Latest News & Analysis
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Coating Could Simplify Waterproofing Tasks
A dual-polymer water-proofing material is touted for greater robustness and versatility.
Taller Towers, Longer Blades Boost Offshore Wind
Turbine capacity has increased 15 times in the quarter century since the first offshore wind farms began operating.
Rising Sea Levels Could Impact Septic System Efficiency
Rising sea levels reduce the distance between groundwater and the drainfield, lessening the chance for the soil to treat wastewater before it reaches groundwater.
Database and Structural Shortcomings Cited in Bridge Collapse
Analysis found structural and human failures that contributed to the accident, in addition to variable vertical bridge clearance.
Magnetic Material Could Boost Data Storage Capacity
To continue to meet data storage needs, smaller and faster devices are needed that require either new storage technology or new magnetic materials.
Driverless Bus Is Set for Testing
The service consists of two electric, driverless shuttles that traverse a 1,350-meter road.
Hubble Space Telescope: The Bad, the Ugly, and (Finally) the Good
The lessons of the Hubble Space Telescope resonate with today's big-science projects.
New Techniques Could Remove Barriers to 3-D Printing
Two prototype techniques could move 3-D printing closer to large-scale manufacturing use.
Stretchy Micro-Supercapacitors Could Power Soft Robots
Supercapacitors have remained rigid and are thus a poor fit for soft materials that need to be able to elongate.
Spider Silk Used to Create Microscope Superlens
Superlenses offer the potential to allow viewing beyond current magnification limits.
Anode Boosts Charge Capacity of Batteries
In addition to tripling the charge capacity offered by graphite, the silicon-tin nanocomposite is extremely stable over many charge-discharge cycles, essentially extending its useful life.
New Water Heater Could Lower Heating Costs
The simplified semi-open system would operate at the surrounding atmospheric pressure using an inexpensive, non-sealed solution pump.
Saltier Intertidal Beaches Could Endanger Coastal Sea Life
Sediments from some sections of the beach have salt concentrations four times as high as the ocean water that washes over them.
Polymer Solar Cells One Step Closer to Mass Production
Using a mock-up of a roll-to-roll processing method, the researchers produced polymer-based solar cells with a power conversion efficiency of over 9.5%, just shy of the commercial target of 10%.
Targeted Road Maintenance Could Reduce Vehicle Emissions
Maintaining just 1.5% of the roadway network could lead to a reduction of 10% in vehicle-related greenhouse gas emissions.
Timber-Concrete Composite Safe for Construction
While timber-concrete systems have been in use in Europe since the 1990s, they are only now being looked at in the U.S.
Biosensor Allows for Early Detection of Prostate Cancer
The biosensor's high sensitivity makes it capable of early detection of the molecules that are produced by the cancer that pass into the bloodstream.
Transparent Wood Provides Lighting and Insulation
Transparent wood provides better thermal insulation and lets in nearly as much light as glass, while eliminating glare and providing uniform and consistent indoor illumination.
Standards Groups to Collaborate to Advance IIOT
A collaboration among three voluntary standards organizations could benefit interoperability, accelerated by manufacturers’ pursuit of the Industrial Internet of Things.
Engineering Is Popular Among Muslim Women, but Why?
Researchers hope the study will lead to greater understanding of the constraints that shape women’s participation in engineering and ways to increase the number of women studying engineering in the U.S.