to owe little to nature and everything to technology. But engineers have used the actions of social insects to guide the movements of robots that are not directly controlled by humans. Read this article to discover what robots can learn from ants.

Eureka!

Source: Smithsonian

“One sometimes finds what one is not looking for,” said Alexander Fleming, whose chance observation of a contaminated experiment led to the the world’s first antibiotic. This Smithsonian article discusses inventions and discoveries that centered on a flash of insight in a mind prepared to see what it wasn’t looking for.

How a Fallout Shelter Ended up at the American History Museum

Source: Smithsonian

Half a century ago, fallout shelters were everywhere. One of these well-stocked little bunkers, meant to protect people from the fallout of an atomic bomb, is now part of history.

The Dawn of the Age of Artificial Intelligence

Source: The Atlantic

In this article, Erik Brynjolfsson and Andrew McAfee discuss the second machine age, in which artificial intelligence and the ability of most people to access online resources will come together to create new innovations.

Imagine a world without fossil fuels

Source: The Kid Should See This

Can you imagine a world where humans aren’t reliant on fossil fuels? Such a thing may seem impossible, but Christiana Figueres believes this ambitious goal is not only possible, but within reach.

Oceanic Trouble? Summon These Aquanauts!

Source: Great Big Story

The aquanauts at the Florida International University Aquarius research laboratory, an underwater lab, are working to save the world’s oceans. Watch a video about the importance of their work.