Ten-engine electric plane prototype takes off

A team at NASA's Langley Research Center is developing a concept of a battery-powered plane that has 10 engines and can take off like a helicopter and fly efficiently like an aircraft. The prototype, called Greased Lightning ...

Metal foam obliterates bullets – and that's just the beginning

Composite metal foams (CMFs) are tough enough to turn an armor-piercing bullet into dust on impact. Given that these foams are also lighter than metal plating, the material has obvious implications for creating new types ...

Buckle up: A new class of materials is here

Usually, the two characterizations of a material are mutually exclusive: something is either stiff, or it can absorb vibrations well—but rarely both. However, if we could make materials that are both stiff and good at absorbing ...

Best 'sweet spots' on the backboard

According to Larry Hunter, the act of banking a basketball off the backboard and into the hoop is becoming a lost art.

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