Engineering
What is 3G and why is it being shut down? An electrical engineer explains
3G networks are built using completely different equipment and algorithms than its newer replacements.
Win-win: we can make fertilizer by purifying wastewater
Stanford engineers have developed a cost-effective way to convert a toxic byproduct of a wastewater filtration process into useful chemicals.
Diamond-like starfish skeleton unlike any discovered in nature
The skeleton of the knobby starfish has a structure unlike any other found in nature so far, and it could inspire new lightweight ceramics.
“Fly ash” contains rare earth elements needed for electronics
A new method for extracting rare earth elements from fly ash could help end the U.S.’s reliance on China for the valuable metals.
Fusion reactor breaks 24-year-old nuclear record
A new record set by the world’s largest nuclear fusion reactor is giving researchers confidence we’re on the path to usable fusion energy.
NASA: Lockheed Martin will build the Mars Ascent Vehicle
NASA’s Mars Ascent Vehicle, a first-of-its-kind rocket capable of launching from the surface of Mars, will be built by Lockheed Martin.
MIT’s new material is stronger than steel and as light as plastic
A new material out of MIT that’s stronger than steel and as light as plastic could one day coat smartphones, hold up bridges, and more.
Flexible device hugs pipes, turning waste heat into electricity
Penn State researchers have developed a thermoelectric generator that efficiently converts waste heat into electricity.
SpaceX’s Starship is ready for its first trip into space
SpaceX's Mars-bound Starship — the largest spacecraft ever built — is expected to undergo its first orbital test flight in March 2022.