Engineering

You think stainless steel is a strong metal. So would it surprise you to learn it can't hold an edge when it comes to your hair?

ByKristen Hall-Geisler

The designer of New York's Central Park believed that public parks were 'democratic spaces' belonging to all citizens, and aren't we glad he did?

ByWendy Bowman

Set over Bear Run, a tributary of the Youghiogheny River in the mountains of southwestern Pennsylvania, Fallingwater is perhaps the architect's best-known work.

ByTara Yarlagadda

First developed in the 1920s, Geiger counters still use the same basic technology to detect radiation, but today can be the size of a smartphone.

ByPatrick J. Kiger

Obelisks can be found in cities throughout the world, from Washington, D.C., to Paris, France. But what is the origin of these massive structures?

ByMichelle Konstantinovsky

All steel is not the same, and Damascus steel has a reputation for being the best. But is today's Damascus steel the same as that forged centuries ago?

ByCarrie Whitney, Ph.D.

This dragon is illuminated every night, spitting out both fire and water on weekends and holidays, as it sways its way over the Han River in Da Nang.

ByJesslyn Shields

Crumpling is a physical process that occurs when a thin sheet is forced to adapt to a smaller space and is seen in everything from DNA packing in a cell nucleus to the formation of mountains.

ByPatrick J. Kiger

Bordeaux's famed and beautiful reflecting pool will have you snapping photographs and feeling like you're walking on water.

ByCarrie Whitney, Ph.D.

Started in 1882, this beautifully ornate church was the vision of architect Antoni Gaudí who conceived of it as a "forest in stone."

ByDave Roos

Many people worry that drones will invade their privacy, though experts say the fear is greater than the actual threat.

ByPatrick J. Kiger

The Louvre Pyramid was first received by the world in 1989 as an architectural joke, but 30 years later it's considered one of the world's most iconic design masterpieces.

ByCarrie Whitney, Ph.D.

The London borough of Islington plans to harness the excess heat of the London Underground to hike up the heat to nearby homes and businesses.

ByTara Yarlagadda

The Panama Canal has been one of the world's biggest engineering feats since it was built nearly by hand in the 1900s.

ByJohn Donovan

Castles and palaces may seem the same, in their grandiose architecture and palatial structure. But the two buildings were constructed by monarchs for different purposes.

ByKristen Hall-Geisler

They keep our miles and miles of unruly cords untangled and out of the way. But how do they work?

ByPatrick J. Kiger

I've heard that bug zappers can actually help transmit diseases — how does that happen? Once the mosquito dies, how can a disease it was carrying be transmitted?

The Japanese inventor's textured ground surface indicators to assist pedestrians at traffic crossings.

ByMichelle Konstantinovsky

In 17th century Japan, wealthy citizens built homes with "nightingale floors" that squeaked, warning them of intruders. In fact, the floors squeaked louder when the steps got lighter.

ByNathan Chandler

There's a mysterious tower in Texas that strongly resembles Nikola Tesla's Wardenclyffe Tower. Its constructors say they're testing some new forms of electromagnetic waves. But is something else going on?

ByNathan Chandler

We think of robots as modern inventions, or maybe even retro creations meant to realize futuristic visions. But automata go back – way back – into history.

ByNathan Chandler

Architects design buildings. Civil engineers build bridges. Structural engineers keep it all from crumpling and shaking apart. What happens when you mix all three and throw in a green twist?

ByNicholas Gerbis

Underwater tunnels are so commonplace that we rarely think of the great dangers -- and extreme construction techniques -- these modern wonders require. With the opening of the Marmaray Tunnel in October 2013, it's time to take a second look.

ByNicholas Gerbis

Get ready to welcome your new robotic coworker. He's careful and friendly, and he's ready to learn. And he could revolutionize the manufacturing industry.

ByBernadette Johnson

If you've traveled recently, you probably raised your arms above your head and waited for a millimeter wave scanner to do its screening thing. During those 10 seconds or so, did you ever wonder exactly how the device produced your image?

ByWilliam Harris