Today in History – January 7, 1913 – William Merriam Burton is awarded the patent for thermal cracking. Cracking is a process where organic molecules and broken down into simpler molecules by breaking carbon-carbon bonds. This process is used to breakdown crude oil into one of its many products. These methods were pioneered in by [...]

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Today in History – November 25, 1867 – Alfred Nobel receives the patent for dynamite. While in Paris, Nobel came to work with Ascanio Sobrero, the inventor of nitroglycerine. Though it was ten times stronger that black powder, it was highly unstable. Nobel was intrigued with nitroglycerine’s potential as a construction tool. But he knew [...]

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Today in History – October 31, 1941 – Mount Rushmore was completed. The Mount Rushmore project was an incredible feat of engineering and an integration of art and technology. It is the largest work of art on earth with a face that is 60 feet high. Although the workers regularly used dynamite and heavy equipment, [...]

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Formerly called “Course, Curriculum and Laboratory Improvement CCLI”, the NSF program “Transforming Undergraduate Education in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (TUES)” emphasizes projects that have the potential to transform undergraduate STEM education. For more information, see a list of the Engineering Pathway’s collection of engineering-related TUES resources.

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Today in History – October 4, 1913 – Steel Treaters’ Club is founded. Before the steel industry was fully developed, steel treating was a trade controlled and carefully guarded by individual blacksmiths. When a blacksmith named William Woodside began working in the automotive industry, he recognized the need to exchange information within his profession. Through [...]

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