3D Printing
A Leading Light: Science Breakthroughs Win This Laser Pioneer Major Accolades
Marshall Jones knows a thing or two about beating the odds, but it’s not just because of his knack for mathematics. A model of perseverance, the laser pioneer was raised by his extended family on a duck farm but ended up laying the foundation for additive manufacturing, a new breed of technologies that allow companies to 3D-print things from metal.
STEM
It Shoots, It Scores! The FIRST Robotics Competition Inspires the Next Generation Of Engineers
Electric Cars
This Is What We Call A Smart Car: Talking Batteries Will Help EVs Find Their Voice
Energy
Mind The Gap: How To Build A Power Plant Fueled By The Sun And CO2
women
Mothers' Day Special: Meet The Women Who Are Reinventing The World With Science And Curiosity
co2
This Scientist’s Got The Power (Plant) In His Hands
Though small in stature, the turbine in the photos could contribute to solving some of the world’s biggest energy challenges, not to mention powering an entire town, says Doug Hofer, a steam turbine specialist at GE Global Research.
Renewables
This Scientist Has Turned The Tables On Greenhouse Gas, Using CO2 To Generate Electricity
Solar power is a great source of renewable energy, but as with many things in life, timing is everything. The sun doesn’t shine on long winter nights when people turn on their lights. On the other hand, a sunny Sunday afternoon can produce an ample electricity surplus that’s difficult to store.
“That’s the grand challenge,” says Stephen Sanborn, senior engineer and principal investigator at GE Global Research (GRC). “We need to make renewable energy available to the grid when it is needed.”
X-ray
What’s Inside A Jet Engine? These Scientists Are On A Search-And-Don’t-Destroy Mission To Find Out
Extreme Machines
Don't Try This At Home: How To Catch A Lightning In A Bottle
But then, he never had the opportunity.
This year, GE is celebrating Edison’s birthday, which President Reagan proclaimed as National Inventors Day, by taking on the impossible challenges of lore. On Feb. 11, the company will release videos that prove these tasks are “unimpossible.”
Thomas Edison
A Toy Gone Wrong: Edison's Monster Doll Was One Gift People Were Happy to Return
In 1877, Edison made the first recording device that could play back sound, and from there it was just a short leap of imagination to the “talking doll.” The doll, which held inside its tin body a miniature phonograph, gave owners the option to listen to popular nursery rhymes. Unfortunately, the recordings also produced copious amounts of spooky crackling and hissing sounds. Even Edison called the dolls “little monsters.”