Engineering and Technology
Teaching a Computer to Sing – Jesse M. Heines and Daniel A. Walzer
As technology permeates more and more aspects of our daily lives, computer literacy and computer programming skills are more valuable than ever in the workplace. Professors Jesse Heines and Daniel Walzer of the University of Massachusetts Lowell are working at the...
Cuckoo Search Using Evolutionary Algorithms to Optimise Materials – Dr Ganesh Balasubramanian, Lehigh University
From the metal in our cars to the circuits in our phones, the materials we use in our everyday lives can be meticulously engineered on a molecular scale to suit our requirements. However, there are so many possible arrangements of atoms and molecules at this scale...
Exploiting Fibre Optics for Detecting Pipeline Leaks – Dr Bill Challener, GE Global Research
Some of the best ideas in science are ones that seem completely obvious – but only after someone else has thought them up. In the world of pipeline leak detection, Dr Bill Challener and his team at GE Global Research have dramatically extended the range of one of the...
How NASA’s Satellites Are Mapping the Way for Global Policy – Vanessa M. Escobar and Dr Molly E. Brown
NASA’s satellite technologies have provided a wealth of data about the planet, and can be tailored into usable products to support major decision makers across the world. Vanessa M. Escobar and Molly E. Brown are working to bring these data products to decision-making...
Indefinite Causal Order, Faster Computers and Fundamental Questions – Professor Philip Walther, University of Vienna
Quantum mechanics has greatly improved the speeds at which computers make calculations, but new research shows that quantum computers can be made to run even faster. Professor Philip Walther and his team at the University of Vienna have shown that the very orders in...
Stretchable Sensors Electronics on the Move – Dr Madhu Bhaskaran, RMIT University
Stretchable electronic devices have numerous applications in many fields, such as healthcare monitoring, communications and detecting dangerous substances. Dr Madhu Bhaskaran and her group at the RMIT University have developed an innovative new method for producing...
Creating the Eagle Nebula Pillars in the Lab – Drs Marc Pound, Jave Kane, Bruce Remington, David A. Martinez
The ‘Pillars of Creation’ is one of the most iconic images ever taken by the Hubble Space Telescope, but the processes that formed these colossal tendrils of the Eagle Nebula are still not entirely understood. To test emerging theories, Drs Marc Pound, Jave Kane,...
Finding Water in the Moon’s Shadows – Dr Craig Hardgrove, Arizona State University
The Moon’s poles are enriched in hydrogen, a key component of water-ice, but there’s still much to learn. Dr Craig Hardgrove and his colleagues at Arizona State University are leading the Lunar Polar Hydrogen Mapper (LunaH-Map) mission, which aims to discover how much...
Hope for Humanity in the Energy Crisis: Astronomical Jets in a Lab – Professor Setthivoine You, University of Washington
If we consider Earth as a closed box in which humanity has only ever lived, the second law of thermodynamics says that in the end, inevitably, the box will reach a state of maximum disorder. So, in the long run, there are two important ways in which our species might...
Calling in the Bioelectrician – Dr Andrew K. Udit, Occidental College
In the world of chemistry, the search for new and improved catalysts is of great importance. Inspired by a family of vital biological molecules, cytochrome P450 catalysts could be the way of the future for industry – if only they could be made to work better. Dr...
Actively Learning Chemistry Blended Classes for First Year College Students – Dr Lisa B. Hibbard, Spelman College
Flipped learning is an exciting new educational strategy aimed at maximising learning by delivering the content of courses online, while focusing classroom time on student-centred active learning tasks. Dr Lisa Hibbard at Spelman College in Atlanta, GA has been...
Literal Sun Jars Shrinking Stars for Energy Production – Professor Michael Brown, Swarthmore College
Science is the pursuit of knowledge – a search for an understanding. Sometimes that knowledge is simply collected and catalogued away for future reference (the laser was discovered in this manner) but, often, it is searched out vehemently to achieve something of...
Students Using Nanotechnology to Solve the World’s Greatest Challenges – Drs Edward Davis, Virginia Davis & Joni Lakin, Auburn University
The field of engineering is central to innovations across science and technology, yet many college students show a lack of interest in pursuing engineering careers. Educators at Auburn University are developing innovative educational modules that engage students in...
CAPTIVE: A New Direction for Virtual Reality Controllers – Professor Christopher G. Healey & Zeyuan Chen, North Carolina State University
Virtual and augmented reality systems are transforming how we view and manipulate 3D objects. One of the biggest challenges to developers is to design fast, accurate, yet affordable controllers. Now, Professor Christopher Healey and Zeyuan Chen at North Carolina State...
Using Noise to Control Micromechanical & Macromechanical Systems – Professor Balakumar Balachandran, University of Maryland
Micromechanical oscillators are components of many electronic systems that keep track of signal processing and ensure data is moved around without becoming jumbled up. Professor Balachandran and his team at the University of Maryland are exploring how noise can be...
Understanding Particle-Fluid Interaction Dynamics in Turbulent Flow – Dr Lian-Ping Wang, University of Delaware
Almost every aspect of the global water cycle involves a mixture of fluids and particles – raindrop formation, ocean currents and water percolation through the soil. This mixture of gas and liquid or liquid and solid causes behaviour that is important to understand,...
TICAL Aims for Paradigm Shift in PET Imaging – Professor Paul Lecoq, CERN
In an ongoing effort to increase the accuracy and sensitivity of current PET (positron emission tomography) scanners, Prof Paul Lecoq and his team at CERN research various elements of this particular imaging technique. Inspired by particle physics detectors, the team...
Putting the Universe in a Computer – Dr Romeel Davé, University of the Western Cape
Galaxy formation theorist Dr Romeel Davé and his team at the University of the Western Cape use high-performance supercomputer simulations to answer basic questions about the evolution of galaxies and our visible Universe. ...
Hypersonic Laser Tagging A New Way of Understanding Fluid Mechanics – Professor Richard B. Miles, Texas A&M University
Fluid mechanics is the study of the flows within liquids, gases and plasmas, and the forces that act upon them. Applications involving fluid mechanics are vast, ranging from chemical engineering to astrophysics, and so an accurate understanding is essential for future...
Putting Life in Context – Professor Julio Collado-Vides, National Autonomous University of Mexico
How do you determine important scientific links when you are flooded by new publications each day? Professor Julio Collado-Vides and his team at the National University of Mexico appear to have the answer. You may also...
Mapping P-adic Spaces with Height Pairings – Professor Amnon Besser, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
Professor Amnon Besser of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and his colleagues are exploring p-adic numbers – one of the most difficult areas of number theory – in order to solve long-standing open problems bridging several fields of mathematics. [lbg_audio2_html5...
In Silico Chemistry Modelling the Reactions of Heavy Elements – Dr Kirk A. Peterson, Washington State University
Is it possible for computational modelling to become sufficiently accurate as to replace experiments? This is one of the many questions that Dr Kirk Peterson and his team at Washington State University are working towards answering. As a world-leader in developing...
Catching the Wind: Understanding the Dynamics of Renewable Energy – Dr Glen Whitehouse, Continuum Dynamics, Inc.
As renewable energy sources such as wind, wave, and solar become more ubiquitous, the importance of understanding the detailed mechanisms of their operation is essential. In particular, with a dynamic and turbulent energy source like wind, an accurate way of modelling...
Exploring How the Lower Atmosphere Influences Space Weather – Prof Jeffrey M. Forbes, University of Colorado
Professor Jeffrey Forbes and his team at the University of Colorado use data from multiple satellites and global modelling to determine how terrestrial weather affects the near-Earth space environment.
Mechanobiology – Exploring the Mechanics of Cell Behaviour – Professor Taher Saif and Dr Andrew W. Holle
Understanding how cells interact with the physical world around them is at the core of mechanobiology, a growing subfield connecting the arenas of cell biology and bioengineering. Two leading researchers, Professor Taher Saif and Dr Andrew Holle, with the support of...
The Audible Human Project Hearing What the Body Has to Say – Thomas Royston
Professor Tom Royston is applying his expertise in the fields of acoustics and engineering to diagnostic medicine by developing the Audible Human Project, which aims to use sound to detect disease and injury within the body, particularly in the complex structure of...