Mechanical Engineering

People identify teardrop-shaped cars, such as the Toyota Prius, as being more eco-friendly. | Reuters/Toru Hanai

May 18, 2018

Design cues trigger consumer opinions about environmental friendliness

Environment, Transportation & Robotics Issue #47

Today, robots. Tomorrow, the human brain. | Illustration by Stefani Billings

May 17, 2018

Mechanical engineers seek to master the forces that drive our world

Technology & Society Issue #47

If cells can't divide, a tumor can't grow. | Illustration by Kevin Craft

May 17, 2018

What can cell division teach us about fighting cancer?

Health Issue #47

A brine shrimp tethered in place generates flow with its swimming motion. | Illustration by Stefani Billings

Apr 20, 2018

Swarms of tiny organisms churn ocean waters

Environment Issue #45

Mar 29, 2018

Stretchable wires move us closer to electronics that mold to your skin

Electronics & Networking, Technology & Society Issue #45

The aerodynamic parts of Nissan’s model Z were designed by the Gran Turismo team. | Illustration by Stefani Billings

Mar 20, 2018

A video game designer blurs the line between the real and the virtual

Technology & Society, Transportation & Robotics

Shelley, an autonomous Audi, at Stanford’s VAIL facility. | Photo by Toni Bird

Mar 20, 2018

Traveling in the age of driverless cars

Technology & Society, Transportation & Robotics Issue #43

Understanding the mechanical forces at work in the brain could have important applications in medicine | iStock/mustafahacalaki

Feb 7, 2018

Mechanical forces may underlie brain development and some diseases

Computation & Data, Health Issue #40

Split-second decisions get made on a racetrack, but what happens on the highway when algorithms are in control? | iStock/AvigatorPhotographer

Jan 26, 2018

What can a computer learn from a race car driver?

Computation & Data, Technology & Society, Transportation & Robotics Issue #39

Researchers are developing heat extraction methods to make solar thermal plants more viable. | Illustration by Stefani Billings

Jan 25, 2018

Can we generate clean energy by using sunlight to superheat fluids?

Energy

If nanomaterials are going to impact society at a large scale, we have to find a way to make them affordably. | Illustration by Stefani Billings

Jan 25, 2018

Applying mechanical principles from the visible world to the nanorealm

Materials Issue #39

How do trees know where to put their branches? | Stocksy/Adrian Balzer

Jan 17, 2018

Why do trees and animals take the shapes they do?

Environment, Health Issue #39

High grade infiltrating ductal carcinoma of the breast | iStock/OGphoto

Jan 10, 2018

Why are some breast cancers more likely to spread than others?

Health Issue #38

What can the physical regulation of cells teach us about disease? | Illustration by Stefani Billings

Dec 20, 2017

Exploring the minute mechanical forces that govern human health

Health

Emerging biotechnologies don’t come without safety concerns. | Stocksy/Bisual Studio

Nov 20, 2017

Megan Palmer: How do we solve the security challenges in biotech?

Health, Security, Technology & Society Issue #37

Nov 20, 2017

Wind farms can be a tough sell for residents. What can be done?

Energy, Environment Issue #35

Illustration by Stefani Billings

Nov 16, 2017

Simulating human movement to optimize physical performance

Health Issue #36

Illustration by Stefani Billings

Nov 2, 2017

Allison Okamura: Exploring the next big thing in modern robotics

Transportation & Robotics Issue #35

Transforming our perceptions | Image courtesy Allison Okamura

Oct 30, 2017

Allison Okamura: Soft Robots for Humanity

Transportation & Robotics Issue #34

The nanopeapods depicted in this artist's rendition are carrying excess thermal energy away from a computer chip. | Courtesy of Goodson Lab

Oct 16, 2017

Can we turn tiny amounts of waste heat into thermo-electricity?

Electronics & Networking, Energy, Materials Issue #33

High-speed video reveals how lovebirds keep a clear line of sight during acrobatic flight. | Courtesy Lentink Lab

Oct 13, 2017

David Lentink: What small birds teach us about the physics of flight

Transportation & Robotics Issue #37

A camera at the tip of a vine-like robot can give rescuers a view of otherwise unreachable places. | Photo by L.A. Cicero

Jul 19, 2017

Some organisms cover distance by growing. Now a robot can, too.

Transportation & Robotics Issue #27

Researchers are developing technologies to help robots adapt to unknown and changing environments. | Orion nebula/Courtesy JPL

Jul 14, 2017

Space robot technology can help autonomous vehicles here at home

Computation & Data, Materials, Transportation & Robotics Issue #27

A group of engineers create a microfluidic guillotine. | Image credit: L.A. Cicero

Jun 29, 2017

A microscopic guillotine cuts cells in two

Health, Materials Issue #27