Engineering (Page 3)

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

Latest in Engineering

a pitcher-like device

This portable, 3D-printed device can pull drinking water out of thin air

By Mack DeGeurin

Exploration Acres corn maze seen from aerial photograph

Inside the making of a world-class corn maze

Research team lowering Redwing submersible into ocean from a boat

Self-piloting submarine set to begin historic mission to circle Earth’s oceans

several rotary turns and a hand

Google made a rotary phone-inspired keyboard

By Mack DeGeurin

Man standing next to single seat personal helicopter in landing field

Flying in an open-air, single-seat helicopter is a true test of nerves

a large SUV offroading

The tug-of-war between engineering and design to build the Hyundai Palisade XRT Pro

By Kristin Shaw

a hand and the umbrella

Redesigned umbrella is smaller than an iPhone

By Mack DeGeurin

a mannequin with its neck skin being removed

3D-printed skin stretches, bleeds like the real thing

By Mack DeGeurin

a bright pink mesh oval

Researchers created a soft squeezable computer mouse

By Mack DeGeurin

A graphical representation of what a real Gerver’s sofa might look like.

This is the biggest sofa you can fit around a corner, according to a mathematician

airplane airbags illustration

Engineers propose massive airbags for airplanes

By Mack DeGeurin

a rectangular cassette tape with lots of loose brown tape coming out

A single DNA cassette tape could store billions of photos

By Laura Baisas

a robot dog walking with three humans

The perfect robot guide dog shouldn’t be cute

By Mack DeGeurin

A green chameleon on branch extending tongue to catch an insect

A chameleon’s ‘ballistic tongue’ may inspire blood clot-clearing robots

a backyard version of fenway park complete with a green monster, signs, and scoreboard

A dedicated son brings Fenway Park to his dad’s backyard

By Laura Baisas

On the set of the TV series Star Trek

The ‘Star Trek’ technology that came to real life

By Popular Science Team

Concept art of Top Tower in Prague, Czech Republic

A ‘post-apocalyptic’ shipwreck tower will be Prague’s tallest building

Lunar rover concept going up hill with US flag mounted on rear

NASA offers $155,000 to design moon tires

two park rangers sink in a cardboard boat

Ready, Set, Paddle! Scenes from The Great Salem Maritime Cardboard Boat Regatta

By Popular Science Team

a broken payphone (left) and a refurbished one (right)

In Vermont, one man is bringing pay phones back to life

By Mack DeGeurin

a wearable robot vest, with long grey sleeves and sensors in a lab

Balloon-equipped ‘wearable robot’ could help stroke survivors

By Mack DeGeurin

a large rock looking object called a fatberg on display in a museum. it is a big blob of fat, oil, and grease that clogged sewers

Stopping fatbergs before they cost millions to remove

By Laura Baisas

Sailing stone in Death Valley with movement trail behind hit

Ice moves by itself on experimental metal surface

Illustration of suspension bridge connecting mainland Italy to Sicily

World’s longest suspension bridge may finally link Sicily to mainland Italy

3D printing tackles titanium to create rocket parts

The U.S. Space Force’s X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle Mission Seven successfully landed at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, March 7, 2025. The X-37B landed at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, to exercise the service's ability to recover the spaceplane across multiple sites. (U.S. Space Force courtesy photo)

Space Force schedules the next mission for its secret robot plane

a painting showing the lava flows of mount vesuvius

Engineers bring a 250-year-old mechanical painting of Mount Vesuvius to fiery life

By Laura Baisas

a 3d printer on a counter

3D printer transforms food waste into coffee mugs and coasters

By Mack DeGeurin

3D printed house in Japan

This 3D-printed home is built from dirt

Used cigarettes in ashtray

Recycled cigarette butts can make roads more durable

Mechanical computer device built from Knex parts

Inventor builds mechanical computer with thousands of Knex pieces

Six Tesla electric cars burn on the trailer of the moving lorry carrying them after one of them catches on fire due to unknown reasons in Istanbul, Turkiye on October 06, 2023. (Photo by Muhammed Gencebay Gur/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

New lithium batteries have built-in fire extinguishers

Pitcher throwing cricket ball towards batter with catcher in background

What’s the safest helmet?

hand holding aluminum ion trap for atomic clock

World’s most accurate clock requires a 2-mile laser beam

Two wheel DIY Fiat Panda fit between two regular sized cars

Man cuts Fiat down to 19.7-inch, mind-bending ride

teen boy standing next to two hexagonal structures filled with bees

This teen 3D-printed a beehive for his bedroom

By Mack DeGeurin

Macy's fireworks display over Manhattan on the 4th of July

How pyrotechnic wizards orchestrate the Macy’s 4th of July fireworks

Drawer for recycling electronics

Your outdated tech might be a ‘goldmine’

By Mack DeGeurin

a device on the seafloor

How listening to light waves could prevent subsea cables sabotage

By Mack DeGeurin

Air conditioner in house window on Summer day.

New paint ‘sweats’ to keep buildings cool

2025 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1; Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas; May 20, 2025 (Richard Prince Photo)

The 2025 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 is a stunning piece of engineering

text in the background, a man sitting at the first tv in foreground

100 years ago, the battle for television raged

By Bill Gourgey

Alarm clock on a blue and beige background

Scientists are redefining time itself, starting with the second

By Mack DeGeurin

yellow robot hand

Researchers create most human-like robot skin yet

By Mack DeGeurin

Quantum Random Number Generator machine

Here’s how to generate a truly random number with quantum physics

a vechile in a field

This ‘dual-use’ electric tractor can sow fields and run guns

By Mack DeGeurin

Nanoscale violin etching seen in microscope

The world’s smallest violin is thinner than a human hair

Screenshot of small orb rolling vertically down glass surface

Vertically rolling ball ‘challenges our basic understanding of physics’

bearded man with sensors on face

Electronic face tattoo knows when you’re getting bored

By Mack DeGeurin

machine sitting on a roof in NYC

Refrigerator-sized machine makes gasoline out of thin air

By Mack DeGeurin

Close up of Rubik's cube solving machine

College students demolish world record for fastest Rubik’s cube robot

a mine opening with tracks running in

How an abandoned mine became Korea’s moon lab

an aerial train car set on top of text

A century ago, suspended monorails were serious mass-transit contenders

By Bill Gourgey

CGI recreation of Athena statue in the Parthenon

View the Parthenon as it stood in 432 BCE

Inflatable flailing tube man balloon against blue sky

Flailing tube man-inspired robot uses no electronics

Close up of MingKwai keyboard with Chinese characters on keys

First Chinese typewriter rediscovered in grandfather’s basement

Nuclear fusion reactor module section in construction facility

New nuclear fusion reactor’s electromagnet could lift 10 monster trucks

Passengers inside the cabin of a commercial airliner during flight. Shallow depth of field with focus on the seats in the foreground.

Why are airline seats so small? It all started in 1978.

By Mack DeGeurin

Slate EV truck and SUV upgrade next to each other in warehouse

Minimalist EV pickup truck has no stereo and a $20,000 price tag

unfinished Goldin Finance 117 skyscraper surrounded by city on a sunny day

World’s tallest abandoned skyscraper resumes construction

Photo of long barrel of NASA's gas gun in warehouse

Watch high-powered gas guns blast space habitat (for science)

Close image of sun's surface depicting sunspot

World’s largest solar telescope shows off its full force with new image

This sticker reads emotions (even the ones you try to hide)

By Mack DeGeurin

An osprey sits on its nest protected by a human-made basket.

To protect birds and motorists, engineers build a steel nest box on bridge

By Laura Baisas