Engineering Innovation Podcast and Radio Series

Engineering Innovation

The National Academy of Engineering works with the Washington, D.C. region's most listened-to radio station — the all-news format WTOP Radio — and the nation's only radio station specifically dedicated to covering news related to the federal government — WFED 1500 AM — to provide weekly features highlighting engineering innovations and stories that add technical context to issues in the news.

These features are now available as podcasts. Find out how to subscribe.

Your comments and ideas are welcome. Please share them with Randy Atkins at atkins@nae.edu.

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Year
WTOP Theme
WTOP Theme
  • Aerospace 32
  • Chemical Engineering 42
  • Electronics/Computing/Internet 186
  • Energy 69
  • Environment 86
  • Health/Medicine/Biotechnology 227
  • Infrastructure 31
  • Manufacturing and Systems 32
  • Materials 92
  • Mechanical Engineering 55
  • Practice of Engineering 58
  • Sound 19
  • Sports 28
  • Structures and Traffic 44
  • Transportation 23
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Date Name
  • Biodegradable Golf Balls
    Posted March 17, 2013

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    Those golf balls you slice into the water could stay there for hundreds of years. But a new ball, made from an unlikely source, could make your game greener.
  • Remote Weapon Detection
    Posted January 26, 2014

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    One day, people at public gatherings could be screened for weapons, like guns or explosive devices, without going through a detector or even knowing they’re being checked.
  • "Double Bubble" Airplane
    Posted September 18, 2011

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    Airplanes of the future could have a radical new design…that will dramatically reduce fuel consumption. Good for the environment and your pocketbook.
  • "Dream Big"
    Posted February 19, 2017

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    A new IMAX film that takes you from the Great Wall of China to the tallest of modern skyscrapers may give you a new perspective on engineers…as we found out at this week’s premiere.
  • "Growing" Buildings"
    Posted May 14, 2006

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    A team of college students is making window material sturdy enough to cover the side of an office building
  • "Hearing Ghosts"
    Posted October 30, 2005

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    Most of us would run away if we saw a ghost. But a university lecturer in Britain studied the site of his haunting. What he found may explain many supernatural sightings.
  • (Really) Deleting Documents
    Posted October 11, 2009

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    When you delete an e-mail or Facebook photo, you don't see it anymore but it might not be gone from cyberspace.? Now researchers are working on a permanent delete.
  • “Living” Architecture
    Posted September 20, 2015

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    At a summit on Global Grand Challenges for Engineering in Beijing, China last week, one speaker suggested some interesting ideas for urban infrastructure of the future.
  • “Sonic Weapon” or Accident?
    Posted March 18, 2018

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    Investigators are exploring the possibility that a mysterious “sonic weapon” may have been used against U-S and Canadian diplomats in Cuba, who suffered a variety of symptoms. But there might be simpler explanation.
  • 10,000 Year Clock
    Posted January 21, 2018

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    As we look ahead to the New Year, a team of engineers is planning construction of mechanical clock as a monument they hope will still be working, and attracting visitors, thousands of years into the future.
  • 2017 Review
    Posted December 31, 2017

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    As 2017 draws to a close, let’s take a look back at a few of this year’s engineering innovations that we covered.
  • 3D Goes Mobile
    Posted May 23, 2010

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    3-D isn?t limited to wearing glasses in darkened theaters anymore.? New technology is bringing it to mobile devices.? No glasses needed.
  • 3-D Printing Blood Vessels
    Posted January 2, 2015

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    Printing 3-D objects is becoming more commonplace…and now researchers are trying to use such techniques to make working biological organs. But there’s a catch.
  • 3-D Printing Blood Vessels
    Posted March 30, 2014

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    Printing 3-D objects is becoming more commonplace…and now researchers are trying to use such techniques to make working biological organs. But there’s a catch.
  • 7 Minutes of Terror
    Posted July 15, 2012

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    Three weeks from today, NASA will deposit a rover on Mars. They’re calling it “the most advanced robot ever sent to another world” and say getting on the surface will involve “seven minutes of terror.”
  • A Broken (Chocolate) Heart
    Posted February 14, 2004

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    Chocolate's mysterious properties are supposed to seduce your Valentine, but only if it?s engineered correctly.
  • A Problem Duct Tape Can't Fix
    Posted October 23, 2005

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    Simple ?systems engineering? principles could save you money on this winter?s heating bills. But it will take more than duct tape to stop money from flowing out of your house.
  • A Useful Greenhouse Gas?
    Posted May 13, 2007

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    Carbon dioxide is getting a bad rap these days. But chemists now say the global warming villain might be turned into useful products.
  • Adaptable Materials
    Posted March 29, 2015

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    Most devices are made of parts with set structures, precisely designed for their function. But new materials are being engineered to be more versatile.
  • Adaptation to Sea Level Rise
    Adaptation to Sea Level Rise
    Posted October 9, 2016

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    Sea levels are rising and there’s a growing realization that we may not stop it. So, around the world, engineers are considering how to adapt.
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