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Illustrations by Shingo Shimizu Breakthroughs in materials science mean greener, cleaner, and safer spaces. We take a closer peek at three that amaze. .h2{ color:rgb(0,113,146) !important; clear:both !important; } .p{ font-size:11.5px !important; clear:both !important; } #float_box { width:580px; margin:10px auto; } #bird_windows { width:250px; margin-right:20px; float:left; } #bird_windows img { margin-bottom:10px; } #liquid_glass { width:300px; float:right; } #liquid_glass img { margin-bottom:10px; } Heat-Releasing Walls To keep a room cool, just let the walls melt

January 2011.

You've heard about the lovely and amazing , now let's hear about the duds of TED. “Only 5% of TED Talks have been given by CEOs,” Pepsi chief Indra Nooyi observed from the stage at TED, before going on to demonstrate why. Her bland recitation of the accomplishments of Pepsi Refresh , a decent, though hardly groundbreaking corporate social responsibility program, had some attendees wondering if it was a paid product placement.

SeeYourImpact.org rewards acts of micro-charity with photographs and stories of the impact donors make.

The U.S.-Russian space race that led to the Apollo lunar landings is the stuff of legend. But now a new race is emerging, as China gears up with the world's biggest rocket-production factory.

If you’ve ever commuted through New York City during rush hour, you’ve probably experienced stress-inducing traffic, over-stuffed subway cars, or delays that don’t care if you’ve given yourself an extra half hour. In 1924 the New York metropolitan area’s population was already large enough to get the Transit Commission thinking of ways to accommodate future traffic needs

Could that much-derided TSA body scan technology lead to a medical breakthrough we can all celebrate?

The folks behind the TED conference have a theory that ads don't have to be annoying; they can, if done well, be compelling enough to spur viewers to share them with friends. This week, TED announced the 10 winners of its Ads Worth Spreading challenge, which asked entrants to create ads that "raise the bar, elevate the craft and invent new forms of engagement, both online and in general." The winning ads range in length from 30 seconds to over 5 minutes, and come from notable ad agencies like Wieden + Kennedy and Ogilvy, as well as lesser-known shops like Venables Bell & Partners and Legs Media

Bear-size beavers, mammoths, horses, camels and saber-toothed cats used to roam North America, but by 11,000 years ago most such large mammals had died off. To this day, experts debate what caused this late Pleistocene extinction: climate change, overhunting by humans, disease--or something else? Eric Scott, curator of paleontology at the San Bernardino County Museum in Redlands, Calif., suggests it was something else: namely, the immigration of bison from Eurasia

The rise of the tablet computer has me thinking about the future of computers. How many computers surround me right now? I have my office computer, my computer at home, a netbook, my smartphone, my BlueAnt…it seems like computers are everywhere.

Apple now has the iPad 2. Research in Motion has its Playbook. Google has a plethora of Android tablets, including the Motorola Zoom getting so much attention.

While the main stage talks are the intellectual core of the TED experience, they're far from the only thing going on. As one might expect from a community thick with ideas and inspiration, there is an immense undercurrent of entrepreneurial excitement and activity that runs through the event.

PGT: Golf legend Jack Nicklaus, winner of a record 18 majors, says he's not ready to write off Tiger Woods yet.

Steve Jobs just wrapped up another one of his trademark announcements and it's now official: There is a new iPad.

Actor hasn't posted a single message yet but already has more than 100,000 followers