Engineering Design
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Better than plywood
Most people think of pineapple as a tasty fruit. But it can be so much more, two Malaysian teens showed. They turned the plant’s leaves into a construction material that’s both strong and waterproof.
- Earth
Don’t let the bedbugs bite
A trio of teens has found a nontoxic way to stop bedbugs dead in their tracks. The method relies on a mesh of fibers that a bug can step into easily — but never leave.
- Oceans
Digging a trench to stop a tsunami
Boyd Kane built his own wave tank to study tsunamis and how he might change the seafloor to stop their advance.
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Slime: A new way to protect plants from slugs
Katie Gwaltney had a slug problem in her garden. She decided to try using the slugs’ own slime against them. Her findings earned the high school freshman a finalist’s spot at this week's Intel International Science and Engineering Fair.
- Tech
The road less worn
Two teens have found a new use for old tires. By grinding them up and adding them to asphalt, the old rubber can create stronger, longer-lived roads. And the bonus: The process recycles tires that might otherwise have been burned, creating pollution.
- Tech
Fighting theater pirates
How can theaters thwart thieves from unlawfully recording a movie during a showing? A high-school freshman’s low-cost solution relies on simple physics.
- Tech
Making magic with mechanical engineering
As kids, we all want to make magic. But Michelle Phillips took that dream further. She realized that she wanted to build rides for amusement parks.
- Computing
Electricity: Cutting the cords
Engineers are working to charge more wireless gadgets — without relying on cords and plugs.
- Science & Society
Students use STEM to help their community
Every community has its problems. A nationwide contest encourages students to tap science to solve local needs.
- Chemistry
Urine may make Mars travel possible
On Earth, urine is a waste. En route to Mars, it could be a precious renewable commodity: the source of drinking water and energy.
- Physics
World’s coolest ‘clock’ is also crazy-accurate
This is the time to beat — the world’s most accurate atomic clock ever. At its heart is a ‘fountain’ of cesium atoms chilled nearly to absolute zero!
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Teaching clean energy with the power of wind
A build-your-own wind energy machine can be a fun and inexpensive way to practice engineering and discover the power of wind.
