Engineering (Page 2)

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

Latest in Engineering

A retro-style color illustration depicts a cross-section of a futuristic multi-tiered moving sidewalk system. A group of elegantly dressed commuters from the mid-20th century stand on an elevated, reddish-brown platform that is supported by a series of visible white mechanical rollers. The illustration shows three parallel platforms layered at slightly different heights to indicate varying speeds, with a dark subterranean tunnel and a stationary train car visible in the lower-left corner.

In 1871, cities almost got moving sidewalks. Why are we still waiting?

By Bill Gourgey

A side view of the command center when engineers would keep tabs on the Voyager’s journey (left). Members of the Artemis II launch team, including personnel with NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems participate in an emergency escape or egress demonstration simulation for the Artemis II mission inside Firing Room 1 in the Launch Control Center at NASA’s Kennedy on August 12, 2024. (right)

NASA’s 1977 computers aboard Voyager are still working in interstellar space

By Mack DeGeurin

an orange rocket lifting off against a blue sky. puffy white smoke is at its base

Space now has 10 toilets

By Laura Baisas

a smiling man in a yellow hooded sweatshirt wears a virtual reality headset over his eyes

Skull vibrations could be your next password

By Laura Baisas

A regular size Cadbury Mini Egg compared with The Mega Mini Egg. The giant chocolate egg clocks in at 121 pounds.

World’s largest Cadbury Mini egg weighs as much as an emu

By Laura Baisas

two soldiers standing in a dirty field wearing exoskeletons on their legs

Ukraine’s military brings exoskeletons to the front line

By Mack DeGeurin

Little baby and stack of diapers on bed, closeup

Japan makes breakthrough in dirty diaper recycling

The World's Largest Dinosaur attraction in Drumheller, Canada

World’s Largest Dinosaur needs a new home

a row of collared t-shirts in rainbow order. red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple

Walmart and H&M are trying to turn carbon dioxide into clothes

By Mack DeGeurin

A colorized historical photograph of prolific inventor Beulah Louise Henry, known as "Lady Edison," seated at a desk. She is dressed in a formal purple satin dress and pearls, operating a complex, specialized typewriter of her own design. She is looking down at a sheet of paper she is feeding into the machine.

Inventor Beulah Louise Henry’s unstoppable rise to becoming ‘Lady Edison’

By Shoshi Parks

Two men standing next to boiler setup in pump station

Volunteers spend 30 years restoring a Victorian sewer pump station

a bright red robot with large black wheels sits outside of a fire station

Autonomous firefighting robot can drive straight into a 1,000 degree blaze

By Mack DeGeurin

the front of a steam locomotive. it is black and reads "union pacific 4014"

World’s largest steam locomotive heads out on tour

By Laura Baisas

A DIY Lego mechanical typewriter sitting on a desk

Man builds functional typewriter out of Lego bricks

a turtle wearing a 3D printed wheel chair

A 3D-printed wheelchair is helping this turtle walk again

By Mack DeGeurin

Minamitorishima island in Pacific Ocean seen from above

Japan eyes distant island for nuclear waste dump

Man pointing with stick at chalkboard diagram of AM radio setup

Watch a classified FM radio training video from WW2

Researchers holding smartphone up to computer monitor to test world's smallest QR code

World’s smallest QR code is thinner than a lightwave

Handing winding a series of brass gears that comprise an interplanetary clock device

What time is it on Mars? This analog ‘Interplanetary Clock’ can tell you.

Hand pointing at DIY electric chessboard with bunches of wires underneath it

Man builds electrified chessboard that shocks players for bad moves

a truck spraying a pothole in front of a house

Asphalt-spraying truck fixes potholes in minutes

By Mack DeGeurin

Nike yellow basketball shoes on parquet floor during basketball match of Ukrainian Superleague Parimatch SEASON 2020/21 BC "Kharkiv Sokoly» - MBC "Nikolaev", 31.01.2021, Ukraine, Kharkov, Palace of Sports "Lokomotiv"

Physics discovery explains why sneakers squeak

Interior of classic opera house

Color plays an unsung role in how we enjoy concerts

Lisbon, Portugal - September 24, 2021: TAP Air Portugal Airbus A330-900neo airplane at Lisbon airport (LIS) in Portugal.

Techno DJ jailed after selling 60,000 fake plane parts to major airlines

Crane placing final part of cross atop Sagrada Familia basilica in Barcelona, Spain

After 144 years, world’s tallest church finally finishes exterior

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

Water flowing through the Hamlin Lake Dam in Ludington Michigan.

2,500 ‘high-risk’ U.S. dams are sinking into the ground

A salt grain-sized microrobot on a human finger to illustrate size

Dancing robot is the size of a grain of salt

A thin sheet of plastic covered in transparent MOCHI film

Bubble wrap-like material could help insulate glass windows

Tesla made a $350 pickleball paddle

By Mack DeGeurin

Close up of musician playing 3D printed carbon fiber cello

This 3D-printed cello puts a carbon fiber spin on a classic

Firefly’s Blue Ghost lander. This rendering does not have the new LightPort, but it will sit atop the lander in future models.

Wireless power grids head to the moon

By Mack DeGeurin

Tumbleweed inspired robot next to actual tumbleweed

Tumbleweeds inspire this rolling, resilient robot

An ancient Pompeii wall at a newly excavated site, where Associate Professor Admir Masic applied compositional analysis (overlayed to right) to understand how ancient Romans made concrete that has endured for thousands of years.

Pompeii’s ruins challenge Rome’s famous concrete recipe

Electric plane flying over green mountains

Air New Zealand tests a new generation of electric planes

white urinals separated by green plants

Swiss startup turns urine into plant fertilizer

By Margherita Bassi

Inside the mouth of this anchovy, plankton particles are captured by the gill arch system.

Sardine-inspired washing machine filter removes 99% of microplastics

several full fish laying on ice. the fish are orange, white, and multicolored

Afraid your fish is too fishy? Smart sensors might save your nose

By Mack DeGeurin

Arm in noninvasive glucose monitoring device

Goodbye, finger pricks? Diabetes patients could monitor glucose with lightwaves.

a scared man with several dental tools in his mouth

Quieter dental drills may be on the horizon

By Laura Baisas

A 3D printer printing a green plastic shoe.

How does 3D printing work?

By Charlotte Hu

a wearable device that looks like a bandage swiping on a smartphone

New wearable device lets you touch fabric online, read braille, and more

By Mack DeGeurin

SAO PAULO, BRAZIL - NOVEMBER 08: Max Verstappen of the Netherlands driving the (1) Oracle Red Bull Racing RB21 on track during qualifying ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Brazil at Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace on November 08, 2025 in Sao Paulo, Brazil. (Photo by Zak Mauger/LAT Images) // Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool // SI202511080876 // Usage for editorial use only //

4 billion equations calculated for F1 team during race weekend

By Kristin Shaw

a piece of sliced turkey on a white plate with a side of mashed potatoes, stuffing, and green beans. a dish of cranberry sauce is on the left side

Tired of turkey? Try gene edited, meat-like fungi.

By Mack DeGeurin

Scanning electron microscopy image of the engineered 3D bone marrow tissue colonized with human blood cells (red). Andrés García García, University of Basel, Department of Biomedicine

New lab-made bone marrow model is a bioengineering first

By Laura Baisas