Engineering

Engineering is the discipline of design and construction of mechanical devices, equipment, structures and public works systems. Topics include aircraft technologies, buildings, bridges, robotics and heavy machinery.

Topics to Explore

Robotic Rectums Give Docs a Feel for Prostates

How the World Trade Center Worked

5 Amazing Elements of Green Architecture

How X-rays Work

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That Black Stuff on the Road? Technically Not Asphalt

If you think asphalt is what hot tar roads are made of, you'd be wrong. Asphalt is only one ingredient in the recipe that makes up our roads. And it has a very long, very interesting history.

By Carrie Whitney, Ph.D. Apr 27, 2020 Engineering / Materials Science

Robin the Robot Helps Sick Children Feel Less Lonely

A hospital stay can be a stressful experience for anybody, and especially for a child. But a smiling new robot named Robin plays games, tells stories and comforts children in need of a friend.

By Jesslyn Shields Apr 17, 2020 Engineering / Robotics

How San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge Was Built, and Why It's Not Actually Red

Back in the 1930s, folks realized they needed a better way to cross the Golden Gate Strait between San Francisco and the Marin Headlands than by boat. Over eighty years later, the Golden Gate Bridge is the city's most prominent landmark.

By Michelle Konstantinovsky Apr 6, 2020 Engineering / Civil Engineering

What's the Difference Between a Castle and a Palace?

Castles and palaces may seem the same, in their grandiose architecture and palatial structure. But the two buildings were constructed by monarchs for different purposes.

By Kristen Hall-Geisler Mar 10, 2020 Engineering / Architecture

How the Panama Canal Makes Water Flow Uphill

The Panama Canal has been one of the world's biggest engineering feats since it was built nearly by hand in the 1900s.

By John Donovan Feb 10, 2020 Engineering / Structural Engineering

What's the Difference Between an Avenue, a Road and a Boulevard?

The name bestowed on a road depends on its size and function. And it's not just up to your neighborhood's developer either.

By Melanie Radzicki McManus Jan 3, 2020 Engineering / Civil Engineering

How Artificial Intelligence Is Totally Changing Everything

AI already can outperform humans in some narrow domains, but in the future AI may go inside the human brain to enhance intellectual capabilities, turning users into human-machine hybrids.

By Patrick J. Kiger Dec 20, 2019 Engineering / Robotics

Man-made Islands Are More Common Than You Think

Man has been building islands all over the world for centuries using extraordinary feats of engineering. But at what cost to the environment?

By Mark Mancini Oct 11, 2019 Engineering / Structural Engineering

How the St. Louis Arch Stands Against All Odds

The St. Louis Arch was so spectacularly designed that, when construction kicked off in 1961, many predicted an epic failure.

By Michelle Konstantinovsky Oct 1, 2019 Engineering / Architecture

How Brunelleschi Built the World's Biggest Dome

The dome of the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore is the largest masonry dome ever built and still defines the city of Florence over 500 years later.

By Michelle Konstantinovsky Sep 19, 2019 Engineering / Architecture

San Francisco's Wave Organ Plays With the Tides

Built in 1986, the Wave Organ amplifies the sound of the waves to create beautiful music.

By Michelle Konstantinovsky Sep 11, 2019 Engineering / Structural Engineering

Landmark TWA Flight Center Now Stuns as Hotel

It took 22 government agencies and more than 180 firms to turn Eero Saarinen's groundbreaking airport terminal into a spectacular hotel.

By Carrie Whitney, Ph.D. Sep 10, 2019 Engineering / Architecture

Excess Subway Heat to Warm London Homes

The London borough of Islington plans to harness the excess heat of the London Underground to hike up the heat to nearby homes and businesses.

By Tara Yarlagadda Sep 10, 2019 Engineering / Civil Engineering

7 Dazzling Details About the Louvre Pyramid

The Louvre Pyramid was first received by the world in 1989 as an architectural joke, but 30 years later it's considered one of the world's most iconic design masterpieces.

By Carrie Whitney, Ph.D. Aug 20, 2019 Engineering / Architecture

Think a Drone Is Spying on You? Here's What to Do

Many people worry that drones will invade their privacy, though experts say the fear is greater than the actual threat.

By Patrick J. Kiger Aug 13, 2019 Engineering / Robotics

Sagrada Familia Basilica Is Almost Finished, After Just 137 Years

Started in 1882, this beautifully ornate church is expected to be finally completed in 2026. It was the vision of architect Antoni Gaudí who conceived of it as a "forest in stone."

By Dave Roos Aug 5, 2019 Engineering / Architecture

Bordeaux's Water Mirror Is Magical, Worth Visiting

Bordeaux's famed and beautiful reflecting pool will have you snapping photographs and feeling like you're walking on water.

By Carrie Whitney, Ph.D. Jul 18, 2019 Engineering / Civil Engineering

Moscow's St. Basil's Cathedral in 7 Different Architectural Styles

St. Basil's Cathedral in Moscow is an architectural oddball, but travel company RealRussia decided to imagine what it would look like in seven more conventional architectural styles.

By Jesslyn Shields May 7, 2019 Engineering / Architecture

Seiichi Miyake Created Tactile Paving System to Help Visually Impaired

The Japanese inventor's textured ground surface indicators to assist pedestrians at traffic crossings.

By Michelle Konstantinovsky Mar 18, 2019 Engineering / Civil Engineering

Thank Goodness for Retractable Cords, Right?

They keep our miles and miles of unruly cords untangled and out of the way. But how do they work?

By Patrick J. Kiger Feb 20, 2019 Engineering / Devices

'AntBot' Uses Celestial Navigation Instead of GPS

A new robot ant uses the same technology desert ants use to safely, efficiently navigate through the searing Saharan sun.

By Jesslyn Shields Feb 19, 2019 Engineering / Robotics

What's Really Going on at the 'Tesla Tower'?

There's a mysterious tower in Texas that strongly resembles Nikola Tesla's Wardenclyffe Tower. Its constructors say they're testing some new forms of electromagnetic waves. But is something else going on?

By Nathan Chandler Jan 31, 2019 Engineering / Civil Engineering

Creaking Floors Served as Security Warning System in Ancient Japan

In 17th century Japan, wealthy citizens built homes with "nightingale floors" that squeaked, warning them of intruders. In fact, the floors squeaked louder when the steps got lighter.

By Nathan Chandler Jan 7, 2019 Engineering / Structural Engineering