On 22 September, a train demonstrating magnetic levitation crashed on a 30-kilometer test stretch in northwest Germany near the Dutch border, killing 25 of the 29 people aboard. Though it was a freak accident—the train collided with a maintenance vehicle left on the track—it’s a setback for a technology that’s still struggling for acceptance in the court of public opinion. Manufactured by Transrapid International, a joint subsidiary of Siemens and ThyssenKrupp, this kind of maglev train has been deployed commercially only in Shanghai, where it connects the international airport with the center city.
How to Accelerate Wind Turbine Technology
A group in Germany outlines four key tests to get prototypes in the field sooner
03 Apr 2024
Microsoft Tests New Path to Reliable Quantum Computers
1,000 physical qubits for each logical one? Try a dozen, says Redmond
03 Apr 2024
Heat Pumps Go North
Advances could bring these energy-efficient devices to many more homes
03 Apr 2024
Fast-Track Your Sensor Research: Essential Tools for Accelerated Testing
Learn about essential tools for controlling and rapidly testing your sensor
03 Apr 2024
Satellite Radar Sharpens Ukraine Dam Collapse Questions
Archival data shows structure deteriorating before Russian invasion
03 Apr 2024
The Rise and Fall of 3M’s Floppy Disk
The high-profile creator of magnetic media gave it up nearly three decades ago
02 Apr 2024
Toyota’s Bubble-ized Humanoid Grasps With Its Whole Body
Robotic manipulation should be about more than just fingers
02 Apr 2024
Stuart Parkin Revolutionized Disk Drive Storage
The director of the Max Planck Institute developed spintronic technologies
01 Apr 2024
Blink to Generate Power for Smart Contact Lenses
A dual-mode power pack harvests energy from light and from tears
01 Apr 2024
Why L. Ron Hubbard Patented His E-Meter
The device was intended to put the science in Scientology
31 Mar 2024
IEEE Spectrum
FOR THE TECHNOLOGY INSIDER
Topics
More
For IEEE Members
For IEEE Members
Support IEEE Spectrum
IEEE Spectrum is the flagship publication of the IEEE — the world’s largest professional organization devoted to engineering and applied sciences. Our articles, podcasts, and infographics inform our readers about developments in technology, engineering, and science.
Support IEEE Spectrum
IEEE Spectrum is the flagship publication of the IEEE — the world’s largest professional organization devoted to engineering and applied sciences. Our articles, podcasts, and infographics inform our readers about developments in technology, engineering, and science.