A Magic Backpack.
I’m Curious to know the gender of the customer (Andy) in the flick. The coat comes across like it would be styled for a woman, the shoes look to be a fashionable boot for men, and the hands are feminine. The face and hair also appear female. All around, seems like a cute kid.
Link: https://www.youtube.com/embed/8gxdjH3QjNU
A star is built: Inside the world's largest nuclear fusion reactor
Newshub
The International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor is, in simple terms, an attempt to build a star on Earth. The reactor aims to recreate the process which powers our sun, where elements are fused under extreme temperatures, releasing massive amounts of energy in the process. The ITER team, who recently completed the installation of the first of several major components, aim for the reactor to be fully operational by 2025. However, the engineering challenges they face are immense, as ITER must achieve a core temperature of 150 million degrees centigrade in order to function. READ MORE
Developer eyes world's largest solar, storage facility for Texas
Utility DIVE
Renewable energy developer Intersect Power has floated plans to construct 495 MW of energy storage next to 495 MW of solar in Borden County, Texas, according to the January generation interconnection status report from the Electric Reliability Council of Texas. If completed, the project would be the world's largest battery system when it comes online in 2021, Bloomberg reported, based on an ERCOT chart listing storage and solar projects expected to be completed in the next four years. The project would increase the state's installed solar capacity to over 6.8 GW and the energy storage capacity to 584 MW. READ MORE
Trying to fix leaks from the blind side? Krystol T1 can help.
Kryton International
Repairing concrete that is already leaking and susceptible to further deterioration is challenging. But Kryton’s surface-applied product, Krystol T1, which has been used in thousands of projects with severe water damage, can fix repairs from both the negative and positive side of water pressure, and help restore decades-old concrete structures. Kryton has announced two new enhancements to the crystalline waterproofing slurry: one—its application in a single coat; two—its available in white. Read how the enhancements simplify and speed up construction. https://www.kryton.com/in-the-news/...y-and-speed-up-construction/?CID=mvbrief_nspe
Innovative wave technology could be used to provide homes with low-cost energy
Engineers have developed wave energy technology that could help to produce low-cost electricity for thousands of households. In an announcement, the University of Edinburgh said that the device could convert wave power into electricity and had been designed "to be incorporated into existing ocean energy systems." Experiments in an ocean simulator have shown that one full-size device was able to produce the equivalent of 500 kilowatts, the university added. This represents enough electricity for roughly 100 houses. READ MORE
High-speed rail advocates hope for best after California governor narrows project
Engineering News-Record
High-speed rail advocates are looking on the bright side after new California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared in his first State of the State speech this month that the $77-billion planned San Francisco-Los Angeles system was ballooning out of control in costs. Newsom said he will focus on completion of the first 171 miles between Merced and Bakersfield. Rick Harnish, executive director of the Midwest High Speed Rail Association, says the narrowed focus could be of long-term benefit to the broader goal of connecting the Bay Area and Southern California. "If they could really focus on 220-mph trains between Merced and Bakersfield and fix connectors at both ends, that alone would be transformative. What if you upgrade Amtrak service from Oakland to Merced and Merced to Sacramento and add a couple of trains a day? Now you've got Bay Area to Central Valley in auto-competitive time." READ MORE
How will AI affect engineers?
Richard Pak is an associate professor in Clemson's psychology department and director of the Clemson University Human Factors Institute. He spoke with Design World recently about how he sees the relationships between humans and machines advancing over the next five years. "On the short time scale, AI will free designers and engineers from repetitive or low-level tasks," Pak said. "Automation already does this for many physical or manual tasks. But AI will have a similar effect for cognitive tasks (like design and engineering). So, for example, instead of a designer having to come up with optimal designs for a problem, AI might be able to generate an initial set, based on existing designs, allowing the designer to focus their efforts on more demanding tasks." So, what does that mean for our kids with good technical aptitude — should we still be encouraging them to study a field like engineering today? READ MORE
Hyperloop dreams take shape in the Nevada desert
The New York Times via Inlander
California just decided to sharply scale back its plans for a high-speed rail artery meant to transform travel up and down the state. But in the desert outside Las Vegas, the transportation ambitions still seem limitless. Here, engineers working for Virgin Hyperloop One are testing a radically different type of mass transit: one that aims to move people and cargo in small wheel-less pods in a vacuum tube at speeds that could exceed 600 mph. Virgin, which has raised $295 million for its hyperloop technology, is in the developmental stage with projects in India and Ohio. READ MORE
Structural supercapacitors prepare for take-off
Supercapacitors lie somewhere between batteries and capacitors in terms of their energy and power densities, and their fast charge/discharge rates are particularly relevant to electric vehicles. A typical supercapacitor consists of an electrolyte, a separator, and two high-surface-area electrodes made from the same material. After adding a secondary, structural, function, it is essential that all these components still do what they did in their original, monofunctional form. For example, the surface area of the electrodes is very important, because the stored electrical energy is based on separating the charged species in an electrical double layer at the electrode/electrolyte interface after a voltage is applied. Despite these limiting requirements, supercapacitors are attractive for multifunctional material developers. READ MORE
How to win construction bid proposals
Construction Business Owner
For general contractors, a bid-to-win rate of one out of six is standard, and some see worse returns than that. Roughly 83 percent of your bid-proposal time is spent on the drudgery of paperwork, and when a client chooses the lowest bid from a less-qualified competitor, it can be maddening. But take heart; there are a few simple things you can do to set your bids apart from the pack and make your potential clients take notice. READ MORE
This black engineer left her dream job to make a difference
Khalia Braswell was in fourth grade when her family got their first home computer. "I got hooked into programming, and I literally was like, 'All right, this is what I want to do,'" she said. From there, Braswell took off. Braswell, who is now 28, worked as a user experience engineer, joining the less than 3 percent of black women who make up the tech workforce. She was the only black woman she knew of in her building at Apple's headquarters, but says her team specifically was diverse in gender and ethnicity. And yet, something was missing. READ MORE
Nearly half of US female scientists leave full-time science after first child
More than 40 percent of women with full-time jobs in science leave the sector or go part time after having their first child, according to a study of how parenthood affects career trajectories in the United States. By contrast, only 23 percent of new fathers leave or cut their working hours. The analysis, led by Erin Cech, a sociologist at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, might help to explain the persistent under-representation of women in jobs that involve science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The study also highlights the impact of fatherhood on a career in science, she says. READ MORE
I’m Curious to know the gender of the customer (Andy) in the flick. The coat comes across like it would be styled for a woman, the shoes look to be a fashionable boot for men, and the hands are feminine. The face and hair also appear female. All around, seems like a cute kid.
Link: https://www.youtube.com/embed/8gxdjH3QjNU
A star is built: Inside the world's largest nuclear fusion reactor
Newshub
The International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor is, in simple terms, an attempt to build a star on Earth. The reactor aims to recreate the process which powers our sun, where elements are fused under extreme temperatures, releasing massive amounts of energy in the process. The ITER team, who recently completed the installation of the first of several major components, aim for the reactor to be fully operational by 2025. However, the engineering challenges they face are immense, as ITER must achieve a core temperature of 150 million degrees centigrade in order to function. READ MORE
Developer eyes world's largest solar, storage facility for Texas
Utility DIVE
Renewable energy developer Intersect Power has floated plans to construct 495 MW of energy storage next to 495 MW of solar in Borden County, Texas, according to the January generation interconnection status report from the Electric Reliability Council of Texas. If completed, the project would be the world's largest battery system when it comes online in 2021, Bloomberg reported, based on an ERCOT chart listing storage and solar projects expected to be completed in the next four years. The project would increase the state's installed solar capacity to over 6.8 GW and the energy storage capacity to 584 MW. READ MORE
Trying to fix leaks from the blind side? Krystol T1 can help.
Kryton International
Repairing concrete that is already leaking and susceptible to further deterioration is challenging. But Kryton’s surface-applied product, Krystol T1, which has been used in thousands of projects with severe water damage, can fix repairs from both the negative and positive side of water pressure, and help restore decades-old concrete structures. Kryton has announced two new enhancements to the crystalline waterproofing slurry: one—its application in a single coat; two—its available in white. Read how the enhancements simplify and speed up construction. https://www.kryton.com/in-the-news/...y-and-speed-up-construction/?CID=mvbrief_nspe
Innovative wave technology could be used to provide homes with low-cost energy
Engineers have developed wave energy technology that could help to produce low-cost electricity for thousands of households. In an announcement, the University of Edinburgh said that the device could convert wave power into electricity and had been designed "to be incorporated into existing ocean energy systems." Experiments in an ocean simulator have shown that one full-size device was able to produce the equivalent of 500 kilowatts, the university added. This represents enough electricity for roughly 100 houses. READ MORE
High-speed rail advocates hope for best after California governor narrows project
Engineering News-Record
High-speed rail advocates are looking on the bright side after new California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared in his first State of the State speech this month that the $77-billion planned San Francisco-Los Angeles system was ballooning out of control in costs. Newsom said he will focus on completion of the first 171 miles between Merced and Bakersfield. Rick Harnish, executive director of the Midwest High Speed Rail Association, says the narrowed focus could be of long-term benefit to the broader goal of connecting the Bay Area and Southern California. "If they could really focus on 220-mph trains between Merced and Bakersfield and fix connectors at both ends, that alone would be transformative. What if you upgrade Amtrak service from Oakland to Merced and Merced to Sacramento and add a couple of trains a day? Now you've got Bay Area to Central Valley in auto-competitive time." READ MORE
How will AI affect engineers?
Richard Pak is an associate professor in Clemson's psychology department and director of the Clemson University Human Factors Institute. He spoke with Design World recently about how he sees the relationships between humans and machines advancing over the next five years. "On the short time scale, AI will free designers and engineers from repetitive or low-level tasks," Pak said. "Automation already does this for many physical or manual tasks. But AI will have a similar effect for cognitive tasks (like design and engineering). So, for example, instead of a designer having to come up with optimal designs for a problem, AI might be able to generate an initial set, based on existing designs, allowing the designer to focus their efforts on more demanding tasks." So, what does that mean for our kids with good technical aptitude — should we still be encouraging them to study a field like engineering today? READ MORE
Hyperloop dreams take shape in the Nevada desert
The New York Times via Inlander
California just decided to sharply scale back its plans for a high-speed rail artery meant to transform travel up and down the state. But in the desert outside Las Vegas, the transportation ambitions still seem limitless. Here, engineers working for Virgin Hyperloop One are testing a radically different type of mass transit: one that aims to move people and cargo in small wheel-less pods in a vacuum tube at speeds that could exceed 600 mph. Virgin, which has raised $295 million for its hyperloop technology, is in the developmental stage with projects in India and Ohio. READ MORE
Structural supercapacitors prepare for take-off
Supercapacitors lie somewhere between batteries and capacitors in terms of their energy and power densities, and their fast charge/discharge rates are particularly relevant to electric vehicles. A typical supercapacitor consists of an electrolyte, a separator, and two high-surface-area electrodes made from the same material. After adding a secondary, structural, function, it is essential that all these components still do what they did in their original, monofunctional form. For example, the surface area of the electrodes is very important, because the stored electrical energy is based on separating the charged species in an electrical double layer at the electrode/electrolyte interface after a voltage is applied. Despite these limiting requirements, supercapacitors are attractive for multifunctional material developers. READ MORE
How to win construction bid proposals
Construction Business Owner
For general contractors, a bid-to-win rate of one out of six is standard, and some see worse returns than that. Roughly 83 percent of your bid-proposal time is spent on the drudgery of paperwork, and when a client chooses the lowest bid from a less-qualified competitor, it can be maddening. But take heart; there are a few simple things you can do to set your bids apart from the pack and make your potential clients take notice. READ MORE
This black engineer left her dream job to make a difference
Khalia Braswell was in fourth grade when her family got their first home computer. "I got hooked into programming, and I literally was like, 'All right, this is what I want to do,'" she said. From there, Braswell took off. Braswell, who is now 28, worked as a user experience engineer, joining the less than 3 percent of black women who make up the tech workforce. She was the only black woman she knew of in her building at Apple's headquarters, but says her team specifically was diverse in gender and ethnicity. And yet, something was missing. READ MORE
Nearly half of US female scientists leave full-time science after first child
More than 40 percent of women with full-time jobs in science leave the sector or go part time after having their first child, according to a study of how parenthood affects career trajectories in the United States. By contrast, only 23 percent of new fathers leave or cut their working hours. The analysis, led by Erin Cech, a sociologist at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, might help to explain the persistent under-representation of women in jobs that involve science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The study also highlights the impact of fatherhood on a career in science, she says. READ MORE
