Engineering

Why does air cool down when pushed around by an electric fan? You would think that air molecules in motion would be creating friction, and therefore increasing the ambient temperature instead of decreasing it. So why do you feel cooler?

If you've ever seen a construction site, you may have noticed that the general plans for construction are drawn out in the form of blueprints. What exactly are blueprints, though, and how are they made? Find out in this article.

Rome is famous for having large public fountains that work without the use of any kind of mechanized pump. How were these fountains able to generate enough water pressure without a motor? Check out this article for the answer to this question.

People build skyscrapers primarily because they are convenient -- you can create a lot of real estate out of a relatively small ground area. They're also awe-inspiring. Skyscrapers capture our imagination -- how high can we build them? Learn about the architecture and design of these monumental buildings.

ByTom Harris

A friend of mine showed me this card that the image changed depending on the angle that you view it at. How does that work?

The serpentine qualities of snakes are the inspiration for a new type of robotic, interplanetary probe. Find out how snakebots will explore other worlds.

By Kevin Bonsor

They don't have engines, brakes or accelerators. No, these amazing machines rely on physical, centripetal and gravitational forces to urge thrills, screams and that sinking stomach feeling we all love (and hate). Read more about the science of fun.

ByTom Harris&Cherise Threewitt

The Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago introduced a new bionic arm that can be controlled by reading a person's thoughts. How does this technology work? Can you control a machine with thoughts? Learn about the bionic arm in this article.

ByJulia Layton

The crossbow, a weapon popular with Wookiees, vampire slayers and some modern hunters, looks like a cross between a bow and a rifle. Read about it’s fascinating history and uses.

ByTracy V. Wilson

Frank Lloyd Wright likely is best known for his architectural stylings and his eye for detail. But there was much more to the man: He liked fast cars, he loved women and he drew inspiration from Japanese art. How did that translate to his architecture?

ByJessika Toothman

You've probably been asked to put on your thinking cap before, but have you ever wondered what it looked like or what it does? This thinking cap may not make you smarter, but it could help you tap into previously unexplored abilities.

ByJosh Clark

Charles Goodyear was obsessed with this stretchy material, and we are, too. It's weatherproof, shockproof and entertaining, and it's found in more products than you can shoot a rubber band at.

ByCraig Freudenrich, Ph.D.

Whether we're trying to save a sinking city or dig a massive tunnel, our appetite for construction knows no bounds. But if designers had known the actual cost of these 10 projects, they might have gone back to the drawing board.

ByJacob Silverman&Patrick J. Kiger

It took 22 government agencies and more than 180 firms to turn Eero Saarinen's groundbreaking airport terminal into a spectacular hotel.

ByCarrie Whitney, Ph.D.

Built in 1986, the Wave Organ amplifies the sound of the waves to create beautiful music.

ByMichelle Konstantinovsky

The dome of the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore is the largest masonry dome ever built and still defines the city of Florence over 500 years later.

ByMichelle Konstantinovsky

圣路易斯拱门是如此壮观设计that, when construction kicked off in 1961, many predicted an epic failure.

ByMichelle Konstantinovsky

Man has been building islands all over the world for centuries using extraordinary feats of engineering. But at what cost to the environment?

ByMark Mancini

AI already can outperform humans in some narrow domains, but in the future AI may go inside the human brain to enhance intellectual capabilities, turning users into human-machine hybrids.

ByPatrick J. Kiger

The name bestowed on a road depends on its size and function. And it's not just up to your neighborhood's developer either.

ByMelanie Radzicki McManus

A hospital stay can be a stressful experience for anybody, and especially for a child. But a smiling new robot named Robin plays games, tells stories and comforts children in need of a friend.

ByJesslyn Shields

If you think asphalt is what hot tar roads are made of, you'd be wrong. Asphalt is only one ingredient in the recipe that makes up our roads. And it has a very long, very interesting history.

ByCarrie Whitney, Ph.D.

It's easy to confuse the Parthenon and the Pantheon. The names are so similar, and they're both ancient ruins. But despite those similarities, the two structures are very different.

ByCarrie Dennis

Despite what the nursery rhyme says, London Bridge is not falling down — and never really has. But the bridge that spans the Thames has been rebuilt again and again for two millennia.

ByCarrie Whitney, Ph.D.

PROTEUS, the underwater research station and habitat, is being designed to address medical discoveries, food sustainability and the impact of climate change. Plus, it's really cool looking.

ByMichelle Konstantinovsky