Engineering

City workers have pulled 46 tons of the colorful beads from New Orleans' clogged catch basins, mostly from a five-block stretch along St. Charles Avenue.

By John Perritano

Controversy surrounds the removal of public monuments honoring the U.S. Confederacy. But who or what determines which monuments go up or come down?

By Dave Roos

Defensive design is becoming increasingly important in cities around the world.

By Patrick J. Kiger

Cosmic rays sound like something out of sci-fi, but they're helping scientists unlock the secrets of one of the oldest human-made structures in the world.

By Jesslyn Shields

You might be surprised to learn that the twists and turns of streets in the suburbs date all the way to the Industrial Revolution.

By Adina Solomon

Old books smell a lot like chocolate and coffee, thanks to certain chemical compounds.

By Shelley Danzy

And guess what? You can browse them all for yourself.

By Jonathan Strickland

Researchers want to make it easy for beginners and nonengineers to design a custom robot in minutes, then print and assemble the parts themselves.

By Patrick J. Kiger

Is honesty the best policy? New York subway delays have been couched in mystery for years, but the MTA is now dishing out hard truths about why trains are running behind.

By Jesslyn Shields

The ancients were able to devise a mix for concrete that actually gets stronger over time thanks to chemical reactions. If only we could rediscover the recipe...

By Laurie L. Dove

A newly filed patent suggests that the famously stiff animatronics in Disney theme parks could get a lifelike upgrade.

By Laurie L. Dove

The android known as FEDOR used pistols to display its decision making and dexterity, officials said, not as a preview of robot warfare.

By Patrick J. Kiger

What is it about this state that makes it so dangerous for those on two feet? A few things, it turns out.

By Chris Opfer

Baxter, a collaborative robot, even blushes when he messes up a task.

By Shelley Danzy

Anything you can do on the pingpong table, FOPRPHEUS can show you how to do better.

By Chris Opfer

Roundabouts aren't all that complicated, but they're still relatively rare in the U.S., especially when compared with France.

By Clint Pumphrey

New research delves into the impact of our immense technological footprint.

By Kate Kershner

Chemical sensing devices are not just for detecting radon gas and carbon monoxide. They can be used in hospitals, airports, even on the battlefield.

By Meisa Salaita

We've taught the machines to make decisions, but we haven't been paying as much attention to how and why they're learning.

By Patrick J. Kiger

How can you keep motors from overheating without bulky fans and cooling systems? Engineers looked to the human body for inspiration.

By Patrick J. Kiger

What if you bought a multimillion-dollar luxury apartment, only to find out it was slowly sinking?

By Kate Kershner

Researchers have developed wearable, mobile robots that can act as sensors, displays and even a necklace.

By Yves Jeffcoat

A new application called Statcheck is bringing some academics a lot closer to AI. Not everyone's a fan.

By Kate Kershner

What are the benefits of growing living tissue in a lab and fusing it to a robotic body? This Fw:Thinking video explores our cyborg future.

By Laurie L. Dove

This year's London Design Festival features a long wooden tube that shows the potential of hardwood as a versatile building material.

By Patrick J. Kiger