For years engineers have been working to make cars less noisy, but now it turns out the electric car may be too quiet. Carmakers are thinking about adding some artificial sound to make sure pedestrians can hear it. [Washington Post]

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Tags: Cars, Green Transportation, Transportation

Every year, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation awards prestigious $500,000 fellowships (also known as “genius grants”) to a handful of extraordinarily talented scientists, researchers, writers, and artists. The grant is provided over a 5-year period, and recipients are free to use the funds however they choose.

This year two engineers were among the 24 chosen MacArthur fellows: Theodore Zoli and Maneesh Agrawala.

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Filed under: Architectural, Civil, Computer, e-News, Materials, Transportation | 3 Comments »

Ancient Olympians saw no need for clothes, but today, sports apparel is an important part of athletes’ performance. Maybe too much so, some say.

In February 2008, Speedo released a new racing suit that caused an uproar in the world of swimming. The LZR racer, worn by 23 world-record-breaking athletes in the Beijing Olympics, was developed with the help of NASA scientists. It is designed not only to reduce drag but also to align a swimmer’s body into the most hydrodynamic position. Researchers at Speedo used computational fluid dynamics – a branch of mechanics that uses mathematics to model the flow of water and other fluids – to engineer the suit. Results were amazing. But the LZR boosted pool performances to such an extent that officials began to question its legality.

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Tags: Aerospace, Sports, Technology

NIU’s STEM Outreach offers outreach programming in Science, Technology, Engineering & Math for schools and communities in northern Illinois. Examples include demonstration programs, hands-on inquiry experiences, summer camps, professional development for teachers, family STEM nights, and more.

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Tags: Summer Camps & Programs (Students)

Get WISE (Women In Step with Engineering), sponsored by Northern Illinois University’s College of Engineering and Engineering Technology, is a program dedicated to helping young women in middle school and high school explore the exciting and rewarding field of engineering. Weekly clubs are offered at area middle and high schools and the summer residential engineering camps are open to all students.

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Tags: Programs for Girls, Summer Camps & Programs (Students)