Check out this year’s winners of the Nikon Small World Photomicrography Competition: stunning images of nature under a microscope. Above is the entry that won first place, Dr. Heiti Paves’s photo of the anther (pollen-bearing part) of a thale cress plant. [NYT]

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Filed under: Biomedical, e-News | Comments Off on All the Small Things

Tags: Art, Biomedical, Technology

When it comes to scoping out colleges, more and more high school students are looking to undergrads for firsthand opinions and advice. The New York Times reports that M.I.T. now hires students to blog uncensored on the admissions website, further facilitating communication between current and prospective students. [NYT]

So if you’re trying to find out whether a school is right for you, be sure to talk to the people who know it best – those that go there!

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Filed under: e-News | Comments Off on M.I.T. Gives Student Bloggers Free Rein

Tags: Advice, College, Technology

Google Earth, the software that uses satellite imagery to create stunning views of our planet (from whole continents to your own backyard) may be in store for an upgrade. Researchers from Georgia Tech have devised a way to animate these pictures in real time, using algorithms that track moving objects such as cars and pedestrians. [PopSci]

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Filed under: Computer, e-News, Explore Engineering | 1 Comment »

Tags: Computer, Software, Technology

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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Filed under: Aerospace, e-News, Explore Engineering | Comments Off on Is Your Speedo Faster than You?

Tags: Aerospace, Sports, Technology

The JETS PathAssess™ is an online tool that gives students in grades 9-12 an inside look as to how their interests and skills can align with a career in engineering.

Through a series of demographic and interest inventory questions, students will receive a personalized profile that gives them a glimpse into the types of engineering careers they may wish to pursue.

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Filed under: Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12, Grades K-5, K-12 Outreach Programs | Comments Off on PathAssess at Junior Engineering Technical Society

Tags: Courses, Technology