Find uplifting stories about heroes, innovations, and solutions
868 results for "underground railroad"
%2Fhttps%3A%2F%2Ftf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Ffiler_public%2Fdb%2Fd7%2Fdbd74881-1d3d-4acf-b35e-2b5ff52b82bc%2Fmax_touhey.jpg)
A hidden passageway beneath a New York City museum may be the only intact Underground Railroad site in Manhattan open to the public. Now preservationists are working to protect it from construction damage.
Scientists discovered a massive underground thermal lake in southern Albania that now holds the world record for largest underground lake on Earth. The turquoise waters of Lake Neuron have been hiding beneath the surface for thousands of years, completely unknown until 2021.
Archaeologists in Turkey's Cappadocia region just uncovered more ancient underground spaces carved into volcanic rock, revealing how communities lived and thrived beneath the surface for thousands of years. The rescue excavations at Göreme Open-Air Museum are helping experts piece together the daily lives of civilizations that called these hidden chambers home.
Giza is rolling out underground garbage bins that hold a ton of waste each, eliminating trash piles that have plagued neighborhoods for years. Six units are already working in the Dokki district, with more coming soon.
Mining companies are using subatomic particles from space to map precious minerals deep underground, making extraction safer and more efficient. The breakthrough could help meet surging demand for copper and other critical minerals needed for clean energy.
A South African company just solved one of mining's messiest problems with a toilet that treats waste right where workers use it. The innovation could transform health and dignity for thousands of underground miners.
London's iconic Underground is getting a major solar power boost that will cover 4% of its massive energy needs. The deal brings the city's busiest transit system one big step closer to running entirely on renewable energy by 2030.
As conflict intensifies, Israeli hospitals have relocated hundreds of vulnerable patients, including newborns and children awaiting transplants, to fortified underground facilities. Healthcare workers are maintaining life-saving care 60 meters below ground while missiles strike above.
A 100-year-old New York church installed a geothermal system that heats and cools its buildings using pipes drilled hundreds of feet underground. The project is showing other urban properties how to slash emissions while saving money long-term.
Scientists have created the first global map of the vast fungal networks beneath our feet that quietly support most plant life on Earth and help fight climate change. These underground superhighways stretch an incredible 68 quadrillion miles and move 4 billion tons of carbon into soils every year.
India is constructing an underground railway through a strategic 40-kilometer corridor that will create a secure, all-weather link to its northeastern states. The innovative project addresses decades of vulnerability in the narrow "Chicken's Neck" passage connecting the region to the rest of the country.
China just solved a major clean energy puzzle by installing the world's first urban underground battery system in a commercial building basement. The breakthrough could unlock energy storage in crowded cities where safety rules have blocked traditional batteries.
China just activated its first large-scale underground hydrogen storage system, capable of holding enough clean fuel to power thousands of homes. The breakthrough could help the country store surplus solar and wind energy for when it's needed most.
Deep beneath a Bavarian forest, a Canadian company is proving that clean heat can be harvested almost anywhere on Earth. Their innovative "closed-loop" system creates an enormous underground radiator that could replace fossil fuel heating worldwide.
Libyan authorities shut down illegal detention facilities and rescued over 400 migrants held in appalling conditions, including an underground prison three meters below ground. UN teams are now providing medical care and working to dismantle trafficking networks.
Deep beneath Yerevan, a 235-meter underground salt mine has helped thousands of asthma patients breathe easier for nearly 40 years. Now, as the government seeks private investment, this unique clinic shows how traditional healing methods are finding new life in modern healthcare.
Scientists in South Australia have discovered naturally occurring hydrogen deep underground with 97% purity, offering a cleaner alternative to fossil fuels. The state is leading a global exploration boom that could transform how we power industries and cut emissions.
Scientists just mapped the world's hidden fungal networks for the first time, revealing 110 quadrillion kilometers of threads that connect plants and store 1 billion tons of carbon annually. These underground partnerships are keeping our planet cooler while feeding 80% of the world's plants.
Michigan could be sitting on vast reserves of naturally forming hydrogen deep underground, and Governor Gretchen Whitmer wants to explore whether this clean fuel could help power the state's future. If successful, the discovery could transform hard-to-electrify industries without the environmental cost of fossil fuels.
Scientists just created the first global map of Earth's vast underground fungal networks, revealing thread-like filaments stretching almost one billion times the distance from Earth to the Sun. These hidden helpers make grasslands carbon storage champions and could revolutionize sustainable farming.
Showing 20 of 868