Posted on August 12th, 2011 by axb
In Manila, the capital of the Philippines, lack of electricity keeps millions of the city’s poorer inhabitants in the dark. Metal rooftops on the city’s slum houses also block natural daylight, but students from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have found a cheap and elegant solution to the problem: plastic water bottles.
By filling a plastic bottle with water and bleach (to prevent algae from growing), students and residents can fashion a solar lamp that fills even the gloomiest shelters with light. It works thanks to phenomenon you may have learned in physics class – refraction. When sunlight passes through the bottle and hits the water, its rays bend and disperse in many different directions.
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Filed under: Chemical, e-News, Environmental | 10 Comments »
Tags: Chemical, Environmental, Giving Back, Green Technology
Posted on June 2nd, 2011 by axb
Every once in a while, an engineer comes along whose work combines different disciplines in a way that is both fascinating and inspiring. Natalie Jeremijenko is one such engineer. A modern-day Renaissance woman, Jeremijenko challenges traditional approaches to problem solving with such initiatives as zip-lines to speed kids to school or The Environmental Health Clinic, where “im-patients” come in with environmental health concerns and leave with creative prescriptions to help solve these issues:
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Filed under: Biomedical, e-News, Environmental, Mechanical, Trailblazers | 1 Comment »
Tags: Art, Biomedical, Environmental, Mechanical, Trailblazers
Posted on May 31st, 2011 by axb
Planning a road trip this summer? Whether en route to a beach, lake, or national park, there are plenty of engineering landmarks to admire along the way — including the interstate highway system along which most travelers must pass. Here are some designated engineering destinations worth braking for:
Hoover Dam: More than a million visitors a year tour this National Landmark (pictured at the top) that towers 725 above the Colorado River 30 miles southeast of Las Vegas, NV. Read ASEE’s Prism magazine columnist Henry Petroski on the dam’s 75th anniversary.
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Filed under: Architectural, Civil, e-News, Electrical, Environmental, Mechanical, Nuclear, Transportation | 1 Comment »
Tags: Architectural, Civil, Electrical, Environmental, Mechanical, Nuclear, Transportation
Posted on May 22nd, 2011 by jxh
Despite how annoying dandelions may be for homeowners who take pride in their lawns, the weed’s roots have shown potential in making a new, green source of rubber.
Ford and Ohio State researchers are using the milky-white goo that seeps from dandelion roots to make a type of rubber that could be used in the plastics of cup holders, floor mats, and interior trim of cars.
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Filed under: Agricultural, e-News, Environmental, Materials | 1 Comment »
Tags: Agricultural, Environmental, Materials
Posted on May 19th, 2011 by jxh
We have previously reported on many green initiatives related to building and roadway materials: smog-eating cement, concrete that can heal itself when it detects cracks, and pavement with solar-storing technology.
Now, civil engineers at Purdue University are working to design a cost-effective mixture for road construction and bridge support.
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Filed under: Civil, e-News, Environmental, Materials, Transportation | 4 Comments »
Tags: Civil, Environmental, Green Technology, Materials, Transportation
