When an inventor has a unit of measurement named after him, it's clear his work had more than a small impact on scientific and industrial progress. So it was for James Watt, whose Watt engine is often ...

Technology tends to have a way of becoming smaller as it evolves. The ever-convenient microchip and lithium-ion battery serve in tandem as the brains of so many devices today, and their sleek and ...

If you enjoyed this article, I’d like to ask for your support. Scientific American has served as an advocate for science and industry for 180 years, and right now may be the most critical moment in ...

ONE of the most interesting chapters in the history of the steam engine is that relating to the Cornish pumping engine. Early in the eighteenth century, Newcomen engines were installed for pumping at ...