Reverbiage: Stories from NPR tagged 'engines'

Verizon Wireless Chooses Internet Search Provider

Thu, 08 Jan 2009 05:31:00 EST

Microsoft has scored a victory against Google. The two had been vying to become the default Internet search provider for Verizon's mobile phones. Verizon announced Wednesday that Microsoft is the winner. Microsoft also announced it reached a similar search engine agreement with Dell Inc. Both deals boost Microsoft's position in the competitive world of search engines and advertising.

Hospital Industry Braces For Tough Times

Sat, 03 Jan 2009 14:31:00 EST

The health care industry has been one of the strongest engines of the economy recently, adding jobs as other industries cut them. But there's growing evidence hospitals are not so immune to the recession.

NASA Looks To Past To Build New Moon Rovers

Thu, 01 Jan 2009 16:00:00 EST

Some parts are easier to come by than others. Take the three original lunar rovers. They're still on the moon, and so are their tires — which posed a problem for NASA scientists trying to re-create the moon tires for a new lunar mission. No one at NASA remembered how they were built, and the instructions had been lost. But it turns out that a spare was closer to home, stored for 40 years in the closet of the engineer who designed the original moon buggy. NASA is using it to build new ones. Jeff St. Clair reports from member station WKSU .

A Bent For Building, From Father To Daughter

Fri, 12 Dec 2008 01:57:00 EST

In some families, a specific talent seems to be passed down through the generations. That could be the case for Ledo Lucietto and his daughter Anne, who share a passion for mechanical engineering.

Does Google Violate Its 'Don't Be Evil' Motto...

Wed, 26 Nov 2008 00:01:00 EST

As Internet search engine Google has exploded in popularity — adding new applications all the time — it also has sparked concerns about privacy, security and censorship online. A group of experts recently debated Google's merits and flaws in an Intelligence Squared U.S. debate.

Dog Crashes Van Into Coffee House

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 06:00:00 EST

We don't know if Bentley was a little groggy, or if the dog really wanted a cup of coffee. We do know that Bentley crashed a van into the front of the Cool Beanz coffee shop in St. James, N.Y. No criminal charges were filed against Bentley. The owner left Bently in the van with the engine running. To the dog's credit, Bentley injured no one when the vehicle got knocked into drive, although some patio furniture is history.

Stem Cells Used In Woman's Windpipe Transplant

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 14:26:00 EST

The pioneering operation used a section of windpipe engineered in a laboratory with adult human stem cells. Engineering new tissues and organs from stem cells has long been sought as a solution to overcome a chronic shortage of donor organs.

Toyota Cuts North American Production

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 06:00:00 EST

The world's biggest automaker says it will stop production at all U.S. and Canadian factories for two days next month. Toyota's assembly, transmission and engine plants will close in late December as the company tries to work through excess inventory. The Japanese carmaker is in much better financial shape than its U.S. rivals, but sales of Toyota's vehicles also are plunging.

Ravi Coltrane: Live At The Village Vanguard

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 13:40:00 EST

He's descended from jazz royalty, and he wears it with pride. But the saxophonist has engineered his own modern and thoroughly personal approach to improvisation. Hear Ravi Coltrane's working quartet perform live at the Vanguard.

How To Have A Water Balloon Fight ... In Space

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 10:00:00 EST

Mechanical engineers Seth Lichter and Mark Weislogel wondered what would happen if they popped water balloons aboard NASA's low-gravity aircraft. Aside from the "fun-factor," as Weislogel puts it, the results demonstrate some basic principles of physics.

Turning Beer Into Wine, One Gene At A Time

Fri, 07 Nov 2008 17:22:00 EST

A group of Rice University students is taking a chemical found in red wine and genetically engineering it into beer. They hope their new Biobeer will bring the health benefits of wine to a broader range of people.

Genetic Engineering Conference Kicks Off At MIT

Fri, 07 Nov 2008 13:36:00 EST

Eighty-four teams of students from 21 countries are gathering at MIT to compete in the International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) competition. The teams have been working since the summer to construct biological machine systems — and operate them within living cells.

'Repo!' Opera: A Genetically Enhanced Hit...

Thu, 06 Nov 2008 17:49:00 EST

Darren Lynn Bousman thinks his "genetic opera" has the potential to be the next Donnie Darko or Rocky Horror Picture Show. But can you engineer a cult classic? Or is it only fans who can decide what's worthy of devotion?

How 6 Parts Nearly Delayed World's Biggest Airliner

Sat, 01 Nov 2008 00:56:00 EDT

In a global economy, an airplane's production can be threatened by events thousands of miles away. Here's how six pieces of metal almost cost one engineer half a million dollars and held up production of the largest passenger plane in history.

Iraq Seeking Doctors To Rebuild Health System

Fri, 31 Oct 2008 11:00:00 EDT

The war in Iraq has driven out much of the country's intellectual capital, including engineers, administrators and doctors. The health care system has been hit particularly hard, and the Health Ministry is offering high pay and protection to help bring doctors back to local Iraqi hospitals.

Sex, Gender Equality In New Girl Talk Album

Wed, 29 Oct 2008 16:51:00 EDT

Gregg Gillis is a Pittsburgh DJ and musical mixologist who was known only by his stage name, Girl Talk, until his music took off and he could quit his day job as a biomedical engineer. Often, music by mixologists sounds esoteric, but that could hardly be claimed of Girl Talk's latest mashup album, Feed the Animals.

Neil Halstead's 'Mighty' Soft Songs

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 10:19:00 EDT

In a session with David Dye, Neil Halstead of Slowdive and Mojave 3 performs songs from his latest solo album, Oh! Mighty Engine. The British singer's soft, introspective style matches the charming stories in his songs.

Vienna Teng On Mountain Stage

Thu, 09 Oct 2008 16:01:00 EDT

Teng did a complete turnaround when she opted out of a lucrative career as a software engineer in the Silicon Valley to pursue music. Classically trained on the piano, Teng evokes Chopin, while her voice brings to mind Sarah McLachlan and Tori Amos.

Learning How Stuff Works From The 'Factory Floor'

Thu, 02 Oct 2008 12:04:00 EDT

Marshall Brain, an engineer-turned-TV-host, takes viewers behind the scenes to see what goes into producing common consumer products — from tennis balls, to escalators, to frozen pizza. His show "Factory Floor" airs on The National Geographic Channel.

Fossett's Plane Found A Year After Crashing

Thu, 02 Oct 2008 11:26:00 EDT

Searchers have turned up the wreckage of adventurer Steve Fossett's airplane in California's Inyo National Forest. Fossett vanished more than a year ago while flying a single-engine plane from Nevada. A hiker said he'd found ID cards and a pilot's license with Fossett's name, leading to the latest search. Fossett's remains have not been found.

Calif. Passes Ban On Train Operators' Cell Phone Use

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 16:33:00 EDT

Federal investigators say a Metrolink commuter train engineer was sending text messages when he ran a stop signal and slammed into an oncoming freight train. It has prompted California to pass a temporary ban on train operators from using their cell phones while on the job.

Intervention In Markets Radical, Sudden

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 16:13:00 EDT

In a few short weeks, the federal government has engineered huge bailouts of some of the biggest names in American finance. Regardless of one's perspective, it's a radical and sudden change in the relationship between business and government.

Rove: Palin Solid Choice, McCain's Demeanor Better

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 06:00:00 EDT

The man who engineered President Bush's victories is offering his view of this campaign. Karl Rove tells the Associated Press that Sarah Palin's extreme celebrity won't last until the election. He still praises the choice, and also says John McCain's demeanor has improved. Back in 2000, the campaign against McCain included questions about his fierce temper. Now Rove says McCain is calmer than in 2000, when he was "a little bit of a hothead."

Canadian Citizen Imprisoned By US Speaks Out

Wed, 17 Sep 2008 16:38:00 EDT

Maher Arar, a telecommunications engineer with dual Canadian and Syrian citizenship, was detained during a stop-over in JFK Airport in 2002 and deported to a Syrian prison, where he was locked up and beaten for almost a year.

Metrolink Spokeswoman Resigns Over Comments

Mon, 15 Sep 2008 16:40:00 EDT

Metrolink's spokeswoman has resigned after coming under fire from her superiors for revealing that the engineer failed to stop at the red light in last Friday deadly crash. A smaller number of commuters than usual returned to the Los Angeles' commuter rail line Monday.