Observation platforms usually open up broad scenic vistas but seldom let you see what’s directly below. With new creations of laminated safety glass, however, that’s changing. The Skydeck of Chicago’s Willis Tower, formerly the Sears Tower, has added four glass-bottomed balconies, nicknamed The Ledge, which let tourists peer down from the 103rd floor to neighboring rooftops and streets. The wrap-around observation deck of China’s Oriental Pearl TV Tower similarly shows off views of downtown Shanghai and the Huangpu River, some nine hundred feet down.
The one-week ASM Materials camp at Missouri University of Science and Technology, July 25-30, 2010, offers rising juniors and seniors an opportunity to explore materials science and engineering principles through a combination of mini-demonstrations, field trips, and group projects. Past projects have included microelectronic circuitry, friction-stir welding, ceramic magnets, metal casting, glass processing, and heat treatment and mechanical property evaluation. Cost: Free. Application Deadline: May 31, 2010.
Shelters protect people from the sun and wind and help them stay warm. Army shelters must do more — they shield soldiers from chemical and biological agents and the fragments from enemy mortar.
Engineers at an Army research lab in Natick, Mass., design shelters with even better capability. Their portable homes are energy-efficient, thanks to LED lighting and solar panels; easy to assemble with the use of inflatable tubes called air beams; and are invisible at night!
Next week, NISE Net (Nanoscale Informal Science Education Network) celebrates NanoDays, a nationwide series of events and activities at your local science centers dedicated to the wondrous world of nanotechnology.
So what exactly is nanotech, you may ask, and how is it crucial to the future of engineering? Watch the video above to find out.
The one-week ASM Materials camp at Missouri University of Science and Technology, July 25-30, 2010, offers rising juniors and seniors an opportunity to explore materials science and engineering principles through a combination of mini-demonstrations, field trips, and group projects. Past projects have included microelectronic circuitry, friction-stir welding, ceramic magnets, metal casting, glass processing, and heat treatment and mechanical property evaluation. Cost: Free. Application Deadline: May 31, 2010. 
