Some years ago, with a sudden and drastic reduction on the number of honeybees, scientists realized that if these insects disappeared it would be the end of agriculture as we understand it, as they are the main drivers of agricultural pollination in the US . But would we be able to replace these pollinators with […]
Unlike road vehicles, all rail vehicles run through exactly the same piece of track and they cannot drift away to avoid a bad quality rail. Moreover, the contact patch between wheel and rail is a steel-to-steel contact with a small area and huge loads, so the stress the material is subject to is extremely high […]
Humans can build and use the most sophisticated tools. One of the reasons is the configuration of our hands, which enable us to hold items in a very convenient way. But further than that, we can actually grab items because of the friction coefficient that exists between the skin of our hands and the surface […]
High speed trains are the best example of vehicles that, although operating at somehow extreme conditions, are very comfortable. And by comfort I mean that the vibration level that passengers feel is relatively low. The components that allow this level of comfort are the pneumatic springs, torus-shaped rubber elements filled with pressured air. Their behaviour […]
Easter Island is an amazingly mysterious destination due to the moais, megalithic statues resembling human figures that were built by the Rapa Nui people between the 12th and 17th centuries. These magnificent volcanic rock statues can be found all over the island, mainly in the coastline. There are over 1 000 of them, and some […]
Scientists have always peaked into nature in order to mimic its most interesting features into industrial processes. This adaptation process is called biomimicry, and the most recurring example is the history of how the Swiss engineer George de Mestral invented fabric hook-and-loop fasteners (Velcro) in the 1950s, after he saw how burdock seeds got attached […]