Adhesives are all around us, holding together our walls, furniture, cars, electronics and packaging. In nature, adhesives are used by shellfish for sticking themselves to rocks, by algae and bacteria for making slimes on outside surfaces, and by insects and geckos when they crawl up walls. We are learning how…

Purdue is often called the “Cradle of Astronauts” for a good reason: The university has graduated 27 U.S. astronauts, including Neil Armstrong, the first person to step on the Moon’s surface. Nearly one-third of all U.S. spaceflights have included a Purdue graduate, and 11 missions have included multiple Purdue alumni…

Assured autonomy is rapidly gaining traction in U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) circles. The term broadly relates to how to put security into autonomous operations. Assurance will encourage people to adopt autonomous systems, and reduce societal harm from insecure autonomous systems. We talked with experts at the Army Research Laboratory…

Glaucoma is a group of eye conditions characterized by damage to the optic nerve, which transmits visual information from the eye to the brain. The cause is elevated intraocular pressure (IOP). Often referred to as the “silent thief of sight,” it can lead to progressive vision loss with no early…

Online learning is on the upswing, owing to the unique opportunities it provides to many kinds of learners. At Purdue, for example, enrollment in credit-bearing and professional development engineering online programs has quadrupled over the past five years. Some programs saw an even greater increase — our master’s degree program…

Smart grid refers to the use of information technology to make the power grid “smart.” For example, we can use sensors and communication infrastructure to monitor the voltages and currents in different locations of the grid for more precise control. In addition, a smart grid enables dynamic pricing of electric…

“Uncertainty is the only certainty there is, and learning how to live with insecurity is the only security,” American mathematician John Allen Paulos wrote in his book A Mathematician Plays the Stock Market. Uncertainties abound everywhere, and come from myriad sources. We think data-driven tools can help professionals in any…

Construction engineering and management is an oft-overlooked competency that is rising in prominence as we confront the enormous infrastructure rebuild needs of the United States and advance green-building strategies for a sustainable future. Theodore “Ted” Weidner is an experienced hand in the field, with decades as a facilities and construction…

Aging infrastructure is a worldwide challenge, and the United States is no exception. The 2021 report card from the American Society for Civil Engineering (ASCE) gave America’s infrastructure a C- for condition and performance. This poor grade is the result of an infrastructure that continues to deteriorate with age, increased…