ECE’s Role in BRAIN Science

You may have heard the saying, “humans only use 10% of their brains,” and although this myth has been widely disproven, our understanding of the complex nature and functionalities of the human brain only goes so far. With nearly 100 billion neurons and 100 trillion connections, the human brain is still one of the greatest […]

Multiplication by Divisions

Fuel cell use could be one of the best ways to mitigate climate change—fuel cells work like batteries, provide efficient power and don’t emit air pollutants. But there are multiple barriers in research and development before they will be available to a commercial market.

Professor Soumendra Basu (ME, MSE) has been working on fuel cells, but, along with everyone else, was stymied by one of those barriers: the material used on the cell’s cathode was unstable and subject to decomposition. For help, he reached out to Professor Karl Ludwig in the Physics Department.

A Picture-Perfect Look at How Electrical Activity Travels through the Brain

Brain cells function using rapid electrical impulses, a process that underlies our thoughts, behavior, and perception of the world. Yet, for a long time, it’s been challenging for scientists to see exactly how individual neurons work together in larger circuits.

Now, a new technique reported in Nature finally gives the clearest picture ever of brain cell activity. Using a voltage-sensing molecule that fluorescently lights up when brain cells are electrically active, researchers at Boston University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have shown that they can see the activity of many more individual neurons than before as they fire inside the brains of mice.

College Hosts Conference with Higher Education Outreach Program Leaders

BU leads NSF-funded research on program outcomes

The College of Engineering hosted a three-day, National Science Foundation (NSF)—funded conference as part of an early-concept grant for exploratory research (EAGER) from September 23-25 that gathered 37 university outreach administrators, K-12 administrators, university students, educational researchers, and evaluators to discuss ambassador-based, K-12 outreach programs.

Floating to the Top

Imagineering Lab puts on model ship building competition

Ship building is not part of the College of Engineering curriculum, but several teams of students waded into those waters last month when they built model ships and tested them in a competition on the Charles River.

The College of Engineering Announces Three Distinguished Faculty Fellows

Associate Professor James C. Bird (ME, MSE) will be the inaugural holder of the Theo de Winter Distinguished Faculty Fellow, Associate Professor Ahmad ‘Mo’ Khalil (BME) will be the next holder of the Dorf-Ebner Distinguished Faculty Fellow and Associate Professor Bobak Nazer (ECE, SE) will be the next holder of the College of Engineering Distinguished Faculty Fellow.