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Engineering

Essays and videos exploring physics, evolution, cosmology and other frontiers in science

Astronomy Biology Biotechnology Chemistry Complexity Computing and artificial intelligence Cosmology Deep time Earth science and climate Ecology and environmental sciences Engineering Evolution Genetics History of science Human evolution Human reproduction Illness and disease Mathematics Medicine Oceans and water Palaeontology Physics Quantum theory Space exploration

Explore more Science

3D rendering of an ancient water clock with zodiac signs and blue water flowing into a container on a wooden surface.

videoEngineering

How water-based clocks revolutionised the way we measure time

10 minutes

Futuristic digital artwork of Earth with two large transparent rings arching over it in space.

videoEngineering

Building a prosperous future demands bold ideas. These are some of the boldest

40 minutes

Photo of a person applying varnish to the interior planks of a wooden boat on a sunny day.

videoMaking

On the Norwegian coast, a tree is transformed into a boat the old-fashioned way

6 minutes

A large, artificial ice structure in a mountainous landscape with clear blue sky in the background.

videoEngineering

Can monumental ‘ice stupas’ help remote Himalayan villages survive?

15 minutes

A man in a suit demonstrates with a series of blocks in a lab setting; photo.

videoEngineering

From simple motors to levitating trains – how design shapes innovation

24 minutes

Five differently coloured triangular wax crayon bars standing upright on a white surface.

videoArt

Watch as Japan’s surplus trees are transformed into forest-tinted crayons

4 minutes

A person with a prosthetic leg stands in a room filled with plastic-wrapped prosthetics and limbs, showcasing orthopaedic supplies.

videoTechnology and the self

A filmmaker finds a tactile beauty in the creation of her prosthetic leg

11 minutes

Painting of a riverside scene with a large windmill, boats on the water, and three women standing on the bank next to a dock, under cloudy sky.

essayHistory of technology

Learning to love monsters

Windmills were once just machines on the land but now seem delightfully bucolic. Could wind turbines win us over too?

Stephen Case

Bright yellow bird building a nest with grass on a branch surrounded by green leaves.

videoEngineering

For one of nature’s great builders, finding a mate means weaving the perfect nest

4 minutes

Close-up images of a display pixel grid, a black and white foam pattern, and a colourful honeycomb structure.

videoEngineering

A close-up look at electronic paper reveals its exquisite patterns – and limitations

9 minutes

Four blue, irregularly shaped objects with black squiggly lines attached, displayed in a sequence against grey and white backgrounds.

videoPhysics

Is it possible to design a shape to roll along any fixed path?

4 minutes

A grid of six uniquely styled number “8” designs in various colours and textures, each in different backgrounds: black, orange, blue, green, black, and grey.

videoDesign and fashion

The mundane becomes mesmerising in this deep dive into segmented displays

14 minutes

A person in a red jumpsuit playing the trumpet, causing flames along a metal tube to create visible sound waves.

videoPhysics

A song of ice, fire and jelly – exploring the physics and history of the trumpet

9 minutes

Person with tattooed arms wearing a spiked, leather arm brace connected with cables and finger straps, a piece of custom technology.

videoMusic

Electronic gloves and even potted plants make music in a playground for sound innovation

6 minutes

Illustrations of various spoons with different handles and designs, arranged on white cards laid out in a fan pattern.

videoDesign and fashion

Household items are reborn in a ‘visual symphony of everyday objects’

11 minutes

Hands squeezing dyed yarn over a container of dark liquid, with dye dripping from the yarn.

videoDesign and fashion

From sheep to sea – an ode to the iconic sweater that warms Cornish sailors

4 minutes

A black and white image of a starburst galaxy with bright, radiating light and scattered points of light representing stars against a dark background.

videoAstronomy

Raw solar-storm footage is the punk-rock antidote to sleek James Webb imagery

6 minutes

Three people constructing a traditional bamboo hut in a the highlands of Ethiopia, surrounded by trees.

videoArchitecture

How the Dorze in Ethiopia make ‘beehive’ houses from bamboo that last a lifetime

35 minutes

Close-up of a person using a utility knife to cut a material adorned with intricate white symbols, with a measuring tape on top.

videoTechnology and the self

‘Perfection is for the gods,’ and this sculptor gets to a thousandth of an inch of it

14 minutes

Diagram showing airflow and drag around a robotic figure riding a winged creature, visualising aerodynamic principles.

videoBiology

It’s a massive, winged Cretaceous beast – could a human ride one?

9 minutes

Fog horn tower on a rocky cliffside overlooking the sea under an overcast sky.

videoHistory of technology

Behold as a mechanical foghorn in Shetland awakes from its year-long slumber

2 minutes

Hands holding red and blue magnetic rings with one ring levitating above the other, demonstrating magnetic repulsion.

videoPhysics

In this 1975 lecture, the maglev train’s inventor deconstructs his ingenious design

19 minutes

Close-up of a hand gripping the handlebar of a motorbike, with part of its red tank visible.

videoDesign and fashion

Gear up for a stylish celebration of vintage motorcycle design

6 minutes

Spacecraft hovering over rocky asteroid surface with a starry night sky backdrop.

essaySpace exploration

Riches in space

Asteroids could pay for so much space exploration. We just need to mine those valuable resources – and duck a direct hit

Martin Elvis