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

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Skyscraper Pictures

Skyscrapers are fascinating engineering feats, but they can also be beautiful additions to city skylines. Travel to new heights with this skyscraper gallery.

Engineering / Structural Engineering

10 Inventions by Thomas Edison (That You've Never Heard Of)

It's common knowledge that Thomas Edison invented the incandescent light bulb and the phonograph, but did you know he also developed concrete furniture and a phone to communicate with the dead?

By Martha Barksdale Engineering / Devices

How the Edison Awards Work

The Edison Awards annually honor the best new, cutting-edge products, companies and business executives -- all in the name of the record-setting inventor, Thomas Edison. What exactly does it take to earn an Edison Award?

By Elizabeth Sprouse Engineering / Devices

5 Amazing Innovations that Have Won Edison Awards

Every now and then, a new product bursts onto the scene, causing a sensation among consumers and leaving an indelible mark on a given industry. These amazing innovations are contenders for an Edison Award.

By Alia Hoyt Engineering / Devices

10 Expensive Restorations

Over the centuries, some of the most breathtaking buildings on Earth have been restored many times. Whether they were to make necessary repairs, update designs or adjust to changing needs, all these projects required big bucks.

By Sara Elliott Engineering / Structural Engineering

Why don't water towers freeze solid in the winter?

Water towers can be found in just about every town and city in America. Have you ever wondered if they freeze in the winter?

Engineering / Structural Engineering

Awesome Architecture Image Gallery

From the Taj Mahal to the Leaning Tower of Pisa to Fallingwater, flip through these beautiful examples of architecture.

Engineering / Architecture

Robot Pictures

Whether they’re adorable like ASIMO or creepy like the world's most lifelike androids, today's robots take on a range of shapes and sizes. But they're not all humanoid. This gallery also shows off a few that are inspired by the animal kingdom.

By HowStuffWorks.com Contributors Engineering / Robotics

Top 10 Structurally Amazing Bridges

Bridges move cars, trains, bikes and people, among other things. These 10 may even move your soul with their engineering ingenuity and beauty. So which 10 make the cut?

By William Harris Engineering / Structural Engineering

How Welding Works

For a process that simply bonds two pieces of metal, welding affects a lot of our world and some stuff that's out of this world, like the International Space Station. What's it like to man the torch?

By Jonathan Atteberry Engineering / Materials Science

How LED Incapacitators Work

This nonlethal weapon doesn't cause any lasting damage, but it may cause you to pray to the porcelains gods if an officer shines one in your eyes long enough to subdue you.

By Craig Freudenrich, Ph.D. Engineering / Devices

What's a brownfield?

Have you ever passed by an abandoned warehouse or gas station and wondered why the government doesn't just tear it down? Well, it may be a brownfield.

By Echo Surina Engineering / Structural Engineering

Can a swimsuit make you swim faster?

Wouldn't it be cool to blow past that swimmer in the next lane who always leaves you eating her watery dust? Could a bathing suit help you do it?

By Susan L. Nasr Engineering / Materials Science

10 Construction Projects That Broke the Bank

Whether we're trying to save a sinking city or dig a massive tunnel, our appetite for construction knows no bounds. But if designers had known the actual cost of these 10 projects, they might have gone back to the drawing board.

By Jacob Silverman & Patrick J. Kiger Engineering / Structural Engineering

What's a "thinking cap" -- and could it make me a genius?

You've probably been asked to put on your thinking cap before, but have you ever wondered what it looked like or what it does? This thinking cap may not make you smarter, but it could help you tap into previously unexplored abilities.

By Josh Clark Engineering / Devices

How Rubber Works

Charles Goodyear was obsessed with this stretchy material, and we are, too. It's weatherproof, shockproof and entertaining, and it's found in more products than you can shoot a rubber band at.

By Craig Freudenrich, Ph.D. Engineering / Materials Science

How Timber Works

Log cabins may be a historical footnote and fossil fuels may reign supreme, but forests remain critical natural resources. What does the future hold for Paul Bunyan's favorite industry?

By William Harris Engineering / Materials Science

How fMRI Works

What if a scan could not only help diagnose diseases of the brain, but maybe even determine what we're thinking and feeling? A noninvasive fMRI test could do just that.

By Stephanie Watson Engineering / Devices

How Frank Lloyd Wright Worked

Frank Lloyd Wright likely is best known for his architectural stylings and his eye for detail. But there was much more to the man: He liked fast cars, he loved women and he drew inspiration from Japanese art. How did that translate to his architecture?

By Jessika Toothman Engineering / Architecture