Engineering Archives

Free Energy from the Vacuum? Warp Drive Pioneer Unveils Battery-Free ‘MicroSparc’ That Allegedly Draws Power from the Quantum Vacuum

Christopher Plain·May 12, 2026

Casimir, founded by NASA & DARPA warp drive scientist Sonny White, has unveiled a chip that allegedly draws energy from the quantum vacuum.

A 250-Year-Old Mechanical Volcano Finally Erupts for the First Time

Austin Burgess·May 11, 2026

250-year-old plans for a model that would mechanically recreate the eruption of Mount Vesuvius have finally been brought to life.

This Ancient Roman Artifact’s Weird Properties Point to Evidence of 1600-Year-Old Nanotechnology, Scientists Say

Micah Hanks·May 7, 2026

Scientists have revealed a precocious nanotech discovery involving an ancient Roman artifact that predates the modern development of nanotechnology by an astounding 1,600 years.

Clean Energy Breakthrough: Scientists Have Discovered “Something Interesting and Unknown” in This Novel Material

Ryan Whalen·May 2, 2026

A clean energy breakthrough has been made by UK researchers, who discovered new “in-between states” as precursors break down when heated.

NASA Tests Prototype ‘Magnetoplasmadynamic’ Electric Propulsion Thruster Designed to Power Future Trips to Mars

Christopher Plain·April 30, 2026

NASA announced a successful test of a sci-fi-sounding lithium metal vapor electric thruster propulsion system that could power trips to Mars.

robots that learn by watching other robots

Robots Are Learning Complex Tasks by Watching Humans and Other Robots

Christopher Plain·April 16, 2026

A new kinetic intelligence framework allows robots to rapidly learn complex tasks by watching other robots without any human intervention

clean energy methanol production lightning

Clean Energy Breakthrough: Bottled Lightning Produces Methanol in New “Bubble Reactor”

Ryan Whalen·April 15, 2026

Lightning in a bottle, in a literal sense, may be the key to new, clean energy by reducing carbon emissions in methanol production.

“Learning Gives Our Metamaterials the Ability to Evolve”: Scientists Invent Intelligent Materials That Learn, Change Shape, and Move on Their Own

Christopher Plain·April 14, 2026

Scientists have invented intelligent metamaterials that can learn, remember, change shapes, and move on their own without external control

“First Plasma” Achieved in the Race for a Propulsion System that Could Cut the Travel Time to Mars in Half

Ryan Whalen·April 1, 2026

“First plasma” has been achieved by the Sunbird exhaust test system, marking a major step toward a direct fusion drive spacecraft.

“A Microcosm of Life Itself”: Archaeologists Use ‘Radioactive’ Method to Date Historic Coral Polynesian Structures

Christopher Plain·March 28, 2026

Scientists have revealed a new timeline for historic coral structures in French Polynesia thanks to the modern uranium-thorium dating method

Scientists Have Turned Unwanted Sawdust into a Fire-Resistant Super Material

Christopher Plain·March 27, 2026

Scientists have created a fire-resistant material out of sawdust that offers a more sustainable alternative to burning the sawdust for energy

Bottom’s Up! Scientists Turn a Kentucky Bourbon Byproduct into a ‘Super’ Supercapacitor

Christopher Plain·March 26, 2026

Scientists have invented a 'super' supercapacitor made from bourbon stillage that stores 25 times more energy than current devices

This New Invention Will Let Robots Work Directly Inside a Failed Nuclear Reactor

Christopher Plain·March 26, 2026

Tokyo scientists have developed a resilient Wi-Fi robot controller chip that can withstand the ultra-high radiation inside a nuclear reactor

New Research Could Help Prosthetic Legs Work More Like Natural Limbs

Chrissy Newton·March 25, 2026

For the first time, scientists have successfully decoded detailed leg movements from the existing nerves of individuals with above-knee amputations.

Innovative New Design Helps Superconductors Withstand Heat and Magnetic Fields

Austin Burgess·March 23, 2026

Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology shaped the surface where superconducting material is grown, improving its performance at higher temperatures, and preserving its stability in strong magnetic fields.

“We Bring the Universe to the Lab”: Powerful Galactic Cosmic Ray Simulator Will Fuel Deep Space Experiments on Earth

Christopher Plain·March 17, 2026

Researchers at the GSI/FAIR accelerator facility have received a Galactic Cosmic Ray simulator that 'brings the universe to the lab.'

Quantum Computers Reveal a Strange New Molecule With Twisting Electron Motion

Ryan Whalen·March 16, 2026

A new type of molecule, not only never before seen but not even predicted, was created with the aid of quantum computers.

Dolphin-Shaped Robot Skims Oil From Water Using Sea-Urchin-Inspired Technology

Austin Burgess·March 16, 2026

Researchers at RMIT University designed a small, remote-controlled robot that uses a sea urchin-inspired filter to remove oil from water.

After 10 Years of Training, NASA’s Humanoid Robot ‘Valkyrie’ Has Finally ‘Graduated’ College

Christopher Plain·March 11, 2026

After ten years of intense college 'training,' NASA's humanoid robot Valkyrie has finally returned home. But her advancements live on.

U.S. Army Research Lab Announces the Creation of ‘Super Foam’ That Absorbs 10X More Energy

Christopher Plain·March 10, 2026

Research funded by the U.S. Army Research Lab has resulted in a 'super foam' that absorbs 10X more energy than existing protective foams.

Unexpected Speeding Electron Discovery Could Boost the Future of Solar Power

Ryan Whalen·March 9, 2026

New solar energy research has demonstrated that electrons can move across solar panels at a speed far greater than previously understood.

This Device Promises to Mitigate Earthquake Damage in the World’s Most Vulnerable Regions

Ryan Whalen·March 7, 2026

A newly patented device could protect essential infrastructure from the worst effects of earthquakes, wind storms, and even man-made forces.

Traveling at 20% The Speed of Light: Scientists Demonstrate ‘Practical’ Light Sails to Explore the Universe

Christopher Plain·March 6, 2026

Scientists have successfully tested a material design for light sails using photonic crystals that could achieve 20% the speed of light

Engineers Create Full-Color Solar Windows Without Reducing Energy Generation

Christopher Plain·March 5, 2026

Korean scientists have created a tunable, full-color solar window that does not lose its energy generation capability regardless of color.

High-Energy Laser Turns Ordinary Moon Dust into Futuristic Materials for Lunar Colonists

Christopher Plain·March 4, 2026

A futuristic sounding process using a high-energy laser turns ordinary moon dust into versatile manufacturing and construction materials

‘Adaptive’ Robotic Wing Senses and Reacts to Wind Changes More Rapidly Than a Barn Owl

Christopher Plain·March 3, 2026

Scientists have revealed an adaptive robotic wing equipped with artificial nerves so sensitive to air currents that it outperformed a barn owl

Scientists Create ‘Unsinkable’ Metal Tubes that Still Float After Severe Damage and Submersion

Christopher Plain·January 31, 2026

A video shows unsinkable metal tubes retaining their buoyancy even after they are damaged or fully submerged for extended period of time.

Scientists Have Developed a Laser-Controlled Magnet With No Heating Required

Ryan Whalen·January 29, 2026

Swiss researchers have developed a new technique allowing for magnetic polarity changes using only a laser beam.

Did Thomas Edison Create Graphene More Than 130 Years Before it Was Officially Invented?

Christopher Plain·January 29, 2026

Experiments with identical replicas of Thomas Edison's original light bulbs shows the inventor may have accidentally created graphene

Spacecraft Heal Thyself? Engineers Invent Futuristic Material That Heals Itself and Lasts for Centuries

Christopher Plain·January 23, 2026

Scientists have invented a futuristic material that heals itself capable of lasting for decades or centuries on aircraft and spacecraft.

Ancient Cannabis Enzymes Reveal How THC and CBD First Evolved

Austin Burgess·January 22, 2026

A team of scientists has taken a closer look at the origins of cannabis chemistry by reconstructing enzymes from ancient plants.

“It’s Just a Tube Hanging from an Axle”: Breakthrough Energy-Harvesting Device Makes Electricity from a Vibrating Underwater Pendulum

Christopher Plain·January 15, 2026

Catalan scientists have built a pendulum-based energy-harvesting system that converts the vibrations of water currents into usable power.

“The Waves From an Earthquake, Only On the Surface of a Small Chip”: This Vibrating Laser May Be the Future of Wireless Technology

Ryan Whalen·January 15, 2026

Tiny, artificial earthquake-like waves generated by lasers may be the key to smaller, faster, and more efficient computer chips.

Researchers Unveil Futuristic Eye-Tracking Technology That Sounds Like Something from Science Fiction

Christopher Plain·January 8, 2026

Scientists have successfully demonstrated a low-cost, self-powered eye-tracking technology that is powered by the friction of blinking eyes.

“This Discovery Changes How We Think About the Quantum World”: Physicists Reveal New Evidence of Quantum Particles Working Together

Christopher Plain·January 6, 2026

Evidence of quantum particles working together to generate self-sustaining energy pulses has scientists rethinking the entire quantum world.

Robots with Feelings: New Robotic Skin Reproduces the Human Experiences of Touch and Pain

Ryan Whalen·January 3, 2026

Chinese researchers have developed a novel "e-skin" that allows robots to mimic our ability to touch and feel pain.

“Zentropy Theory” May Unlock Previously Impossible Electronics Based on Transparent Ceramics

Christopher Plain·December 31, 2025

New 'zentropy theory' based on quantum mechanics could unlock seemingly impossible electronic devices made with transparent ceramics.

“Bold and Creative Concepts” Wanted: If You Have a Cool Idea for a Space Base, You Could Win $20,000

Christopher Plain·December 31, 2025

The Aurelia Institute has launched the $20,000 Aurelia Prize in Design for Space Urbanism, seeking "bold and creative" space-based concepts.

This YouTube Creator Built a Camera That Shows You Don’t Need a Major Lab to Film Light in Motion

Marie Nicola·December 27, 2025

A YouTube creator working out of his garage has engineered something that is normally found only in major research facilities: a camera capable of filming a laser beam moving at the speed of light.