Mixing, blending, and segregation are routinely practiced across a wide spectrum of industries, but how many engineers are relying on hunch and inherited practices instead of hard science? Far too many, according to expert Eric Maynard of Jenike & Johanson. Read on for his observations and insights into these common processes.

The “What in the World” (WITW) program for fifth and sixth graders was started in 1996 by the Lancaster and Lebanon (PA) Science and Technology Alliance (LLSTA). I have personally been involved with it for the last five years. This vocational program is designed to help students understand why they need to study and do well in math and science.

The Frankfurt Auto Show earlier this month showed a wide range of electric cars, from small and affordable to high-powered sports and luxurious sports cars. Two noteworthy newcomers stood out. Students at Germany's Technische Universität München presented the Mute, a concept car with an light frame of aluminum and plastic.

Demi (aka Solar Demi), who comes from a very small village in the Philippines, came up with a solution to bring light to his village by turning a soda bottle into a light bulb.

With the rising cost of energy and increased government oversight of greenhouse gas emissions, reducing energy consumption is a key topic for chemical engineers. Christianto Wibowo, principal engineer at ClearWaterBay Technology, talks about ways to manage energy consumption in chemical plants.

Researchers at Rice University have announced a nanotechnology success that could play a significant role in making renewable energy more practical and could contribute to many electrical applications where weight is a factor. The breakthrough: researchers have created carbon nanotubes that are approaching electrical conductivities seen in metal wires, a goal that has been pursued since the 1980s.

Maria K. Burka, 2011 AIChE President and Program Director, Process and Reaction Engineering (National Science Foundation), will be giving a plenary lecture at the 12th Annual Mediterranean Congress of Chemical Engineering in Barcelona, Spain.

There's a long list of things I learned in school, and I am grateful for all of that knowledge. It makes me the stellar employee that I am today, but there are a few things that I have learned in the real world that I really wish they would have clued me in on before releasing me out into the world.

This month, CEP looks at measuring temperature by direct contact, solids and fluids handling, eye protection, and much more. Read on for a full-article preview and more about this month's issue.

Have you noticed how Google decorated their logo today? Google's citrus-themed logo sports two oranges, some other citrus fruits, and a harvest-friendly font. Why? Today is the 118th birthday of the Nobel-prize-winning biochemist Albert von Szent-Györgyi de Nagyrápolt.

Szent-Györgyi was a Hungarian-born biochemist and the first to isolate vitamin C and his research on biological oxidation formed the foundation for Krebs' citric acid cycle.