Guest Post by Dr. Robert Humphreys Just about anyone who has even a passing awareness of current events will have heard of the national priority to replace petroleum with renewable sources of energy as part of the vision to achieve “energy independence.” Biomass-derived fuels play a prominent role in the national plan. The United States Department of Energy (DOE) 2005 ... [Click to Continue...]

I just recently came across yet another article on how Six Sigma “killed” innovation at 3M (1).  A prominent business magazine ran a cover story on the same topic.  But guess what?  Sensational headlines grab readers attention, but what really “killed” innovation (even that’s debatable, 3M seems to be doing pretty well these days) was the inappropriate application of Six Sigma ... [Click to Continue...]

Guest Post by Dr. Robert Humphreys Readers who perform DIY repairs and projects around their homes will readily recognize a two-part epoxy adhesive dispenser. Epoxies are thermoset polymers that cure (crosslink) when a di- or multi-functional epoxy monomer reacts with a hardener. Many types of hardeners are used, depending on the desired properties of the cured epoxy, the ... [Click to Continue...]

Guest Post by Steve Erickson Recently, an elderly woman was the recipient of the first 3D-printed body part: a lower jaw replacement. Soon after, an American man made headlines for being one of the first recipients of a 3D-printed medical implant, with 75% of his skull replaced with a custom-made, printed implant. These stories hint at what is to come. With 3D printing of ... [Click to Continue...]

Guest Post by Dr. Robert Humphreys Depending on your age, chances are your parents, grandparents or great-grandparents made most of their telephone calls with a rotary-dial phone manufactured with Bakelite. It was heavy, came in black only, and was almost indestructible. If you have children or grandchildren under the age of 20, show them the image. Unless they watch “Leave it ... [Click to Continue...]