Engineering

Scientists unlock a safer, stronger energy source for space travel

Scientists at the University at Albany have made a breakthrough that could change how rockets are fueled in the future. A team of chemists, led...

Scientists turn problem seaweed into greener building materials

Along coastlines in the Caribbean, the United States, and northern Brazil, massive amounts of brown seaweed called sargassum have become a growing problem. When it...

3D printing creates smarter materials for next-gen wearable sensors

Tactile sensors—devices that detect touch, pressure, and force—are at the heart of many modern technologies. They help robots grip objects, allow prosthetics to sense pressure,...

Starfish-inspired tube feet could give underwater robots a strong grip

Soft robotics is a growing field that uses flexible, bendable materials instead of rigid machines. These soft systems are especially promising for underwater tasks where...

Scientists find how to overcome the fatigue limit ceiling in ultra-strong steel

A Japanese research team has found a surprising way to make steel much tougher against repeated stress. Instead of weakening the metal, carefully applied “fatigue...

New 3D imaging could reveal how metals crack and corrode inside nuclear reactors

Nuclear reactors power everything from electricity grids to naval ships, but keeping them safe over decades of use is one of the toughest engineering...

Scientists 3D-print record-breaking superconductor with soft matter technique

Superconductors—materials that can carry electricity with zero resistance—are the backbone of powerful technologies such as MRI machines, particle accelerators, and the quantum devices of...

Scientists create customizable 3D-printed foods for dysphagia patients

For many older adults and people with certain health conditions, something as simple as swallowing food can become a daily challenge. This condition, called dysphagia,...

Asteroid Bennu holds 4.5-billion-year-old secrets of our Solar System

Asteroid Bennu, the focus of NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission, has turned out to be far more than just a space rock. Samples recently brought back to...

Fast charging could make zinc batteries stronger, not weaker, study finds

For decades, battery experts have warned that charging a battery too quickly is a recipe for disaster. Fast charging was believed to cause damage, shorten...