Engineering

Controversy surrounds the plan to cut the river’s massive levee in an attempt to save disappearing wetlands

Lethal gas fights crime, 1921; baby energy powers cleaning, 1871

New computer architecture in 1971; multistage rocket theory in 1921

Researchers decode spiders’ web-building behavior for application in future robots

After patenting the telephone, the famous inventor turned his attention to giant tetrahedral kites capable of lifting people into the air

Controlled avalanches are a major safety effort during a year of outdoor activities

The project aims to use a balloon to release particles into the atmosphere to tamp down warming

Scientific American and the World Economic Forum sifted through more than 75 nominations for the most innovative and potentially game-changing technologies in 2020. The final top 10 span the fields of medicine, engineering, environmental sciences and chemistry. And to win the nod, the technologies must have the potential to spur progress in societies and economies by outperforming established ways of doing things. They also need to be novel (that is, not currently in wide use) yet likely to have a major impact within the next three to five years. Here’s your guide for the (hopefully) near future. 

Read the full report here.

Deep-learning robot Shimon writes and rhymes in real time

Materials scientist and science writer Ainissa Ramirez talks about her latest book The Alchemy of Us: How Humans and Matter Transformed One Another.

Experts highlight advances with the potential to revolutionize industry, health care and society

A century-old concept, Flettner rotors, gets a fresh look as shippers cut back fuel