Engineering (Page 2)

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

Latest in Engineering

Two images combined. On the left, an engraving of a woman in a bonnet. On the right, a rendering of a circular saw.

The Shaker woman who reinvented the circular saw

By Andrew Coletti

A selection of football boots from the 1890’s to the 1980’s at England’s National Football Museum.

From real nails to kangaroo leather: Soccer cleats went on a wild journey

By Mack DeGeurin

Canoe with sailboat conversion components in the builder's front lawn

Man converts canoe into a sailboat, takes it for a spin

Collage showing a red submersible partly underwater.

Before the moon race, explorers wanted to conquer the ocean

By Bill Gourgey

X-59 supersonic plane flying

After 53 years, the FAA wants to bring back civilian supersonic flight

Exterior photograph of DEEP's Vanguard underwater installation surrounded by fish in the Florida Keys

Underwater research lab installed in the Florida Keys

13 October 2025, Italy, Alberobello: Tourists stand among the trulli of Alberobello, the whitewashed limestone houses with the typical conical roofs. Photo: Sebastian Kahnert/dpa (Photo by Sebastian Kahnert/picture alliance via Getty Images)

Italians are beating the scorching heat inside ingenious medieval homes

German StuG III artillery tank half excavated from sand at military base near the North Sea.

WWII assault tank found buried in sand near the North Sea

a three hulled sailboat

DHL explores familiar shipping option: wind power

By Mack DeGeurin

an illustration of a woman monitoring her body temperature using a sensor in her stomach

A berry-sized thermometer measures body temp. But you have to eat it.

By Laura Baisas

a white piece of cloth from a turn of the century plane next to a letter detailing it

America’s Time Capsule includes fabric from the Wright Brother’s plane, whale bone, poker chips, and more

By Laura Baisas

a white driverless car with a large black sensor on top on a city street

How can self-driving cars see better? Make their sensors more human.

By Mack DeGeurin

a silhouetted man walks by a blazing sun

Arizona students design app that calculates least-sweaty walking route

By Margherita Bassi

A vintage photograph of an aluminum house on a street corner.

After WWII, flying saucer-shaped houses almost filled American suburbs

By Amy Crawford

Scientist using ultrasonic espresso brewing machine in lab

Espresso brewed with soundwaves instead of heat tastes just as good

a moon, poop emoji, plant emoji

NASA wastewater system will turn human poop into plant food

By Mack DeGeurin

an aerial view of a lake in scotland with a human made island visible underneath the water

Scotland’s ancient human-made islands are dripping with secrets

By Margherita Bassi

Blanket fort inside basketball gym

World’s largest blanket fort built at Las Vegas community center

Drone view of Stonehenge and Wiltshire Countryside in England, UK. The stone circle dates to 3000 BC and is one of the best known ancient wonders of the world and UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Humans really did move Stonehenge’s six-ton centerpiece

a bull dozer going down a hill

Fire dozers outfitted with NASA-made sensors help battle blazes

By Mack DeGeurin

a spherical robot with white spokes connecting a series of white balls

This creepy blob robot will keep going even if you break its legs

By Mack DeGeurin

a message in invisible ink that reads UCSD with a man wielding a trident

Breathing on this chip reveals a secret message

By Mack DeGeurin

the POV of a remote controlled aircraft flying above an estate

The world’s largest RC Boeing 777-9X takes flight

By Mack DeGeurin

1979 postage stamp showing a futuristic hovertrain along a rail with a fan on the end on a yellowish background.

The world’s first ‘hovertrain’ could reach speeds of 270 mph in the 1960s

By Mack DeGeurin

the sun aligned with new york city's grid. it is shining above a main street in between buildings

Manhattanhenge isn’t just for New Yorkers. Find a ‘henge’ near you.

By Laura Baisas

a sleeping baby gorilla

Pregnant gorillas undergo ultrasounds and the results might look familiar

By Margherita Bassi

Power line marker balls are used for safety of low flying aircrafts and to protect the electrical infrastructure. They make the power lines more visible especially during inclement weather.

What are those orange balls on some power lines?

By Rui Bo / The Conversation

a bobcat in an enclosure

Bobcat that survived being hit by a car gets a custom-built kennel

By Margherita Bassi

a metal rover on sand

New Mars rover could swim through sand like a desert lizard

By Mack DeGeurin

Smiling man standing next to Barbie Power Wheels Dream Camper next to gas pump at gas station

Handyman adapts Barbie Dream Camper to handle soaring gas prices

an illustration of an astronaut holding a plastic bottle with a straw

Futuristic canned space drinks could spice up that three-year trip to Mars

By Mack DeGeurin

Photo of the Sphinx in front of the Great Pyramid of Giza on a sunny day

The Great Pyramid of Giza is surprisingly earthquake-proof

Caution tape blocks the entrance of a bathroom.

7 ways toilets have killed people

By Andrew Coletti

Traditional Irish bagpipes fitted to connect with an amplifier

Inventor plays homemade electromagnetic bagpipes in rock band

Crescent outline of Mars taken by Psyche spacecraft

Mars shines in ethereal photo from Psyche space probe

Artist's impression showing the Sun blasting matter towards Earth. Around Earth is a magnetic field, with a bright patch pointing towards the Sun, curved around Earth like a shield. Looking down on the process is the Smile spacecraft. It's view of the X-rays emitted at the edge of Earth's magnetic field is highlighted

SMILE spacecraft will use X-ray vision to study the northern lights and more

Two images. On the left of photo of a boy with dark curly hair wearing an orange shirt poses with a black and white electric guitar. On the right, is a black and white electric guitar.

Meet the college student crafting electric guitars from scratch

By Laura Kiniry

Close up of an airplane toilet with the lid open.

Why airplane toilets are tiny engineering marvels

By Popular Science Team

Goose flying behind wind turbine

Birds avoid wind turbines painted like venomous snakes

Spiral loop of a green steel roller coaster with a coaster on the track.

How to stay safe riding roller coasters

By Sara Kiley Watson

Hand grabbing Altoids tin next to another tin filled with a tiny computer

This guy crammed a laptop into an Altoids tin

Solar Impulse experimental plane flying over pyramids in Egypt

World’s largest solar-powered aircraft crashes after losing power

Hamster running on exercise wheel in cage

Clever kid builds phone charger powered by pet hamster

Line of Cybertrucks in parking lot

Cybertruck recall warns that its wheels may fly off

a team of vets puts a wire frame on a turtle's shell

Vet constructs ingenious contraption to help a tortoise hit by a car

By Margherita Bassi

Glowing blue algae arranged in different shapes

Glowing algae could power the lamps of the future

Black and white photo of Curiosity rover's robotic arm drill lifting a stone off the ground on Mars.

For 6 days, NASA’s Mars rover battled a rock

Close up of oyster shells

Want stronger concrete? Just add oysters.

a warning sign in front of a building for explosions

The world’s largest explosion lab is ready for big booms. And yes, it’s in Texas.

By Mack DeGeurin

Man sitting next to C-3PO replica head

Man 3D prints a chatty C-3PO head powered by AI

Lockheed X-59 aircraft in flight over Mojave Desert

NASA’s new supersonic X-59 aircraft shows off its dizzying acrobatics in new video

A brain implant to treat depression gets FDA greenlight to start trials

By Mack DeGeurin

an graphic rendering of a time capsule shaped like a cylinder

Do not open until July 4, 2276: U.S. buries a ‘zombie-proof’ time capsule

By Margherita Bassi

a man sails a homemade boat

Man builds 12-foot-long sailboat with materials from hardware store

Nervous humans are GM’s secret weapon for self-driving cars

By Kristin Shaw

Blue solar power car driving up hill

Man builds solar-powered car from e-bikes that can hit 30 mph

Side by side photos of white boot made from mushroom mycelium and a close up of the material itself

This shoe is made entirely from mushroom ‘brains’

a man dries a gray playstation console with a blue towel

Tinkerer transforms a filthy 1990s PlayStation into the ‘ultimate PS1’

By Mack DeGeurin

Close up of woman holding EpiPen Launcher

Woman builds EpiPen cannon, because why not?

Aerial view of Perge stadium from ancient Rome

‘Doors to Death’ reveal how Romans upgraded a stadium for bloodsport

The Artemis II crew—(clockwise from left) Mission Specialist Christina Koch, Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen, Commander Reid Wiseman, and Pilot Victor Glover—pause for a group photo with their zero gravity indicator “Rise,” inside the Orion spacecraft on their way home on April 7, 2026.

From crying to dentistry: 6 odd skills astronauts need to go to space

By Mack DeGeurin

Virtual tour screenshot of Captain's Chair room inside USS Cassin Young

Visit a WWII destroyer without leaving your sofa

The roof of Crossrail Place features glulam timber beams joined with steel connectors, demonstrating advanced structural engineering and the fusion of functionality with modern British architectural design. The exposed framework highlights craftsmanship, material innovation, and the interplay between timber and steel within London’s contemporary infrastructure, United Kingdom.

The skylines of the future will be made of wood

By Matt Simon / Grist

3D printed suitcase in airport security line

3D-printed suitcase includes foldout table, cup holder, and a secret snack compartment