Re-engineering the Wheelchair
The world of automation has always amused me. I have always wondered what it would be like if we can automate our day-to-day activities to an extent where just the thought of doing something could actually translate into execution of that activity. For instance, I think of turning on a television set or switch to [...]
New Technique to Determine Snowmelt without On-The-Ground Measurements
Although the hydrologic cycle can be simplistically defined as the movement of water in various forms across the planet, it is definitely not as easy to accurately track, measure or estimate in detail the individual processes
and constituents that form the entire cycle.
No Water Under The Bridge
“There is a water crisis today. But the crisis is not about having too little water to satisfy our needs. It is a crisis of managing water so badly that billions of people – and the environment – suffer badly.” (An excerpt from the World Water Vision report published by the World Water Council)
Flexible Concrete? No Longer An Oxymoron
A team of researchers at the University of Michigan has developed a concrete material that bends like rubber, cracks very little, heals itself with no manual intervention, and is almost as good as new concrete upon recovery, with its stiffness and strength intact.
My Favorite Engineering Jokes
In homage to April Fools’ Day (I know, we’re a little late), I’ve put together a few of my favorite engineering jokes.
3 Ways Civil Engineers Can Fight Global Warming
In the midst of the current economic crisis, it can be easy to forget about longer term problems like global warming. It seems like the global conversation always tends to be shortsighted and only addresses one problem at a time. I do not want to wait until our economy is up and running again before I address our other problems.
Newest Wonders of the World
I never cease to be amazed at how technology allows us to continue to push the barriers of what is possible. It seems that when rapidly evolving technologies are mixed with creative and ambitious people, groundbreaking projects always ensue. As a civil engineer, I continue to marvel at what humans have accomplished and are currently [...]
How to Earn Your Share of the Stimulus Money
We’ve all heard the number by now, roughly $800 billion and a large portion of that going to infrastructure projects. As a civil engineer, numbers like that make me very interested.
Well, it looks like a large share of the infrastructure money is going to be spent on new and improved roads. While most states are [...]
Engineering with Google
This past decade, Google has given us much. They have basically perfected the internet search, allowing anyone with a connected device to find information on anything they seek. With Adwords and Analytics, they have empowered web developers, giving them timesaving and efficient tools to manage their creative endeavors. They’ve given us Gmail and Blogger. We [...]
Evolution of Engineering
Being the birthday of Charles Darwin last Thursday, I’ve been musing a bit on the concept of evolution and how his concept extends beyond just biology and genetic mutations. I’ve been thinking about all the subtle ways that evolutions occur everyday. All those ways that old ideas and technologies slowly die out only to be [...]
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