Engineering(Page 2)

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

Latest in Engineering

Concept art depicting the X-37B space plane aerobraking above Earth

Space Force’s mysterious X-37B is testing its ‘aerobraking’ Space Force’s mysterious X-37B is testing its ‘aerobraking’

Close up of smallest Rubik's Cube being solved with tweezers

The world’s tiniest Rubik’s cube is as wide as 3 grains of rice The world’s tiniest Rubik’s cube is as wide as 3 grains of rice

tropicana sign outside hotel

Watch 2,200 pounds of explosives implode the Tropicana Las Vegas Watch 2,200 pounds of explosives implode the Tropicana Las Vegas

By Popular Science Team

Cybertruck in showroom

Recalled Cybertruck rearview camera was so slow it was illegal Recalled Cybertruck rearview camera was so slow it was illegal

Voyager 2 diagram with equipment labeled

NASA shut off a Voyager 2 tool to save power NASA shut off a Voyager 2 tool to save power

Chinese lunar spacesuit

China debuts its moon mission spacesuits China debuts its moon mission spacesuits

Concept art of USPS Next Generation Delivery Vehicle on neighborhood street

USPS explains chunky bumpers on new duck-shaped trucks USPS explains chunky bumpers on new duck-shaped trucks

Man riding on 3D printed Lego minibike

Engineer builds rideable LEGO motorbike using oversized 3D-printed bricks Engineer builds rideable LEGO motorbike using oversized 3D-printed bricks

Video screenshot of piece of OceanGate Titan wreckage

The OceanGate Titan implosion left a 30,000-square-meter debris field The OceanGate Titan implosion left a 30,000-square-meter debris field

Close up of memory crystal disc encoded with human genome

In case of extinction, scientists store human genome on a ‘memory crystal’ that lasts billions of years In case of extinction, scientists store human genome on a ‘memory crystal’ that lasts billions of years

Concrete material with hollow tube design

Bone-like, hollow concrete design makes it 5.6 times stronger Bone-like, hollow concrete design makes it 5.6 times stronger

Crystal Palace in 1851 Britain.

How standard screws cracked a 173-year-old architectural mystery How standard screws cracked a 173-year-old architectural mystery

Lego Full Scale McLaren P1 driving

LEGO built a full-scale, drivable McLaren P1 model LEGO built a full-scale, drivable McLaren P1 model

A black and white image shows a silvery sheet of material toward the bottom

NASA releases first photo of 860-square-foot solar sail in orbit NASA releases first photo of 860-square-foot solar sail in orbit

Hydrogel device that plays Pong

A lifeless hydrogel blob can play Pong A lifeless hydrogel blob can play Pong

Concept art of timber skyscraper in Milwaukee

Milwaukee wants to build the world’s tallest timber skyscraper (again) Milwaukee wants to build the world’s tallest timber skyscraper (again)

Pyramid of Djoser with camel

Egypt’s oldest pyramid may have been built using a hydraulic lift Egypt’s oldest pyramid may have been built using a hydraulic lift

a red hovercraft vehicle sits on the mud with two occupants in the cabin

DIY

Teacher spends 1800 hours building the hovercraft of his childhood dreams Teacher spends 1800 hours building the hovercraft of his childhood dreams

By Keith Wagstaff

Concept art of Neom Stadium in Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia wants to top its linear city with a sci-fi soccer stadium Saudi Arabia wants to top its linear city with a sci-fi soccer stadium

Soap bubble machine on top of car blowing a large bubble

Watch 50-foot long soap bubbles fly with the ‘Endless Bubble Machine’ Watch 50-foot long soap bubbles fly with the ‘Endless Bubble Machine’

a purple race track, with whit lane lines

Paris Olympics’ purple track is made with crushed mussel and clam shells Paris Olympics’ purple track is made with crushed mussel and clam shells

By Laura Baisas

Screenshot of model rocket vertically landing

Teen’s model rocket sticks a SpaceX-inspired vertical landing Teen’s model rocket sticks a SpaceX-inspired vertical landing

Suspended skyscraper at Three Gorges

7 wild concepts from the 2024 Skyscraper Competition 7 wild concepts from the 2024 Skyscraper Competition

Water tank used for wave modulation system

Sound waves power ping-pong ball through aquatic obstacle course Sound waves power ping-pong ball through aquatic obstacle course

3D printed Lego moon brick made from meteorite dust against space background

Future lunar bases could be built with LEGO moon bricks Future lunar bases could be built with LEGO moon bricks

Glassy gel stretching

‘Glassy gels’ are a new class of strong, stretchy, sticky materials ‘Glassy gels’ are a new class of strong, stretchy, sticky materials

Concept art of lunar rover heat switch system

Moon rovers are evolving to survive the harsh lunar night Moon rovers are evolving to survive the harsh lunar night

Artist concept art of Voyager 1

Voyager 1 defies the odds yet again and is back online Voyager 1 defies the odds yet again and is back online

Magnetic resonance spectroscopy machine in hospital laboratory.

AI

New technology could shrink bulky MRI machines New technology could shrink bulky MRI machines

Starship fourth liftoff

SpaceX’s fourth Starship launches SpaceX’s fourth Starship launches

Concept art of superstructure with gravity battery inside

Colossal skyscrapers could harness height for gravity batteries Colossal skyscrapers could harness height for gravity batteries

Common cuttlefish

Cuttlefish tentacles and origami inspired a new robotic claw Cuttlefish tentacles and origami inspired a new robotic claw

Illustration of atomic Fresnel lens

This lens is just three atoms thick and works like a quantum lighthouse This lens is just three atoms thick and works like a quantum lighthouse

Close-up of three cows

Cow poop might make cleaner hydrogen gas a reality Cow poop might make cleaner hydrogen gas a reality

Metamaterial film on glass

New material looks like frosted glass but lets in more light than a window New material looks like frosted glass but lets in more light than a window

Underwater image of Titanic wreckage

Billionaire plans to ride $20 million submersible to the Titanic Billionaire plans to ride $20 million submersible to the Titanic

Robot solving Rubik's cube

AI

In blink of an eye, robot sets new Rubik’s cube Guinness World Record In blink of an eye, robot sets new Rubik’s cube Guinness World Record

Concept art of EarthCARE satellite scanning clouds above Earth

The ‘White Dragon’ satellite will keep watch over our clouds The ‘White Dragon’ satellite will keep watch over our clouds

B-21 Raider stealth bomber in flight

See the B-21 nuclear stealth bomber’s first official flight photos See the B-21 nuclear stealth bomber’s first official flight photos

Factory worker overseeing steel forge

Zero-emission ‘electric cement’ is an ‘absolute miracle’ Zero-emission ‘electric cement’ is an ‘absolute miracle’

Hand holding Neuralink implant

85% of Neuralink implant wires are already detached, says patient 85% of Neuralink implant wires are already detached, says patient

Concept art of lunar base with floating train path alongside astronauts

Wild NASA proposal envisions magnetic hover trains on the moon Wild NASA proposal envisions magnetic hover trains on the moon

Three 3D printed polypills

One 3D-printed ‘polypill’ could fit an entire day’s medications One 3D-printed ‘polypill’ could fit an entire day’s medications

Chicken looking at camera against black background

Chicken fat supercapacitors could store green energy of the future Chicken fat supercapacitors could store green energy of the future

A father and son designed the world’s fastest quadcopter drone

A father and son designed the world’s fastest quadcopter drone A father and son designed the world’s fastest quadcopter drone

Project 821 hydrogen fuel superyacht in port

Welcome aboard the world’s first hydrogen fuel cell superyacht Welcome aboard the world’s first hydrogen fuel cell superyacht

Factory of the Future 1.0 3D printer with man standing in front of it

Makers of the world’s largest 3D printer just beat their own record Makers of the world’s largest 3D printer just beat their own record

ACS3 solar sail concept art above Earth

NASA will unfurl a 860-square-foot solar sail from within a microwave-sized cube NASA will unfurl a 860-square-foot solar sail from within a microwave-sized cube

An artist’s concept of NASA’s Voyager 1 traveling through interstellar space–or the space between stars.

Greetings, Earth! NASA can understand Voyager 1 again Greetings, Earth! NASA can understand Voyager 1 again

By Laura Baisas

SpaceHopper robot in midair during parabolic flight test

Watch a tripod robot test its asteroid leaping skills Watch a tripod robot test its asteroid leaping skills

Cargo Ship in Panama Canal

A new solution proposed for drought-stricken Panama Canal goes around it A new solution proposed for drought-stricken Panama Canal goes around it

Toyota concept art for lunar RV

Japan and NASA plan a historic lunar RV roadtrip together Japan and NASA plan a historic lunar RV roadtrip together

Two robots playing soccer

Watch two tiny, AI-powered robots play soccer Watch two tiny, AI-powered robots play soccer

Smuggled gold disguised as machine parts

Smugglers melted and spray painted $10 million in gold to look like machine parts Smugglers melted and spray painted $10 million in gold to look like machine parts

Researchers developed a 3D printer that can automatically identify the parameters of an unknown material on its own. The advance could help make 3D printing more sustainable, enabling printing with renewable or recyclable materials that are difficult to characterize.

3D printers just got a big, eco-friendly upgrade (in the lab) 3D printers just got a big, eco-friendly upgrade (in the lab)

Close up of shark head

Shark skin and owl feathers could inspire quieter underwater sonar Shark skin and owl feathers could inspire quieter underwater sonar

MUSE stellarator fusion reactor

Stellarator fusion reactor gets new life thanks to a creative magnet workaround Stellarator fusion reactor gets new life thanks to a creative magnet workaround

NASA Lunar Terrain Vehicle concept art

It’s on! Three finalists will design a lunar rover for Artemis It’s on! Three finalists will design a lunar rover for Artemis

Shoe made from bacterial cellulose

Would you wear this ‘shoe-like vessel’ made from genetically engineered bacteria? Would you wear this ‘shoe-like vessel’ made from genetically engineered bacteria?

Buzz Aldrin on the moon next to American flag.

NASA is designing a time zone just for the moon NASA is designing a time zone just for the moon

LSST Camera Deputy Project Manager Travis Lange shines a flashlight into the LSST Camera.

A 3,200-megapixel digital camera is ready for its cosmic photoshoot A 3,200-megapixel digital camera is ready for its cosmic photoshoot

Arctic ice flow

Melting ice makes Arctic a target for a new deep sea internet cable Melting ice makes Arctic a target for a new deep sea internet cable

Dr Ian Phillips with the wavelength management device

Researchers unlock fiber optic connection 1.2 million times faster than broadband Researchers unlock fiber optic connection 1.2 million times faster than broadband

Image taken of JAXA SLIM lunar lander on moon upside down

Japan’s SLIM moon lander survives a second brutal lunar night Japan’s SLIM moon lander survives a second brutal lunar night