Automobiles777 articles archived since 1845

Is "All of the Above" the Right Strategy for U.S. Energy? A Q&A with Steven Chu

The U.S. government aims to improve energy production from renewables to oil, but what does that mean in practice?

Know Your Space Tycoons

How their plans stack up

Why It Took So Long to Invent the Wheel

The tricky thing about the wheel is not conceiving of a cylinder rolling on its edge. It's figuring out how to connect a stable, stationary platform to that cylinder

Aerostats in 1912: A Look in Scientific American's Archives [Slide Show]

Images of lighter-than-air technology from a century ago, two years before World War I broke out in Europe

100 Years Ago: Lighter Than Air

Innovation and discovery as chronicled in past issues of Scientific American

A Tour of the U.S.'s Clean Energy Future [Slide Show]

The third annual ARPA-E summit showcases potentially transformative energy technologies

A Tour of the U.S.'s Clean Energy Future [Slide Show]

The third annual ARPA-E summit showcases potentially transformative energy technologies

New Energy-Dense Battery Could Enable Long-Distance Electric Cars

Material changes enable a new battery to store more electricity--and could boost the driving range of electric vehicles

New Driver Style Predicts Crash Risk

New drivers with more "g-force events," like quick turns and sudden braking, had more crashes and near hits. Amy Kraft reports

Robot Uses Lizard Tail to Leap

Leaping lizards are helping scientists build more stable vehicles

Tech Trends to Watch, from the 2012 Consumer Electronics Show

Tech industry giants unveil their latest plans at the annual CES in Las Vegas, as upstart companies try to make their mark

Photo Quiz: Guess the Image

Submerged specks

Has Petroleum Production Peaked, Ending the Era of Easy Oil?

A new analysis concludes that easily extracted oil peaked in 2005, suggesting that dirtier fossil fuels will be burned and energy prices will rise

Digital Health Care Puts Control in Consumer Hands

Digital health care apps, especially via smart phones, are offering users unprecedented control over their health behaviors. Larry Greenemeier reports

Biofuels Land Grab: Guatemala's Farmers Lose Plots and Prosperity to "Energy Independence" [Slide Show]

Across the globe, local farmers are being displaced to make way for energy crop plantations

Biofuels Land Grab: Guatemala's Farmers Lose Plots and Prosperity to "Energy Independence" [Slide Show]

Across the globe, local farmers are being displaced to make way for energy crop plantations

Here Come the Drones

These popular, unmanned aircraft will eventually fall into the hands of hostile nations and terrorists

Aviation in 1912: A Look Back in Scientific American's Archives [Slide Show]

The possibilities and promise of the nascent science and art of flight seized the imaginations of inventors and public. Here are some images from our magazine from a century ago

January 2012 Briefing Memo

Building the Hoover Dam Bridge [Slide Show]

A photographic essay captures the construction of a 1,900-foot addition to the iconic American landmark