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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Coming into Virginia Tech’s engineering program, Angela Walker knew that as a woman, she would be in the minority. That’s why she chose to live in Hypatia, an all-female engineering community, her first two years. “Nothing can replace the ability to walk down the hallway and get help on homework,” says Walker, now a junior majoring in mechanical engineering. “If it weren’t for the network of people you meet through this program, many girls might feel intimidated to the point that they decide to drop out of engineering,” she says. “We empower each other.”

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Filed under: Aerospace, Agricultural, Architectural, Biomedical, Chemical, Civil, Computer, Electrical, Environmental, Explore Engineering, Industrial / Manufacturing, Materials, Mechanical, Mining, Nuclear, Ocean, Transportation | Comments Off on Girl Power

Tags: Programs for Girls, Women in engineering

Cars of tomorrow will certainly look different from today’s. Gasoline-powered, internal-combustion engines are bulky. Getting rid of them would free up a lot of space, allowing engineers to rethink automotive design. Car interiors may look more like comfortable lounges with customized seating arrangements. And forget steering wheels: Carnegie Mellon University researchers predict that self-driving robotic cars are only a decade away.

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It really is faster than a speeding bullet. Built for the express purpose of beating the current land speed record, Britain’s Bloodhound SSC features an awesome Eurofighter-Typhoon jet engine and hybrid rocket motor. It’s predicted to reach speeds of 1,000 miles per hour. But how does it stop?

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Filed under: Aerospace, e-News, Explore Engineering, Transportation | Comments Off on Don’t Blink, or You’ll Miss the Bloodhound SSC

Tags: Aerospace, Aviation, Cars