Engineering Design

  1. Fossils

    This ancient bird rocked a head like a T. rex

    This bird from 120 million years ago had a head like a dinosaur and a body more like today’s birds.

    By Aaron Tremper
  2. Tech

    Nanocrystal ‘painted’ films may someday help relieve summer heat

    The rainbow palette and cooling powers of new plant-based films comes from their microscopic surface patterns of tiny crystals.

    By Katie Grace Carpenter
  3. Tech

    A device spots and counts honeybees hosting a dangerous parasite

    At Regeneron ISEF, three teens debuted an infrared system to detect honeybees carrying mites. It can show beekeepers when a colony needs to be treated.

    By McKenzie Prillaman
  4. Environment

    Older diesel school buses linked to more student absences

    Schools that replaced or upgraded old diesel school buses increased student attendance rates, new research shows.

    By Kathiann Kowalski
  5. Environment

    Making yards more diverse can reap big environmental benefits

    Replacing grass with native plants uses less water and fewer chemicals while providing additional benefits to people and wildlife.

    By Alison Pearce Stevens
  6. Health & Medicine

    New patch might replace some finger-prick testing of blood sugar

    A finalist at Regeneron ISEF created a wearable patch that turns yellow when someone’s blood-sugar level gets high enough to need an insulin shot.

    By McKenzie Prillaman
  7. Tech

    A new solar-powered gel purifies water in a flash

    The unusual, fruit-inspired structure of this material provides quick filtration that could satisfy people's daily water needs.

    By Katie Grace Carpenter
  8. Animals

    Analyze This: Puppies naturally mimic human actions

    Unlike cats, whose ancestors hunted alone, dogs evolved from a species that hunted in packs. Being social might explain why pups copy humans.

    By Carolyn Wilke
  9. Tech

    Magnetic fields melt and re-form new shape-shifting devices

    Miniature machines made of gallium and magnetic particles can switch from solid to liquid and back.

    By McKenzie Prillaman
  10. Genetics

    Experiment: Are fingerprint patterns inherited?

    Let’s investigate whether fingerprint patterns are created randomly or whether they are influenced by genetics.

    By Science Buddies
  11. Chemistry

    Chemists have unlocked the secrets of long-lasting Roman concrete

    By searching ancient texts and ruins, scientists found a concrete recipe that could make buildings stronger — and help address climate change.

    By Carolyn Gramling
  12. Environment

    Sea life may suffer as plastic bits alter metals in water

    This interplay between plastics and metals could affect how each affects the environment — and suggests opportunities for controlling their risks.

    By Katie Grace Carpenter