Innovations

A lightbulb pictured from its base, bathed in red and blue light. The coils glow a bright yellow within. Reflections from the light glint across the surface of the bulb's glass.
(Chelsea Kyle for The Washington Post)
Bronwen Latimer photo
By

What is old can be new again and what is new is different and, hopefully, better. This is the definition of innovation. This series examines new ideas in science and industry, fashion and travel, sports and politics — all in a quest to recognize relevance and renewal one idea at a time.

An Xray view a knee joint. The joint is highlighted in bright yellow, with circles radiating out from it.

Not ready for a knee replacement? You might be able to fix your cartilage instead.

New techniques include a pellet made of coral and a hydrogel that can be pressed around the bone to help eliminate pain.

A silver F1 car speeds through the foreground. An F1 steering wheel is propped up behind the car, much larger in scale, against a gradient background.

If you drive a car, you are already using F1 technology

Formula One racing has been a testing ground for innovations that eventually appear in consumer cars, including new energy technologies and lighter, stronger materials.

Two breast pumps are shown next to each other, their reflections visible below. One is full of milk. The other has a yellow post-it stuck to it that reads "To do: pump".

Using a breast pump used to require privacy. Not anymore.

Innovative designs provide women more freedom and more flexibility in their daily lives.

A silver plane, in motion, zooms over a globe.

Need to get to the airport? Soon you can take an air taxi.

The aviation industry is tackling a carbon emissions problem with new planes, new fuels and new concepts.

A clear mouthguard with a green metal chip inside sits on top of a black soccer ball. From the right side, a cleat kicks toward the ball. Both the cleat and mouthguard are in motion.

Are smart mouthguards the answer to concussion protocols?

World Rugby is the first sports governing body to use smart mouthguards for in-game assessments of concussions. The NFL is watching how it unfolds.

A clear half-dome magnifies an organic, cell-like texture, resembling a scientific microscope slide. Portions of the texture are highlighted in bright reds, greens and blues.

A blood test to detect cancer? Some patients are using them already.

New blood tests measure “signals” in the blood to help detect cancer. Experts say more study is needed to determine if the new tests save lives.

A translucent eyeball floats between a line of blue and orange light to its left and right, respectively.

Restoring sight is possible now with optogenetics

People suffering from macular degeneration, along with other diseases that impair sight, may soon benefit from gene therapy.

Biodegradable fabric might be the next best thing in clothing

Sustainable fabrics help the fashion industry rid itself of a global waste problem.

How AI is helping (and possibly harming) our pets

Smart collars and robot nannies are some of the innovations bringing pets and their owners closer.

About this series

Reporting by Elana Scherr, Sydney Page, Edward Russell, Jeffrey Tomik, Marlene Cimons, Andrew Zaleski, Britt Peterson and Andrea Sachs.

Editing by Bronwen Latimer. Copy editing by Dorine Bethea, Mike Cirelli, Anne Kenderdine, Martha Murdock and Jay Wang.

Design and development by Audrey Valbuena and Tucker Harris. Design editing by Betty Chavarria. Photo editing by Haley Hamblin, Monique Woo and Robert Miller. Topper photos by Chelsea Kyle.

Project development by Evan Bretos and Hope Corrigan. Project editing by Marian Chia-Ming Liu.