The Engineers Crib

These often make surprising reading, as names still well-known today sometimes left a different impression on their contemporaries than we might suppose; and in other cases, notable personalities have not been remembered. Below are engineers who laid a solid foundation on which we build today 1 September 1859 Isambard Kingdom Brunel A classic example of someone upon whom legendary status has been conferred with hindsight, in Victorian Britain it seems that history’s most famous engineer was not well-regarded. Even praise for his achievements comes with caveats: “ Notwithstanding the number and imposing character of his works many of them, often indeed through no fault of his own, have proved unsuccessful .” The obituary notes the high cost of his projects and claims that Brunel did not seek to promote new talent and often argued with contractors. 2 October 1959 Robert Stephenson In contrast to Brunel, who died only weeks before, our predecessors’ memorial to the rai...

As science enthusiasts around the world bid farewell to legendary cosmologist Stephen Hawking, researchers continue to make important discoveries about the evolution of galaxy clusters that capture the imagination. (Left) Galaxy cluster MACS J1206 observed with the Subaru Telescope. (Right) Magnified image of the left by the Hubble Space Telescope. Credit: NASA/ESA, Umetsu et al. 2012, ApJ, 755, 56 Now, an international collaboration between Yutaka Fujita at Osaka University and researchers from Taiwan, Italy, Japan, and the United States found a new fundamental law that stipulates the evolution of galaxy clusters. They recently reported the study in  The Astrophysical Journal . Galaxy clusters are the largest celestial body in the Universe. However, it has been difficult to measure their size and mass accurately because they mainly consist of dark matter that we cannot observe directly. One way to observe the dark matter indirectly is to use the gravitational lensing...

Innovators aren't born, they can be made, according to recent research from the University of California San Diego's School of Global Policy and Strategy. Existing theories and previous research on how innovation occurs largely assume that it is an ingrained quality of the individual and that only people with this innate ability seek and attain jobs that require it. However, economist Joshua S. Graff Zivin and professor of management Elizabeth Lyons tested these previously held notions by creating a contest for UC San Diego's engineering and computer science students. The competition, outlined in their National Bureau of Economic Research working paper, was designed to answer the question: Are persuaded innovators less capable than those who naturally gravitate to innovative activities? The mobile application contest was advertised through various medium on campus and attracted around 100 students. In order to differentiate between self-selected innovators and ...

Researchers have developed an online platform that enables first responder to monitor emergency situations using tweets and Instagram posts. Purdue researchers have developed an online platform that enables first responder to monitor emergency situations using tweets and Instagram posts.  Its called the Social Media Analytics and Reporting Toolkit (SMART), the browser-based platform filters social media content according to key words and geographic regions defined by the user. First responders have been using a beta version of the tool to analyze both live and historical data. Purdue researchers will present new SMART features on Thursday (April 26) at the Association for Computing Machinery CHI 2018 Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems. "People already provide information about situations using social media," said David Ebert, director of Purdue's Visual Analytics for Command, Control and Interoperability Environments (VACCINE) center by the Depart...

There are many reasons why architects might choose to work with glass over other materials. One of the biggest draws of working with glass is the utilization of natural light, creating bright, airy spaces with a modern appeal. Below are just some beautiful examples of houses,  domes , buildings, and more that used glass to stunning effect. 1. Stahl House: Hollywood's Famous Glass-Walled House Best known for appearing in a number of Hollywood films, the  Stahl House  was built in 1959 and designed by architect Pierre Koenig. Often referred to as Case Study House #22, the building became a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument in 1999. Today, the house is considered as a masterpiece of modernist architecture, thanks to the panoramic views afforded by its floor-to-ceiling windows. Source:  Mbtrama/Wikimedia Commons 2. The Louvre Pyramid: A Parisian Landmark Designed by  architect I.M. Pei  under commission from French President,  François Mi...

The University of Waterloo is working on a new project that could take quantum radar from the lab to the field. The project is focused on the use of this technology for surveillance in the Arctic. Quantum radar technology, a remote-sensing method based on quantum entanglement, has so far remained theoretical with experiments only conducted in laboratories. Now, researchers at the University of Waterloo are developing a new approach that could see the technology deployed for the first time outside of a lab. “This project will allow us to develop the technology to help move quantum radar from the lab to the field,” said Jonathan Baugh, a faculty member at the Institute for Quantum Computing (IQC) and a professor in the Department of Chemistry. The project is being led by Baugh with three other researchers at IQC and the Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology (WIN). According to the University of Waterloo, if successful, the new technology would “help radar operators cut th...

We all use a plethora of  apps  in our day-to-day lives, but many of us are unaware of the engineers and histories behind these incredible pieces of software. Here are some of the stories and people behind our most beloved apps. 1. Snapchat: Evan Spiegel, Bobby Murphy, and Reggie Brown Snapchat first hit the market in July 2011 as "Picaboo" - a disappearing photo app that was first conceived of by Reggie Brown and created by Evan Spiegel and  Bobby Murphy ; a trio of recent grads who had met while studying in Stanford University. While Spiegel had the necessary business experience for the job, Murphy was the software engineer behind the enterprise. By September of 2011, the app was relaunched as Snapchat, with the team parting ways with Brown. The first iteration of the app was an iOS exclusive, with an Android following in 2012. Today, Spiegel remains as the CEO of Snap Inc., with Murphy in the role of CTO. Source:  JD Lasica/Flickr 2. WhatsApp: Brian...