Engineering Design

  1. Space

    Jane Rigby helped make the James Webb telescope a superstar 

    The senior project scientist for the JWST, Rigby believes being part of the LGBTQ+ community has made her a better astronomer.

    By Lisa Grossman
  2. Tech

    A lucky lab accident produces Spider-Man-like silk

    Researchers found a way to mimic Spider-Man’s web shooters in real life. This is the first adhesive that can stick to and lift things from a distance.

    By Kathryn Hulick
  3. Artificial Intelligence

    Want your own AI double? There could be big benefits — and risks

    People are using AI to mimic their own voice, likeness and personality. Some are excited about these new digital clones. Others worry, what could go wrong?

    By Kathryn Hulick
  4. Artificial Intelligence

    AI job-screening tools are very prejudiced, study finds

    AI job-screening tools ranked white-associated names higher than Black-sounding ones. Male names also were preferred. Black male names were never favored.

    By Payal Dhar
  5. Plants

    Plant and fungi parts help robots level up

    Fusing machines with plants and fungi isn’t just sci-fi. A new generation of biohybrid devices could someday help in agriculture or energy production.

    By Aaron Tremper
  6. Computing

    Explainer: What is the internet?

    The internet is a massive structure made up of cables, routers, exchange points, data centers, cell towers, antennas and more. All sorts of devices share data using this network.

    By Kathryn Hulick
  7. Tech

    Bird-inspired airplane wings could boost flight performance

    Rows of flaps inspired by a bird wings’ feathers improve airfoil performance to boost lift and reduce drag.

    By Nikk Ogasa
  8. Tech

    To stay cool, some future homes may build on past power-free tech

    Accordion-pleated walls and other heat-managing structures could cool homes in hot, dry places naturally — without electricity.

    By Diya Dwarakanath
  9. Tech

    A man silenced by paralysis got his ‘voice’ back, thanks to AI

    New computer-linked brain implants offer hope to those who have lost the ability to speak or move.

    By Jennifer Junghans
  10. Physics

    Shark intestines inspire pipes with a strictly one-way flow

    The pipes contain a twisty coil that lets liquids flow in one direction but not the other.

    By Alison Pearce Stevens
  11. Artificial Intelligence

    Google now adds watermarks to all its AI-generated content

    Google’s AI-created content now hosts an invisible “signature.” A mathematical key can reveal the presence of this digital watermark, called SynthID.

    By Kathryn Hulick
  12. Life

    Scientists Say: Organoid

    Lab-grown organ models mimic the functions of real organs and may open doors to a future of personalized medical care.

    By Katie Grace Carpenter