Technology

Unearthing History: How Technology Is Transforming Archaeology

2:40pm May 06, 2013

For centuries, explorers tried to find la Ciudad Blanca, a fabled city in the rain forests of Central America. Dense jungle impeded efforts to uncover it. Douglas Preston tells the story of a team who used light detection technology to survey the iconic ruins from the air.

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These robotic flies, which were built in a Harvard lab, can flap their wings independently of each other and fly around while tethered to a power and control wire.

Science

Of Flybots And Bug Eyes: Insects Inspire Inventors

5:49pm May 02, 2013

by Geoff Brumfiel

Miniaturizing technology is really hard — gears, rotors, belts and pistons that work perfectly at human size just don't work very well at the small scale. So researchers are turning to insects for ideas about how to make tiny flying robots and cameras — and driving a new generation of gadgets.

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A Look Ahead At The Future Of Tech

2:14pm May 02, 2013

Technology's already changed our lives in ways we couldn't have imagined just a few years ago. As part of Talk of the Nation's "Looking Ahead" series, Farhad Manjoo, technology columnist for Slate.com, discusses what's changing and how it will change us.

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Harvey Mudd President Maria Klawe often uses her longboard to get around campus and chat with students like senior Xanda Schofield.

How One College Is Closing The Computer Science Gender Gap

7:48pm May 01, 2013

by Wendy Kaufman

At Harvey Mudd College in California, about 40 percent of the computer science majors are women. That's far more than at any other co-ed school. And it's thanks in large part to the school's president, Maria Klawe. She has worked hard to keep women interested in computer science and empower them to succeed in the field.

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Garrett Brown with Sylvester Stallone during the filming of Rocky II.

Arts

Steadicam Creator Joins Inventors Hall of Fame

11:32am April 30, 2013

by NPR Staff

Rocky Balboa's sprint up the stairs of the Philadelphia Art Museum is a scene that would have once been impossible to film. Camera innovator Garrett Brown made it possible when he invented the Steadicam. The jack of all trades will be inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in May.

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Residents of the East Village in New York City look for cellphone reception Nov. 1 after Hurricane Sandy wiped out power and some cell towers.

Economy

After Sandy, Questions Linger Over Cellphone Reliability

1:07pm April 29, 2013

by Tracy Samuelson

Roughly one in four cellphone towers in the path of Hurricane Sandy went out of service. It was a frustrating and potentially dangerous experience for customers without a landline to fall back on. Now, local officials and communications experts are pushing providers to improve their performance during natural disasters.

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As Its Influence Grows, Twitter Becomes A Hacking Target

4:57pm April 25, 2013

by Steve Henn

The Associated Press, NPR and the BBC have all had their Twitter accounts hijacked in recent weeks. Hacks of high-profile accounts have real-world consequences, and the security at Twitter is coming under increased scrutiny.

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National

Tweeting Crime: Law Enforcement Adapts To Social Media

2:57pm April 25, 2013

The Boston Police Department tweeted photos of bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev and later announced his capture via social media. As the number of Twitter users grows, police forces face new opportunities and challenges in using social media for communicating with the public.

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Amelia Schabel, 23, works with art director Andrew LaBounty at the nonPareil Institute in Plano, Texas.

Health & Safety

Young Adults With Autism Can Thrive In High-Tech Jobs

3:07pm April 23, 2013

by Lauren Silverman

Finding a job is hard enough for recent graduates, but for those on the autism spectrum the search can be even harder. One training program in Texas is helping these young people prepare for jobs in the tech industry.

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Big Op-Ed: Shifting Opinions On Surveillance Cameras

2:54pm April 22, 2013

Investigators in the Boston Marathon bombings were able to identify the suspects using footage from surveillance cameras. Some believe that this shows the need for surveillance cameras in public spaces, while others believe that such cameras encroach on our civil liberties.

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