\# Intro Welcome to the weekly career discussion thread, where you can talk about all career & professional topics. Topics may include: \* Professional career guidance & questions; e.g. job hunting advice, job offers comparisons, how to network \* Educational guidance & questions; e.g. what engineering discipline to major in, which university is good, \* Feedback on your résumé, CV, cover letter, etc. \* The job market, compensation, relocation, and other topics on the economics of engineering. \> \[Archive of past threads\](https://www.reddit.com/r/engineering/search?q=flair%3A%22weekly+discussion%22&restrict\_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) \--- \## Guidelines 1. \*\*Before asking any questions, consult \[the AskEngineers wiki.\](https://new.reddit.com/r/askengineers/wiki/faq)\*\* There are detailed answers to common questions on: \* Job compensation \* Cost of Living adjustments \* Advice for how to decide on an engineering major \* How to choose which university to attend 1. Most subreddit rules still apply and will be enforced, especially R7 and R9 (with the obvious exceptions of R1 and R3) 1. Job POSTINGS must go into the latest \[\*\*Monthly Hiring Thread.\*\*\]((https://www.reddit.com/r/engineering/search?q=flair%3A%22hiring+thread%22&restrict\_sr=on&sort=new&t=all)) Any that are posted here will be removed, and you'll be kindly redirected to the hiring thread. 1. \*\*Do not request interviews in this thread!\*\* If you need to interview an engineer for your school assignment, use the list in the sidebar. \## Resources \* \[The AskEngineers wiki\](https://new.reddit.com/r/askengineers/wiki/faq) \* \[The AskEngineers Quarterly Salary Survey\](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskEngineers/search/?q=flair%3A%22salary+survey%22&include\_over\_18=on&restrict\_sr=on&t=all&sort=new) \* \*\*For students:\*\* \[\*"What's your average day like as an engineer?"\*\](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskEngineers/wiki/faq#wiki\_what.27s\_your\_average\_day\_like\_as\_an\_engineer.3F) We recommend that you spend an hour or so reading about what engineers actually do at work. This will help you make a more informed decision on which major to choose, or at least give you enough info to ask follow-up questions here. \* For those of you interested in a career in software development / Computer Science, go to r/cscareerquestions.

I often design around classified areas, and recently became aware of API 500. Seeing as it's by the petroleum industry, I was wondering if there is any guidance for best practice in other industries?

Looking for help/ideas in designing a hinge for a product I am working on. Criteria are: * Low cost (looking to avoid roller bearings) * 0/minimal radial slop(Axial slop is completely fine and even desirable) * High friction is fine as long as it is movable by hand. * Low duty, so wear is not much of a concern. Material is undecided, either plastic or aluminum. Would prefer to stick to plastic, likely a glass filled something or. Is the best practice here just a cylinder in a hole, dimensioned correctly? Or is there a sort of slide/press in grooved wave bushing that could be used? https://preview.redd.it/t7myw6isrweg1.png?width=1058&format=png&auto=webp&s=f82431a541b732e798890e3686638ab01539215a

I started on this project 3 years ago and failed lots of times before I finally got it to work. I hope you enjoy these 27 seconds😊

The world’s fastest civilian aircraft has received European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) certification. Developed by Bombardier, the Global 8000 business jet is the fastest civilian aircraft since the Concorde with an industry-leading top speed of Mach 0.95. The Global 8000 business jet also has the lowest cabin altitude in business aviation production at 2,691 ft. while cruising at 41,000 ft. This reduced [cabin](https://interestingengineering.com/transportation/nature-inspired-metal-morphing-aircraft-wings) altitude minimizes the physiological stress associated with high altitude travel, helping passengers arrive at their destinations feeling refreshed and ready to perform. In addition to its long-range capabilities, the aircraft remains remarkably agile, with takeoff and landing performance comparable to that of a light jet. Its advanced wing design featuring unique leading-edge slats enables customers to master up to 30% more airports than its closest rival. The Global 8000 received Transport Canada Type Certification on November 5, 2025 and U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certification on December 19, 2025. The aircraft entered into service in December 2025. The jet delivers the smoothest ride and the best all-weather performance. The secret is claimed to be Smooth Flĕx Wing, which is engineered like two wings in one: a high-lift wing for exceptional low speed agility and a high-speed wing for unrivalled speed and range. [https://bombardier.com/en/aircraft/global-8000#bba-pdp-section-1](https://bombardier.com/en/aircraft/global-8000#bba-pdp-section-1)

Making this post on Polygonal Milling because the other 0roster took theirs down.[The UNREAL World of POLYGONAL TURNING | Swiss Machining Genius](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LH7eauuIVuw)

The Disney Fantasy is the fourth ship in the Disney Cruise Line fleet and sailed her maiden voyage on March 31, 2012. A sister ship to the Disney Dream, the Disney Fantasy features the AquaDuck water coaster, magical children’s areas, world-class entertainment, delightful dining, retreats for adults, and immersive experiences for guests of all ages with beloved Disney stories and characters. This massive ship has 14 decks and 1,250 staterooms. As guests have come to expect from Disney Cruise Line, the ship combines state-of-the-art technology with the elegance and grandeur of old-time ocean liners. Every Disney Cruise Line ship has a signature character; the Fantasy is no different. The ship’s atrium is home to a bronze statue of Mademoiselle Minnie Mouse. Keeping in line with the vintage travel theme seen around the ship, Minnie is dressed in fashions from the 1920s and 30s, complete with a parasol and steamer trunk. **Disney Fantasy Ship Details:** * Birthplace: Meyer Werft – Papenburg, Germany * Maiden Voyage: March 31, 2012 * Passenger Capacity: 4,000 | Gross Tonnage: 130,000 tons * Number of Staterooms: 1,250 * Length: 1,115 feet | Beam: 121 feet | Height: 216 feet

As an engineer please treat yourself to a nice drafting pencil! I know I did :D It took me about a month to design, iterate, and assemble. Please let me know what you think! I'll be happy to answer questions here or at the link.

As a reminder, /r/AskEngineers normal restrictions for career related posts are severely relaxed for this thread, so feel free to ask about intra-office politics, salaries, or just about anything else related to your job!

# Intro Welcome to the AskEngineers quarterly salary survey! This post is intended to provide an ongoing resource for job hunters to get an idea of the salary they should ask for based on location and job title. Survey responses are NOT vetted or verified, and should not be considered data of sufficient quality for statistical or other data analysis. So what's the point of this survey? We hope that by collecting responses every quarter, job hunters can use it as a supplement to other salary data sites like the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Glassdoor and PayScale to negotiate better compensation packages when they switch jobs. > [Archive of past surveys](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskEngineers/search/?q=flair%3A%22salary+survey%22&include_over_18=on&restrict_sr=on&t=all&sort=new) ## Useful websites For Americans, BLS is the gold standard when it comes to labor data. A guide for how to use BLS can be found in our wiki: * [*How do I figure out how much salary to ask for? (U.S. only)*](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskEngineers/wiki/faq#wiki_how_do_i_figure_out_how_much_salary_to_ask_for.3F) We're working on similar guides for other countries. For example, the Canadian counterpart to BLS is [StatCan](https://www.statcan.gc.ca/eng/start), and [DE Statis](https://www.destatis.de/EN/Themes/Labour/Labour-Market/Employment/_node.html) for Germany. * [Glassdoor](https://www.glassdoor.com/member/home/index.htm) * [PayScale](https://www.payscale.com/) # How to participate / Survey instructions A template is provided at the bottom of this post to standardize reporting total compensation from your job. I encourage you to fill out all of the fields to keep the quality of responses high. Feel free to make a throwaway account for anonymity. 1. Copy the template in the gray codebox below. 1. **Look in the comments for the engineering discipline that your job/industry falls under, and reply to the top-level AutoModerator comment.** 1. **Turn ON Markdown Mode.** Paste the template in your reply and type away! Some definitions: * **Industry:** The specific industry you work in. * **Specialization:** Your career focus or subject-matter expertise. * **Total Experience:** Number of years of experience across your entire career so far. * **Cost of Living:** The comparative cost of goods, housing and services for the area of the world you work in. ## How to look up Cost of Living (COL) / Regional Price Parity (RPP) ### In the United States: Follow the instructions below and list the name of your Metropolitan Statistical Area and its corresponding RPP. 1. Go here: **https://apps.bea.gov/itable/iTable.cfm?ReqID=70&step=1** 1. Click on **"REAL PERSONAL INCOME AND REGIONAL PRICE PARITIES BY STATE AND METROPOLITAN AREA"** to expand the dropdown 1. Click on **"Regional Price Parities (RPP)"** 1. Click the **"MARPP - Regional Price Parities by MSA"** radio button, then click "Next Step" 1. Select the Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) you live in, then click "Next Step" until you reach the end 1. Copy/paste the name of the MSA and the number called **"RPPs: All items"** to your comment ### NOT in the United States: Name the nearest large metropolitan area to you. **Examples:** London, Berlin, Tokyo, Beijing, etc. --- # Survey Response Template ## !!! NOTE: use Markdown Mode for this to format correctly! **Job Title:** Design Engineer **Industry:** Medical devices **Specialization:** (optional) **Remote Work %:** (go into office every day) 0 / 25 / 50 / 75 / 100% (fully remote) **Approx. Company Size (optional):** e.g. 51-200 employees, < 1,000 employees **Total Experience:** 5 years **Highest Degree:** BS MechE **Gender:** (optional) **Country:** USA **Cost of Living:** Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA (Metropolitan Statistical Area), 117.1 **Annual Gross (Brutto) Salary:** $50,000 **Bonus Pay:** $5,000 per year **One-Time Bonus (Signing/Relocation/Stock Options/etc.):** 10,000 RSUs, Vested over 6 years **401(k) / Retirement Plan Match:** 100% match for first 3% contributed, 50% for next 3%

Say you live on a narrow street and have a ton of snow. The end of the street is a large field. Is there any chance that a conveyer belt system could be built to move the snow from along the street to the field? The idea is to shovel onto the conveyer belt and have it moved along the belt, eventually dumped onto the field. Let’s say the distance along the street is 100 feet.

hello everyone I'm working on a small submarine, and there's this problem of the syringe. currently, I will use rack and pinion system to convert the rotation into linear power However, I don't know how much torque is needed here to move the syringe. There is a lot of friction in it, plus the pressure that will generate from extracting water. I wants to use a servo motor to have a good precision but which one I should buy?. Those servo motors are quite rare in my country so the options are very limited plus it's too expensive and I want to avoid the expensive ones as much as possible. My friend has " tower pro SG90," but it's very small. If I can increase its torque using gears, it will be very helpful, but I think it's not possible And what about adding cooking oil inside the syringe to decrease the friction? I'm afraid the insulation will go away and cause some leaks inside the submarine thank you for your time

For example, could a memory metal like nitinol be used for records to put the groves back in the correct alignment?

I have a 3D printed prototype object made using an SLA-type resin printer, which I understand uses a thermoset polymer as its base, and as such doesn't 'melt' in the way a thermoplastic polymer would. However, due to the way this object functions, I need to seal a thermoplastic film to it such that it can be liquid-tight, ideally up to something like 2 bar worth of pressure. I have workflow constraints that prevent me from making the part of out of anything else ($$ and feature resolution constraints), so let's for now take it as a given that the part itself can't be fundamentally changed, except maybe some post-processing done to it after printing. How would I then heat seal a thermoplastic film onto this SLA resin 3D print? Let's say the film is made out of PET, for now, just to have a materials starting point. Thanks in advance!

I'm trying to build my own DC generator in an attempt to better understand electricity, and the only magnets I have been able to obtain this far have been rattle magnets, and I haven't been able to find anything about this on the internet. Since I don't really understand electricity (or just how exactly rattle magnets differ from normal magnets) I'd like to know if it would work as expected, or if I should order some real magnets off amazon. Thank you! (If this isn't the correct sub to post this in, then I'm sorry, I don't really have a clue as to where else to post this.)

[https://imgur.com/a/jBna3gi](https://imgur.com/a/jBna3gi) I built this stand for a 55 gallon tank (\\\~600lbs) that is starting to delaminate at the seams so I want to replace it with a 29 gallon tank (\\\~350lbs) in the center of the stand. I am concerned that the 2x4s that make up the top will be more prone to deflection with a load in the center rather than one over the legs. The stand and current tank is 4ft long and the new tank is 30” long so there would be about 9 inches on either side. The second image is a picture I found online that is built the same way as mine except mine does not have the center supports. It’s made from standard grade white fir 2x4s with a piece of 3/4 plywood sitting on top.

Hello All, I work as a Mechanical Engineer for a small robotics firm in the UK for a niche market. Next week we will be visited by a small group of local school students for the day, so they can learn from us, see what the manufacturing industry is like and hopefully use this knowledge in their projects and inter-school robotics competition. I have made a rough itinerary for the day but I'm concerned we will run dry too soon and I don't want them to go away dispondent. As I know there are quite a lot of students here, I thought it would be really helpful if I could get some suggestions of what I could include in the day: \- If you remember being in their position what did you wish you knew? \- Any relevant topics of interest/discussion that I should include in the day? \- Anything else that would make the day informative, fun or engaging? Mods - please keep this up as it is for a young persons STEM project, thanks.

Hi all, Does anyone have experience with Indel drives? I'm trying to connect to a GIN SAC 4x1, but I have zero documentation and cannot find any tutorials online . I come from a Siemens/Beckhoff background, so this proprietary system is new to me. I have the software, but I'm stuck on the physical connection (no known IP, unsure of the interface). Any tips on how to get online with this unit would be amazing. Cheers!

Learning about corrosion from opposite metals (aluminum and iron metal). Would aluminum rivets in metal sheet (non aluminum) eventually corrode and fall out or would this be safe? Ive used a healthy amount of aluminum rivets for simple body work on a car, and plan to use aluminum rivets for non aluminum metal L brackets for attaching aluminum solar panel bodies to a wood frame outdoors. The metal L brackets would be attached to the wood frame, then the aluminum solar panels would sit on top and be riveted to the L brackets. Would this too cause corrosion over time and fall out? Lot of conflicting info online, some saying dont mix metals, others say dont worry its not a spacecraft you'll be fine. Would the above scenarios cause issue over time? how long would it take to corrode and "fall" out? Would spray painting the L brackets for contact with the aluminum solar panel frames and the hole for the rivets act as a barrier preventing corrosion or is it overkill / unnecessary?

I wish to obtain a custom made machine to manufacture custom silicon bracelets with embedded NFC tags and am trying to figure out how to obtain such a machine. So I figured I'd ask an engineer! \~Skylar \*\*Edit\*\* I know I can go on alibaba and get a machine to do this, but I'm needing customization of the machine and it's hard to interact with non native english speaking sellers. \*\*Edit 2\*\* What I needed was a custom mold, not a custom machine. And it's spelled *Silicone*, not Sili*con*.

**XY Problem Arbitrary Constraints:** Time and money. I already have purchased the polycarbonate sheet and some other working materials, so while exploring other options is possible, they come with a cost disadvantage. **Goal:** Create a firm, clear, contoured plastic shell in which a cluster of small, semi-flexible crystalline solar cells can be laid and encapsulated, then sealed down to the roof of a small all aluminum unibody car, to provide supplementary power to the hybrid battery charging circuit. **materials currently in the closet with MacGyver:** * polycarbonate sheet * thin semi-flexible crystalline aerospace solar cells arranged in strings * copper wires and nickel bus tabs * diodes * expanding mold making foam * EVA film * part of an incomplete vacuum bagging kit * aramid fiber honeycomb sheet (1/4" thick, for thermal isolation) * fiberglass mat and tape * polyester resin * reflective heat insulation foam board (cut into 2ft by 4ft pieces) * mold release agent and plastic polishing compounds * a tool chest full of power tools * HVLP equipment * a driveway with an optional temporary pop up canopy and dust sheeting * a car roof, with the car still attached * 110v single phase power * a single 220 volt single phase power extension cord running from the dryer outlet to the driveway * various 110v small/portable heating elements * 1/2x1, 1x2, and 2x4 wood segments and wood screws * sheets of 1/4 or 1/2" MDF **Tool and Materials I may still need to acquire or build:** (my remaining budget is somewhere between $0 and $400) * Some kind of oven heating element and suitable enclosure to heat the polycarbonate first to drying temp, then to melting temp * some kind of jig or frame to hold, carry, position, and form the polycarbonate sheet * ??? * Profit! **Further explanation of thought process:** I want to make a contoured form-following clear plastic shell to inlay the solar cells for mounting to the roof of the car. I know polycarbonate needs to be baked at a certain temperature to dry it before heating to melting temp to avoid bubbles. I also know it's prone to warping and sticking to things and has a short working time once heated unless the heat can be maintained during the forming process. I can probably build some kind of heat box around the top of the car to help maintain temperature of the sheet in proximity to the roof, but I'm not sure how to actually heat it and lower it onto the roof to form it, whether I will need a vacuum pull or if gravity will be sufficient (the roof is mostly smooth apart from where the antenna base sticks through). I've already assembled most of what I thought I might need, but as I only really have one chance not to fuck it up with the forming of the sheet (a sheet of this size is expensive and I didn't buy spares) I'm really trying to plan ahead for everything that might pose a problem and work out a foolproof method of doing the deed. Are there any other driveway mad scientists / perturbed engineers out there with the DIY know how to help me plan the details of my solution? My current loose plan is to build a box around the top of the car with the foam board, make a wooden frame to hold the polycarbonate sheet above it, wait for a hot sunny day, then blow hot air into the space beneath the sheet until it starts to droop, then quickly drop/break away the box to lower the sheet onto the roof. I can worry about trimming the edges/cutouts afterward.

I started a new position as an environmental coordinator for a Tribe about 2 years ago and my department has a ground penetrating radar that was purchased for a glacier study that it's not actually usable for (I realized after reaching out to many glaciologists about methodology). So, now I have a GPR unit sitting around my department and no one who knows how to operate it. I could use it for other projects - I also do remediation of former military lands and we've got several underground bunkers that it would be helpful to delineate for planning/site characterization purposes. We also occasionally find graves and it would be helpful to be able to tell if they're roughly human sized or if they're a pet grave because the response from the anthropology team (and the impact on my field work schedule) is drastically different. We could also offer the service as a paid service to the public to enhance our general operating funds. I'm trying to figure out if its worth getting someone on staff trained on how to use this thing. What kind of training does it require to become competent, and what's the learning curve for reading GPR results? Do I need a full time GPR technician to make the skill/time investment worth it, or would an engineer who operates it a couple times a year be able to learn to interpret the results well enough to make it worthwhile to keep the GPR unit? For context, we are a remote tribe (off the road system with connection by ferry and plane only) with limited local services, so this would be a useful tool to have in our community and save people a lot of money when needed, but would not be needed every day, probably not even every month. We have an engineer on staff who focuses on keeping our field equipment running, and he would be the person I'd likely get trained on this if I go that route. Otherwise, I will probably sell it as it's a piece of equipment collecting dust at the moment. Thanks for any thoughts/advice on training needs and feasibility of operating a GPR unit only a few times a year with reliable results. Edit: I spoke with our in-house engineer about this before posting on Reddit. He's also unsure, hence asking for advice. He is willing to take the training but doesn't know if the investment will be worth it at the moment without a project already lined up that involves lots of hours of work (and practice) after the training. His experience with GPRs is an 8-hour online training he took 5 years ago when the department purchased it, and tooling around with the GPR in our bosses driveway for practice after. In his words - "maybe I found the pipes maybe I didn't. I wouldn't recommend anyone to dig anywhere with confidence."

Hello, I wanted to ask what it would take to make a knock off or dupe of this stage pole. [ https://www.agmdesignshop.com/en/pole-hive-evo-podiums/170-pole-hive-evo-naked-podium.html ](https://www.agmdesignshop.com/en/pole-hive-evo-podiums/170-pole-hive-evo-naked-podium.html) \^heres the link. They cost almost 2000 dollars. Almost all stage poles on the market are currently selling for around 1500. There are no knock offs or dupes available at the moment, unlike with regular poles. The stage pole in the link is a great design because it’s the lightest and most portable stage spin pole on the market. It’s also super fast to set up, unlike other stage poles

I have no idea

Norway used tax exemptions on EVs to encourage its residents to purchase EVs, leading to 97 percent of the new cars Norwegians registered in November 2025 being electric.

I recently came across an app that asks users to “check in” once a day to confirm they’re okay. If you don’t, it alerts an emergency contact after a set amount of time. At the very beginning, I thought it was kinda dystopian. But the more I sat with it, the more it felt like a very practical response to something bigger, especially how many young people nowadays are dealing with loneliness and uncertainty in everyday life. With more people living alone, aging populations, and fewer daily check-in points from work or family, this kinda product doesn’t feel futuristic; in my understanding, it feels very present. Also, it made me think about how loneliness is quietly becoming something that products and services are built around. Not just social apps, but safety, reassurance, and even the simple need to be noticed. I'm curious about how you guys think of this trend, and do you view products/services/ tools you name it like this as comforting, or as a reminder of how isolated modern life has become?

Google, Amazon, Apple, Meta, and Microsoft don’t just sell products anymore - they are and continue to shape speech, work, markets, and now AI itself. A recent [Globe and Mail](https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/article-google-amazon-apple-meta-microsoft-governance-accountability/) piece have pointed out that we are long overdue to treat Big Tech less like untouchable innovators and more like critical infrastructure that needs oversight This was something which was already on my mind for a few weeks coz as AI accelerates, this gap becomes dangerous... decisions about data, algorithms, and access are being made by a handful of firms with global impact and minimal oversight. regulation doesn’t have to kill innovation, but please, pretending these platforms are “just companies” feels increasingly unrealistic what do we think - should we govern tech before the next crisis, not after (coz we've seen too many movies to know its bound to happen)?

I’ve been thinking about how fast technology is moving and how the future feels both exciting and uncertain at the same time. Some ideas sound incredible on paper, but also raise big questions about ethics, access, and long-term impact. What future technology are you cautiously optimistic about, and why? AI, renewable energy breakthroughs, biotech, space exploration, something else? Also, what do you think needs to happen for that technology to actually improve everyday life instead of making things worse?

Hey everyone, Some colleagues and I were chatting at work today about the CES conference in Vegas this January and it made me want to see what other people thought. Did anyone attend CES this year in person? What was your favorite piece of tech? And how did this year compare to past CES events for you? Curious to hear what stood out to you.

The National Assembly passed a bill aiming to protect young minds from mental health risks, sleep disruption, and manipulative algorithms that dominate platforms today. This is one of the boldest moves in tech policy in years. I see this as the first serious step against the attention-extracting, algorithm-driven world we have built... Kids deserve spaces where they can grow without being gamified, monetised, or manipulated... Sure, tech will try to work around it, but the message is clear - childhood isn’t for likes and shares I’ve long thought digital wellbeing needed teeth, and this finally has some. Expect debates, pushback, but also innovation in safer online experiences for teens 💝

I’ve only been paying close attention to exoskeletons for about half a year, and [I came across an article that I found pretty interesting. It compares two consumer exoskeletons, Hypershell and Dnsys](https://www.wired.com/story/story/we-raced-exoskeletons-and-theres-one-clear-winner/) The article says: >Chris Haslam, one of WIRED’s crack product reviewers enlisted for this test, has a 76-year-old father with one titanium hip. Chris’ dad was able to use an exoskeleton to climb a hill without his usual breather at the halfway point. Chris, however—a healthy, active 48-year-old—found them more of a hindrance than a help That contrast says a lot. These devices clearly aren’t for everyone yet. If you’re young and fit, they don’t seem to add much. But for older people, they already feel genuinely useful For something that not long ago felt experimental, this seems to be moving faster than I expected. I can honestly see exoskeletons becoming a normal part of aging, maybe haha

What are your wildest ideas when you imagine olfactive experiences in the future?

There’s a sense in which the future is created by what we do now. There’s also a sense in which the future creates what we do now (or at least how we imagine the future). Do you agree with both statements equally?

I was just remembering this quote from a Feynman book. It's a reflection on his time working on the nuclear bomb, both in the moment and 40 years later. I think it's very interesting to peak into the mind of someone working on this world changing and destructive technology. These days, we hear this and that about what AI is going to be. Perhaps, even those working closest with the technology, don't have any idea what the future might actually look like. And perhaps we should keep making bridges, at least for now. >I returned to civilization shortly after that and went to Cornell to teach, and my first impression was a very strange one. I can't understand it any more, but I felt very strongly then. I sat in a restaurant in New York, for example, and I looked out at the buildings and I began to think, you know, about how much the radius of the Hiroshima bomb damage was and so forth... How far from here was 34th street?... All those buildings, all smashed — and so on. And I would go along and I would see people building a bridge, or they'd be making a new road, and I thought, they're crazy, they just don't understand, they don't understand. Why are they making new things? It's so useless But, fortunately, it's been useless for almost forty years now, hasn't it? So I've been wrong about it being useless making bridges and I'm glad those other people had the sense to go ahead.

Please sort comments by 'new' to find questions that would otherwise be buried. In this thread you can ask any space related question that you may have. Two examples of potential questions could be; "How do rockets work?", or "How do the phases of the Moon work?" If you see a space related question posted in another subreddit or in this subreddit, then please politely link them to this thread. ​ Ask away!

I was born on this day a few hours after the tragedy, shall they never be forgotten

My kids go to Challenger Elementary/Middle School and today they had a presentation on the Challenger Disaster including the video. The Middle school kids laughed. Total disrespect as confirmed by my daughter (younger of the two). Makes me sad. This happened when I was 3. Okay the sad part is over but let’s get to the rest of the semi sad names. All the schools here are named after disasters. Chaffe Elementary. Ed White Middle School(no longer operational). Grissom High School(my son goes there next year). Columbia High School. Sad but still a part of the History of this town and I love it. Many in my family work/worked in space. Marshall Space Flight Center is where my grandfather worked for NASA and helped build the Saturn V. He was also the lead tech that single handedly saved the operation of the Apollo telescope mount for Skylab which was the first telescope to allow us to view our sun. Very cool to be born and raised in this Rocket City. Hope you guys enjoy my story.

Jupiter’s moon Europa is thought to harbour a saltwater ocean beneath a variously disrupted ice shell, and it is, thus, one of the highest priority astrobiology targets in the Solar System. Estimates of the ice-shell thickness range from 3 km to over 30 km, and observations by the Galileo spacecraft indicated widespread regions of ice disruption (chaotic terrain) leading to speculation that the ice shell may contain subsurface cracks, faults, pores or bubbles. If persistent, subsurface cracks could provide pathways for habitability by facilitating the transport of oxygen and nutrients between the surface and the ocean. Here we report on observations of Europa’s subsurface ice shell obtained by the Juno microwave radiometer in 2022. For the idealized case of pure water ice, the data are consistent with the existence of a thermally conductive ice shell with a thickness of 29 ± 10 km and with the presence of cracks, pores or other scatterers extending to depths of hundreds of metres below the surface with a characteristic size smaller than a few centimetres in radius. An ice-shell salinity of 15 mg kg−1, as indicated by models based on terrestrial marine ice, would reduce our estimate of the thickness of the ice shell by about 5 km, substantially less than our 10 km uncertainty. The low volume fraction, small size and shallow depth of the scatterers indicate that the fracture interfaces observed at Europa’s surface are alone unlikely to be capable of carrying nutrients between the surface and the ocean.

You can make glue with just one kitchen ingredient and water. 🧪✨ Alex Dainis explains how mixing flour with water hydrates the starches and proteins, creating a sticky substance called wheat paste. As it heats, gluten proteins begin to cross-link, helping the mixture bind materials together with surprising strength. To try it yourself, simmer 4 parts water to 1 part flour, then thin it with more water until it reaches your ideal consistency. This same science powers everything from wallpaper glue to papier maché, using nothing more than pantry staples. Just mix, simmer, and stick.

How do scientists search for life in the universe? 🧬 According to SETI Institute President & CEO Bill Diamond, there are three main approaches. One is to send missions like the Perseverance rover to explore other planets directly. Another uses telescopes to scan exoplanet atmospheres for chemical signs of life. The third is SETI, which searches for signals like radio waves or laser pulses that only advanced technology could produce. Together, these methods help us investigate one of the biggest questions in science: are we alone? Watch the full video with Bill Diamond, President & CEO of SETI Institute [on YouTube.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6r3VKjWxbY)

University of Pennsylvania researchers developed a plant-based antiviral chewing gum using FRIL protein from lablab beans, which traps viruses by binding to their envelope glycoproteins, reducing influenza A (H1N1, H3N2) and herpes simplex (HSV-1, HSV-2) loads in saliva by over 95% in lab tests, as detailed in a 2025 Molecular Therapy study. The gum's stability at room temperature for over 790 days and FDA-compliant formulation build on prior ACE2-based gum for SARS-CoV-2, now in human trials, enabling broad-spectrum oral viral debulking without pharmaceuticals. This innovation targets transmission hotspots like saliva during speech or coughing, potentially offering a low-cost preventive tool for flu seasons or outbreaks in schools and public spaces, pending clinical validation. Reference: “**Debulking influenza and herpes simplex virus strains by a wide-spectrum anti-viral protein formulated in clinical grade chewing gum**” by Henry Daniell, Yuwei Guo, Rahul Singh, Uddhab Karki, Rachel J. Kulchar, Geetanjali Wakade, Juha-Matti Pihlava, Hamid Khazaei and Gary H. Cohen, 10 December 2024, Molecular Therapy. # DOI: [10.1016/j.ymthe.2024.12.008](https://www.cell.com/molecular-therapy-family/molecular-therapy/fulltext/S1525-0016(24)00808-6?_returnURL=https%3A%2F%2Flinkinghub.elsevier.com%2Fretrieve%2Fpii%2FS1525001624008086%3Fshowall%3Dtrue)

So I’m a naturally curious guy and love to experiment. I’ve recently seen videos of people using magnets to generate electricity by using their reverse poles to make the machine they’re attached to spin. I figure that scientists have already known this, so why don’t we use it more? It appears to work the same way a wind turbine would, but on a smaller scale. Could it be a matter of resources and cost? Or is there a flaw in the design?

Out here trying to get kids interested in science, let me know what you think!