Energy
How a Victorian Lawyer from Wales Invented the Hydrogen Fuel Cell
The gas battery’s history began with a brief note to chemist and physicist Michael Faraday at the Royal Institution
Engineering1428 articles archived since 1845
Space & Physics
Curiosity Mars Rover Tests Drill after Long Delay
Dormant since late 2016, the rover’s rock-boring drill could soon come back online
Engineering
These New Batteries Won't Make Your Smartphone Explode
Experimental gas-based lithium-ion batteries could power instruments in high-altitude drones and on spacecraft missions to Mars and beyond
Technology
Solar-Sail Technology Gets Its Day in the Sun
The privately funded LightSail 2 spacecraft will make a test flight in Earth orbit
Electronics
New VR Tech Aims to Take Surround-Sound to the Next Level
Spatial audio promises immersive virtual experiences that engage more of the senses
Engineering
Puerto Rico Looks to Alphabet's X Project Loon Balloons to Restore Cell Service
With much of the U.S. commonwealth’s cellular service and electrical grid down since Hurricane Maria, the parent company of tech giant Google could help restore wireless communication to 3.4 million residents...
Policy
China’s Huge Investments in Science Are Starting to Pay Off
Seeing a chance to lead, China is deploying clean energy, quantum satellites and genomics
Culture
Blade Runner 2049--and Why Eyes Are So Important in This Vision of the Future
In the original, seeking answers was all about looking at the eyes
Engineering
100 Years Ago in Scientific American: Horses Drafted for War Use Receive Medical Care
Innovation and discovery as chronicled in Scientific American
Space & Physics
Nobel Prize Explainer: Gravitational Waves and the LIGO Detector
The Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded today to Rainer Weiss, Barry Barish and Kip Thorne for their contributions to the LIGO detector and the observation of gravitational waves.
Space & Physics
Nobel in Physics for Detecting Gravitational Waves
The Nobel Prize in Physics goes to Rainer Weiss, Barry C. Barish and Kip S. Thorne "for decisive contributions to the LIGO detector and the observation of gravitational waves"...
Engineering
Known Unknowns: The Dangers of North Korea’s H-Bomb Threat
The U.S.’s 1954 Castle Bravo thermonuclear disaster offers a cautionary tale about what could go wrong
Space & Physics
How a New Orbital Moon Station Could Take Us to Mars and Beyond
The Deep Space Gateway brings the dream of a human habitat in orbit about the moon and a stepping stone to Mars is now a step closer
Space & Physics
Building a Better Mirror for Telescopes
More reflective telescope mirrors allow astronomers to capture more photons —and do more science. Christopher Intagliata reports...
Engineering
Some of the Best Parts of Autonomous Vehicles Are Already Here
Consumers waiting for driverless vehicles to improve road safety might be overlooking the boring near-term advances that could make a real difference
Space & Physics
Prepping for Alien Oceans, NASA Goes Deep
Deep-sea observatory tests technologies for eventual exploration of Europa or other icy moons
Conservation
Great Lakes Defenders Have a Shocking Idea to Stave Off Invasive Carp
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has proposed electric and sound barriers to repel Asian carp approaching Lake Michigan
Space & Physics
Seismologists Stumped by Mystery Shock after North Korea Nuclear Test
A second jolt felt minutes after this month's detonation continues to confound researchers
Engineering
Great Technology from 1867: Fire Engines and Mechanical Reapers
Innovation and discovery as chronicled in Scientific American
Engineering
New SpaceX Video Shows How Not to Land a Rocket
Watch the epic—and explosive—blooper reel for the Falcon 9 booster’s arduous path to reusability
