Aerospace
SR-72 "Son of Blackbird" in 2026: Is It Real? The Evidence
No evidence the SR-72 has flown. We weigh Lockheed's filings, $1.8B in unnamed classified losses, and TBCC limits to assess its 2026 status.
Engineering
Solar
Flat Roof Solar Calculator: Panel Layout & Energy Output
Estimate flat-roof solar layouts and energy output using roof dimensions, local sunlight and current or speculative efficiencies.
Industry
Inert-Anode Chemistry and the ELYSIS Smelter in Québec: Can Alcoa and Rio Tinto Deliver Carbon-Free Aluminum by 2027
ELYSIS proved inert-anode smelting at 450 kA in 2025. Whether Rio Tinto's 2027 Arvida plant follows is the harder question.
Biomaterials
Can You Make Bioplastics in a Home Workshop? Eight Polymer Families, Numeric Recipes, Under $600 of Tooling
Eight bio-polymer families, 24 numeric recipes, under $600 of tooling. Drying energy costs $3 to $6 per kg, usually more than the polymer itself.
DIY
Off-Grid ESP32 Flood-Stage Sensor: Cutting Standby From 20 mA to Under 100 µA on a $70 Solar Node
Full open-hardware build: ultrasonic stage sensing, LiFePO4 pack, and the dev-board parasitic draw that wastes 89% of a node's daily energy.
Space
Rocket Lab Neutron Strategic Technical Assessment: Archimedes Engine, Reusable Rocket Architecture, 2026 Launch Timeline, Market Position, and Key Risks
A strategic technical assessment of Rocket Lab’s Neutron rocket, covering Archimedes, reusability, launch timing, competitors, and risks.
DIY
Century-Lifespan Consumer Products: What Reliability Physics, Aviation Precedent, and Repair Law Say About 100-Year Electronics
No consumer electronic has lasted a century. Reliability physics, aviation PMA precedent, and EU repair law define what 100-year design needs.
Aerospace
Leonardo AW609 Tiltrotor: Powered-Lift Certification Status, Order Book Quality, and the Investment Case
The AW609 holds no FAA type certificate as of July 2026. Inside its powered-lift path, seven firm orders, and materiality to Leonardo.
Computing
Gamification of Optimisation for Operations Research: Do Human-Computation Games and Learned Solvers Beat Classical Methods?
Foldit and AlphaTensor produce real science, but classical operations-research solvers still win at industrial scale.
DIY
HorizonSight 360° a Helmet-Integrated Rear-Awareness AR and Mission-Control Vision System
HorizonSight 360 gives a helmeted operator eyes in the back of their head, and gives their team eyes everywhere at once.
DIY
Free Open Source Compact Car (FOSCC): Build a Street-Legal DIY Car From Salvage Parts for Under $10,000
Open-hardware plans for a street-legal DIY compact car: salvaged 4-cylinder powertrain on a builder-welded steel frame for under $10,000.
Engineering
Helical Piles and Screw Foundations: Capacity, Corrosion, and Cost
Helical piles, ground screws, and adjustable piers: load transfer, torque-to-capacity, corrosion, and cost against concrete.