Today in Science Blog Posts
Happy Birthday, David Crosthwait
Fun fact: The original HVAC system for Rockefeller Center in New York City was designed by David Crosthwait, an engineer with 100+ patents.
Happy Birthday, Oliver Heaviside
At the age of 16, Oliver Heaviside’s formal education came to an end. However, he went on to discover the first coaxial cable, the modern Maxwell’s equations, and the Kennelly–Heaviside layer.
The Science Behind Plant-Based Foods
You have probably heard of almond milk, coconut milk, and oat milk. But are you familiar with potato milk? This milk substitute hit grocery shelves in Europe in early 2022.
A Novel Technique for Producing Ultrastrong 2D Polymers
A group of materials science researchers have developed a new polymerization technique for producing strong and lightweight 2D polymers (a creation that was thought to be impossible!)
Happy Birthday, Norbert Rillieux
Sugar has been around for centuries, but the revolution in sugar processing occurred less than 200 years ago. Learn about the life and work of the engineer behind this revolution.
Happy Birthday, Ralph Fowler
During his career, Ralph Fowler supervised 64 doctoral students at Cambridge University, 3 of whom would become Nobel laureates.
Happy Birthday, Joseph Petzval
In 1840, this Hungarian physicist introduced a lens design that could gather more than 20 times as much light as lenses used in earlier cameras.
How Long Does It Take an Engineer to Turn on a Light Bulb?
Misconception about electricity: Electrons carry the energy in an electrical circuit. Today, we investigate this theory with simulation.
The Science Behind Lie Detector Tests
Polygraph machines accurately monitor cardiovascular, respiratory, and electrodermal activity. But can they really determine whether a subject is being deceptive?
5 Fun Facts to Celebrate Fibonacci Day
Fun fact: The Fibonacci sequence can be found in flowers, pine cones, tree branches, and shells.
Möbius Strips: Where Math Meets Art
The Möbius strip was simultaneously and independently discovered by two German mathematicians in the 1850s. Today, this one-sided object is found in tools, art, nature, and more.
Extracting DNA: From Pumpkins to Mammoths
Here, we go over how to recover DNA from a pumpkin using a simple experiment, as well as how scientists made a recent breakthrough in DNA extraction research.
Happy Birthday, Adhémar Jean Claude Barré de Saint-Venant
The shallow water equations, a derivation of the Navier–Stokes equations, and Saint-Venant’s principle can all be credited to French physicist Adhémar Jean Claude Barré de Saint-Venant.
The History and Science Behind Vinyl Records
As vinyl records explode in popularity, we take a look back at the history of records, as well as the interesting science behind how they are produced — and how they play music.
Happy Birthday, Egon Orowan
Egon Orowan found that the theory of dislocations could be used to explain the plastic deformation of ductile materials. He also studied geological fracture, munitions production, and more.
Happy Birthday, John Sealy Townsend
From fluorescent light bulbs and Geiger counters to plasma televisions and semiconductor manufacturing, Townsend discharge has many important applications. Who discovered this phenomenon?
Why Do Pigeons Have Iridescent Feathers?
If you look at a pigeon a certain way, the feathers around their necks shine in bright hues of emerald and amethyst. As it turns out, a prehistoric animal exhibited a similar trait…
Happy Birthday, Joseph Fourier
From heat conduction and the Fourier series to the greenhouse effect and Fourier transform, Joseph Fourier’s research has many implications in the modern world.
Happy Birthday, Claude-Louis Navier
When you hear the name Navier, you probably think of fluid flow or the Navier–Stokes equations. But did you know that Claude-Louis Navier worked as a bridge designer and civil engineer?
Happy Birthday, Friedrich Paschen
Friedrich Paschen dedicated his life to experimentation. Today, we use Paschen’s law to understand how electric current flows through gas.
2020 Isaac Newton Medal and Prize Awarded to Nader Engheta
Get an overview of the Isaac Newton Medal and Prize — and the optical physicist who won this year.
5 W’s for 200 Years of Electromagnetism
Fun fact: Hans Christian Ørsted originally studied pharmacology and philosophy before he went on to discover the connection between electricity and magnetism.
Modeling Droplet Flow in an Open Space with COMSOL Multiphysics®
If you are jogging six feet apart from someone else, should you both be wearing masks? Simulation was used to analyze the motion of particles between two runners in an open space to find answers.
Happy Birthday, Marie Van Brittan Brown
Today, home security is a billion dollar industry that relies on smart devices. However, it all started with a nurse who wanted to feel safer in her home in Queens, New York.