Engineering – News, Research and Analysis – The Conversation

You may be sitting on polyurethane foam right now. Akhmad Bayuri/iStock/Getty Images Plus

January 5, 2023

Foams used in car seats and mattresses are hard to recycle – we made a plant-based version that avoids polyurethane’s health risks, too

Srikanth Pilla, Clemson University and James Sternberg, Clemson University

Polyurethane foams are the world’s sixth-most-produced plastic yet among the least recycled materials.

Many of humanity’s innovations have taken inspiration from the natural world. Alessandro De Maddalena/Shutterstock

December 30, 2022

Five human technologies inspired by nature – from velcro to racing cars

Amin Al-Habaibeh, Nottingham Trent University

Humans often look to nature for the solutions to complex problems – here are five times where biological processes have inspired innovation.

December 22, 2022

Already under fire politically, Three Waters is also threatened by NZ’s critical shortage of skilled engineers

Suzanne Wilkinson, Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa – Massey University and Rod Cameron, Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa – Massey University

There simply aren’t enough water engineers in New Zealand for the massive Three Waters projects. Matching capacity with forward planning is an urgent issue the government must address.

NIF’s target chamber, where a powerful laser is used to start nuclear fusion reactions. Photo by Jason Laurea/Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL)

December 15, 2022

Nuclear fusion may still be decades away, but the latest breakthrough could speed up its development

Justin Wark, University of Oxford and Gianluca Gregori, University of Oxford

A US national lab has proved we can the fusion process can be used to produce energy, but it’s just the first step in a very long process.

For many non-engineers, iron rings worn by Canadian engineers have been shrouded in mystery. (Shutterstock)

December 4, 2022

Canadian engineers call for change to their private ‘iron ring’ ceremony steeped in colonialism

Marcel O'Gorman, University of Waterloo

Engineers say the current ‘iron ring’ ritual is steeped in colonial worldviews and excludes the public from understanding engineers’ ethical obligations.

This connection of springs is a new type of material that can change shape and learn new properties. Jonathan Hopkins

October 19, 2022

A new type of material called a mechanical neural network can learn and change its physical properties to create adaptable, strong structures

Ryan H. Lee, University of California, Los Angeles

Computer-based neural networks can learn to do tasks. A new type of material, called a mechanical neural network, applies similar ideas to a physical structure.

Small planes are easier to electrify, but larger ones aren’t far behind. Chalabala/istock via Getty Images

September 19, 2022

Electric planes are coming: Short-hop regional flights could be running on batteries in a few years

Gökçin Çınar, University of Michigan

Air Canada and United Airlines both have orders for hybrid electric 30-seaters. An aerospace engineer explains where electrification, hydrogen and sustainable aviation fuels are headed.

As the most water-scarce region on the planet, the Middle East is particularly reliant on desalination technology. Maxim Petrichuk/Shutterstock

September 1, 2022

Desalination may be key to averting global water shortage, but it will take time

Kiran Tota-Maharaj, Aston University

Drinkable water resources are becoming increasingly scarce. Are technologies such as desalination capable of averting such a crisis?

August 25, 2022

Not all of us have access to safe drinking water. This clever rainwater collector can change that

Md Abdul Alim, Western Sydney University; Ataur Rahman, Western Sydney University, and Zhong Tao, Western Sydney University

Rainwater is a vital resource in many communities, but it’s not always safe to use. This sustainable and cheap invention could help many households in remote areas.

Research shows women who study engineering do better when mentored by other women. Nitat Termmee/Moment via Getty Images

June 23, 2022

Only about 1 in 5 engineering degrees go to women

Danyelle Tauryce Ireland, University of Maryland, Baltimore County

A negative environment dissuades many women engineering students from staying in the field. Can colleges and universities do anything to reverse the trend?

June 15, 2022

‘I couldn’t see a future’: what ex-automotive workers told us about job loss, shutdowns, and communities on the edge

Helen Dinmore, University of South Australia and Andrew Beer, University of South Australia

Our interviews with ex-automotive workers reveal how economic change interrupts lives, casting people into new worlds of precarious work and long, indefinite journeys in search of security.

A digital twin attempts to capture every aspect of a real thing, including up-to-the-moment changes. lambada/E+ via Getty Images

June 1, 2022

What are digital twins? A pair of computer modeling experts explain

Amlan Ganguly, Rochester Institute of Technology and Nalini Venkatasubramanian, University of California, Irvine

A digital twin is to a computer model as live video is to a still photo. These virtual replicas can be used to understand and make predictions about a wide range of complex systems, including people.

The Wall of Wind can create Category 5 hurricane winds for testing life-size structures. Margi Rentis/Florida International University

August 24, 2022

30 years after Hurricane Andrew devastated Florida, researchers are using a ‘Wall of Wind’ to design safer homes – but storms are getting even more intense

Richard Olson, Florida International University; Ameyu B. Tolera, Florida International University; Arindam Chowdhury, Florida International University, and Ioannis Zisis, Florida International University

The test facility in Miami helps building designers prevent future storm damage. With the warming climate intensifying hurricanes, engineers are planning a new one with 200 mph winds and storm surge.

Spaghetti Junction has always been a destination as much as a transport nexus. Paul White - Transport Infrastructures / Alamy Stock Photo

May 24, 2022

Spaghetti Junction at 50: how the fabled Midlands interchange put Birmingham on the map

Michael Dring, Birmingham City University

Gravelly Hill Interchange was always meant to be functional, but its cultural life has been rich too.

Magnetic fusion reactors contain super hot plasma in a donut-shaped container called a tokamak. dani3315/iStock via Getty Images

April 4, 2022

Nuclear fusion hit a milestone thanks to better reactor walls – this engineering advance is building toward reactors of the future

David Donovan, University of Tennessee and Livia Casali, University of Tennessee

In January 2022, the JET fusion experiment produced more power over a longer period of time than any past attempt. Two physicists explain the engineering advancements that made the result possible.

The future of virtual learning? In Canada, doctors and nurses are engaged in professional development studies alongside design engineer students in Italy. (Shutterstock)

March 13, 2022

How an ER simulation helps medical and engineering students see new points of view

Ari Mazzeo, McMaster University

Courses designed to foster peer-to-peer learning in virtual spaces can yield research insights across disciplines.

February 28, 2022

Future cities could be 3D printed – using concrete made with recycled glass

Seyed Ghaffar, Brunel University of London; Mehdi Chougan, Brunel University of London, and Pawel Sikora

Glass is produced from sand, is easy to recycle, and can be used to make concrete without any complex processing.

Minority STEM majors are more likely than their white peers to switch fields. andresr/E+ via Getty Images

February 11, 2022

4 ways to help STEM majors stay the course

Esohe G. Irabor, Howard University and Brandyn White, Howard University

Colleges don’t have to sit by and watch STEM majors leave for other fields. Two Ph.D. biology students share tips for encouraging students to stick with STEM despite the difficulty involved.

Without a diverse range of test subjects, some new technologies could fail to work as intended for many people. John Paul Van Wert/Rank Studios/Flickr

January 17, 2022

Building machines that work for everyone – how diversity of test subjects is a technology blind spot, and what to do about it

Tahira Reid, Purdue University and James Gibert, Purdue University

It’s easy for researchers to fall back on using test subjects from the communities around them – students and employees. Branching out is key to avoiding technology that fails certain populations.

Engineering classes at the University of San Diego have started integrating discussions of the social impact of technology like drones. Gordon Hoople

January 4, 2022

Future engineers need to understand their work’s human impact – here’s how my classes prepare students to tackle problems like climate change

Gordon D. Hoople, University of San Diego

Solving mathematical equations is only part of the job. Students should be spending more time thinking about the human dimensions of the problems they are trying to solve.

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