Engineering

A guide to the structures, machines, and systems that power and connect our world.

Latest in Engineering

An 1870 sepia-toned photograph of Crawford Market in Mumbai, featuring its prominent stone clock tower and Gothic-style architecture with arched windows. In the foreground, people walk along a dirt road near a horse-drawn carriage and a vintage street lamp.

The history of clocks is one of tyranny and revolution

a hand moves pieces on a brown and black chess board

Homemade chess board moves its own pieces. And wins.

By Mack DeGeurin

VAL D'ISERE FRANCE. 19-12-2010. Lindsey Vonn (USA) during the Super Giant Slalom section of the women's Super Combined race at the FIS Alpine skiing World Cup Val D'Isere France.

Downhill skiing’s biggest hurdle? Friction.

A portrait of two brothers, Nico and Matteo Mucchetti, posing with their homemade, full-sized replica of a purple ride vehicle from Disney's "Big Hero 6" attraction. The younger brother sits inside the purple wooden structure, which is detailed with orange accents and a string of LED lights along the edge, while the older brother leans over the back. They are positioned in a dimly lit room, creating a dramatic spotlight effect on them and their project.

Teen brothers build a Disney-inspired ride in family basement

By Laura Kiniry

An illustration symbolizes new battery technology: Proteins (red) hold tiny clusters of metal (silver). Each yellow ball in the structures at center represents a single atom of nickel or iron. Credit: Maher El-Kady / UCLA

Thomas Edison’s failed rechargeable battery may get a second life

Candidates for Luna 9's landing site. Credit: Pinault et al.

Astronomers close in on long-lost Soviet lunar lander

a tatoo-like image of the mona lisa printed on synthetic skin

Synthetic skin reveals hidden ‘Mona Lisa’ when exposed to heat

By Mack DeGeurin

a man holds a light blue torch and a flame

MIT professor designs 2026 Winter Olympics torch

By Laura Baisas

a pulley system with a ceiling fan chain

Man solves ceiling fans’ most annoying problem

By Mack DeGeurin

Large group of used dirty sleeping mattresses. Abandoned in wild landfill

Fungi help turn old mattresses into insulation

a stingray swimming in clear blue water

Stingray-inspired robot cracks the mystery of how rays swim

By Mack DeGeurin

a black robot shaped like a human hand

This robot hand can detach from its arm and crawl around

By Mack DeGeurin

Four images side-by-side showing angles of a saxophone-inspired instrument called the Post Digital Sax

The 10 weirdest and wildest musical instruments of 2026

hand in glove holding a chip

5 remarkable engineering innovations of 2025

By Andrew Rosenblum

A humanoid robot is carried by technicians after being knocked out in a kickboxing match at the World Humanoid Robot Games on August 15, 2025 in Beijing, China.

2025 proved humanoid robots are here to stay. And fall down.

By Mack DeGeurin

a global density map of the world's buildings

Browse a 3D map of the world’s 2.75 billion buildings

red and white and red and green candy canes on a green background

The magic of making candy canes by hand

By Laura Baisas

E-scooter on fire in safety demonstration video from CPSC

Cozy up (safely) to an e-scooter’s lithium battery yule log

three white 3D printed animal skulls

3D printed skulls make mounting antlers less of a bloody mess

By Mack DeGeurin

3D printed Christmas tree made from ice

Physicists 3D-printed a Christmas tree made of ice particles