Features Table of Contents

June 2000

feature articles

hotfoot for the iron horse
Attempts are under way to bring U.S. rail service into the 21st century.

tools to die for
A national laboratory develops a process that may bring rapid prototyping several steps closer to production.

envisioning the outcome
No so long ago, the ability to design in three dimensions was considered innovative. Now, engineers can look forward to touching objects on a computer screen.

otto or not, here it comes
The dominant car-engine combustion process of the last century, the Otto cycle, is spawning variants—and in some instances, entirely new ignition schemes.

the ic's surprising birth
Teamwork ruled in the early chip days, but two researchers generally divide the honors as creators of the integrated circuit.

rent-a-power plant
A company aims to build itself a permanent place in the business of supplying temporary power.

forensic examination
Engineering software backs the plaintiff's case in a product lawsuit.