Articles tagged with Materials Engineering
MIT researchers have made a breakthrough in creating morphing vehicles by utilizing rechargeable batteries. The team's innovative approach involves using the expansion and contraction of solid compounds to actuate large-scale structures, allowing for seamless shape changes.
Vorticella's contractile fiber bundle, the spasmoneme, uses calcium as fuel and a powerful centrin-based mechanism to generate enormous forces. Researchers identified centrin as the key component, which is also found in filamentous structures of other organisms.
Researchers at Stanford University have developed a new type of silicon-based modulator that can enable high-speed light connections between chips. This innovation could pave the way for faster data transfer rates and improve performance in computing hardware.
The Center for Engineering Sustainability aims to galvanize engineering programs into action, improving faculty teaching and providing peer-reviewed educational materials. The initiative also plans a nationwide survey to benchmark the status of sustainable engineering education.
The Center for Engineering Sustainability aims to promote sustainable engineering practices among US engineering programs, providing peer-reviewed materials and workshops. With $1.7M NSF & $350K EPA support, the initiative seeks to encourage engineers to incorporate environmental constraints into projects.
AZojomo is the first open-access publishing system to reward authors and peer reviewers with revenue sharing, providing a more inclusive and accessible way for scientists to publish research papers. Peer-reviewed by internationally renowned materials science experts, AZojomo ensures the credibility of published content.
A recent survey of UK scientists suggests a link between success and encouragement, with women performing better than men in some areas. The UK is working to improve these numbers through initiatives like the Athena Project, which aims to promote women's careers in science, engineering, and technology.
A study published in the Royal Society journal explores the impact of global warming on common bird populations. The research demonstrates that the force distributions in random materials can be accurately described by an analogue of the Second Law of Thermodynamics, revealing new applications for this fundamental principle.
Three undergraduate students at the University of Alberta designed a space suit for Mars that balances radiation protection, mobility, and cost efficiency. The suit incorporates new polymeric materials, such as Demron, and innovative designs like ball bearings and compression rings to address the unique challenges of Martian exploration.
For skiing, snowboarding, and other winter sports, artificial snow requires realistic look, feel, and action. Machine-made snow uses seed materials to form ice crystals, with popular additives like Snomax and Drift enhancing realism and speed.
Researchers at Brown University and NIST have confirmed and extended Abrikosov's Nobel theory by tracking current eddies in a type II superconductor. The study revealed complex behavior and provided experimental confirmation of Abrikosov's prediction about smooth phase transitions.
A molecular resonant tunneling device has been successfully realized, offering improved efficiency and reduced power consumption in computer architectures. The device, which works at room temperature and on silicon, holds promise for future applications in high-sensitivity sensors.
The Rice Connexions program is expanding its offerings with new software tools and partnerships, making high-quality educational content freely available worldwide. The project aims to empower diverse cultural communities and break down barriers between academic disciplines through a collaborative approach to teaching materials.
Researchers discovered the chemical principles to reorganize liquids, creating new 'symphonic compositions' with desired optical and electronic properties. The team engineered molecules into glasses and liquids, manipulating their structure to produce changes in properties.
The study provides direct measurements of nanoscale forces between cartilage molecules and a tiny probe tip, shedding light on the complex biocomposite material's behavior. The results reveal a mix of electrical repulsive and steric forces contributing to its unique properties.
A virtual community of 26 educators from top universities will create, evaluate, and share effective engineering teaching materials, providing resources for faculty members. The project aims to address challenges in implementing digital learning technologies, including accessibility, quality, and teacher incentives.
Arthur Gossard, a professor at UCSB, has received the James C. McGroddy Prize for his contributions to molecular beam epitaxy, a key technology for compound semiconductors used in wireless and fiber-optic devices. The prize honors his work on device applications and physical understanding of low-dimensional structures.
LSU will create a new engineering discipline to address design concepts behind buildings and infrastructure in hurricane-prone regions. The program will offer courses in civil engineering and disaster engineering for upper-level undergraduates and graduate students.
The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) is seeking entries for its Science Journalism Awards competition, including a new online news category. The awards recognize excellence in science writing for a general audience and will support journalists covering emerging media platforms.
A Purdue University engineer is working on software tools that can prevent design conflicts and improve the efficiency of e-workers. The tools use 'neuro-fuzzy' programs to identify conflicts and provide fine details about their nature, enabling a resolution.
Mete Sozen, a structural engineer from Purdue University, has proposed a simplified alternative engineering method for designing earthquake-resistant buildings in Turkey. The five-page method is simpler than the current 75-page code and could be more easily understood and applied by engineers.
Researchers will study advanced technologies to minimize earthquake damage and losses in critical facilities like hospitals. They will examine retrofitting methods, smart materials systems, and monitoring systems to detect post-earthquake damage.