A couple of creative engineering students at The University of British Columbia have turned a holiday treat into an A+ science project with their report Structural Analysis of Gingerbread. Experiments included subjecting gingerbread to a multitude of stress tests to measure qualities such as density, tensile strength (how well it performs under tension), and flexibility.
The new X-Flex Blast Protection wallpaper, created Berry Plastics and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, promises to help walls keep their shape and guard against flying debris in the face of explosions. Watch as a heavy wrecking ball fails to tear down a brick wall lined with a single sheet of this amazing stuff. [PopSci]
One of the exciting things about engineers is their ability to inject new life and variation into seemingly mundane and ordinary objects. Case in point: the chair. Recently the design blog Core 77 has featured a few truly nifty chairs that demonstrate just how clever engineers can be when faced with real-world issues.
The Setu Chair, created by German design team Studio 7.5, tackles the complications that arise with adjustable office chairs. Since many people share the same workspace these days, having a chair that must be constantly readjusted can be awkward. So the engineers and designers at Studio 7.5 came up with the Setu, a chair with a flexible “spine” that shifts to accommodate the weight and body contours of different users. The team made over 35 functional models in their Berlin workshop before presenting the final product.
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.
Ecovative Design: COO Ed Browka, Chief Scientist Gavin McIntyre, and CEO Eben Bayer
