More than 14,000 scientists attended the 244th National Meeting and Exposition of the American Chemical Society in August, and many discovered a new insulating material so lightweight it has been called “solid smoke” and so strong that a thick piece can support the weight of an automobile. The flexible aerogel, the world’s lightest solid material [...]

This year’s 2012 American Solar Car Challenge matched college teams of solar vehicle designers against one another on a 1,650-mile, eight-day journey powered only by the sun. The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Mich., Quantum vehicle won four of the five stages of this amazing race with the fastest times—in part because of its lightweight, [...]

In mountainous regions of northern Ethiopia, rainfall is scarce and water hard to find, store and carry back to villages dependent on livestock and agriculture. Architecture and Vision, an international architecture and product design studio of Arturo Vittori and Andreas Vogler, found a better way to provide clean water. The WarkaWater, a nine-meter bamboo tower [...]

A “super derecho” blew a new weather term into common parlance in June 2012, when a long-lived 700-mile series of rainstorms with up to 91mph straight-line winds tore through the midwest and mid-Atlantic regions. Over 12 hours, winds flattened trees, collapsed power poles and turned awnings on many small businesses inside out. When Berges Trenton [...]

[North Carolina State University College of Design] Raleigh, N.C. A drab, unfinished parking ramp provided the inspiration for a team of professors in the College of Design at North Carolina State University to launch a competition among their students. The winning entry was a 15-panel mural called “The Fantastic Sky Race” that fuses images of [...]

Visionary companies often reach for the stars. Sky-Scan, a Nashua, N.H., company that creates digital planetariums and full-dome theaters, sought to capture space marvels and bring them indoors to an eager public. To capture more of the market for full-immersion theater experiences, Sky-Scan partnered with architects of mobile membrane domed structures at Zendome GmbH, Berlin, [...]

A three-generational take on the Wm. J. Mills & Co. family business. By Sigrid Tornquist As ATA celebrates its 100th anniversary, it’s clear that the association is only as strong as its members. For more than 100 years, many current member companies have been shaping their businesses, the association and the industry. Changes in the [...]

Aspirations by Enduratex™ combines style and performance, featuring a lighter weight and excellent drape, translating into superior tailorability. The color palette is designed especially for the hospitality and health care markets, featuring colors that are popular today as well as the new trends for tomorrow. Both attractive and utilitarian, Aspirations faux leather offers extraordinary hand [...]

Retired billboards can have second or third lives as proved by Repurposed Materials Inc. The company’s entire product line is made of repurposed items. Billboards, for instance, have been reused as hockey rink and pond liners, summer slides for children, outdoor movie screens and to cover straw bales, building materials and structures.

Paradigm Imaging Group, a distributor of large-format scanning and printing solutions, tradeshow displays and graphics, has signed an agreement with Mutoh America Inc. to distribute its ValueJet line of large format printers. Paradigm Imaging Group will focus on expanding Mutoh’s presence on the west coast.