THE steam engine was one of the greatest inventions of the 18th century, establishing Britain as the leader of the Industrial Revolution. Although many are credited with aiding the development of the ...

The introduction of several advanced, efficient, and more robust power options over the years has largely overshadowed steam engine technology. However, it was a revolutionary technology that, upon ...

Technology tends to have a way of becoming smaller as it evolves. The ever-convenient microchip and lithium-ion battery serve in tandem as the brains of so many devices today, and their sleek and ...

Greek engineer Hero of Alexandria designs the first steam engine; it has a pedestal, an altar, and a rotating ball—but no practical use. French inventor Denis Papin builds a cooker that traps steam ...

If engineering choices a hundred years ago had been only slightly different, we could have ended up in a world full of steam engines rather than internal combustion engines. For now, though, steam ...