A major feature of the Apple iPhone was that its stainless steel band was actually part of the phone’s antenna system. But recent reports suggest this innovation is part of a problem, the so called “Grip of Death”, with the users’ grip blocking reception.
Nasa is testing the effectiveness of a “deployable energy absorber” it has created. The ambitious goal is to lessen the destructive force of a crash.
We’ve mentioned this one before – in Engineering’s Ten Biggest Mistakes – but November 7th marks the anniversary of the collapse of Galloping Gertie, in Washington State.
“Just spotted this air con exhaust pipe coming out of the middle of the wall on our walk today,” he writes. “Very weird.”
Following the doors-and-windows post, we continue the architectural theme with steps that lead nowhere. All we’ve got is the whispering wind…”
In the UK, objections to wind farms are often made on the grounds of aestheticism, the twisting blades spoiling otherwise perfect countryside views. Hmmm. IMHO this is just NIMBY-ism by another guise… However, wind turbines are far from perfect, as this video dramatically demonstrates.
The NYT reports today that designers were at fault in the collapse of the Interstate 35W bridge in my hometown of Minneapolis, MN on August 1, 2007:
“The designers had specified a metal plate that was too thin to serve as a junction of several girders, investigators say.”
To the…
When it comes to lingerie, my requirements are pretty straightforward: comfort and appearance. No small engineering feat, given that fabric per se is an unwieldy and challenging structural material. The fact that it is weak in compression is particularly problematic in a bra, whose main job is to lift and…