Are Self‑Driving Cars Safe Enough for Public Roads?

 Autonomous vehicles (AVs) are no longer a future fantasy in 2025, but a real-world phenomenon on roads in San Francisco, Phoenix, and Shanghai. They promise to transform transportation by mitigating human error, optimizing traffic flow, and opening doors for the disabled. But their increasing presence raises a question: Are these vehicles safe enough for use on public roads? High-profile accidents, such as the 2018 Uber fatality that happened to a pedestrian in Arizona, and more recent ones involving Waymo and Cruise cars, have led to public mistrust. This post explores the safety of autonomous cars, analyzing the scientific research into their behavior, the problems they face, and why it is necessary to know about them to determine the future of transportation.

Is Nuclear Energy the Answer to Our Climate Crisis— or a Risk We Can’t Afford?

Countries around the world are trying to reduce greenhouse gas emissions without hurting their economies. As a result, more people are talking about a possible “nuclear comeback.” Supporters say nuclear power is reliable and produces almost no carbon emissions. Critics, however, worry about past disasters like Chernobyl and Fukushima, as well as the high cost of building new plants. With opinions divided, the big question is: could new nuclear reactors help fight climate change, or are they a costly and risky distraction from safer options?

Can Nuclear Energy Solve the Climate Crisis?

 As the energy demand rises, the world heats up, and nonrenewable energy sources appear less fruitful in the eyes of society, nuclear power has been explored by many countries as an option to expand their energy network. The world is divided on this topic though, mainly due to some concerning challenges with implementation of nuclear facilities [1]. This sparks the debate, can nuclear energy solve the climate crisis?

Is 3D Printing Overhyped in Engineering and the Public?

  Imagine a technology that could literally create something out of nothing. This is exactly how people viewed 3D printers when they burst onto the scene 15 years ago. People were amazed by 3D printers and they became extremely popular. Since then, they have become increasingly attainable and affordable [1], with many schools and universities having 3D printers for their students to use (Fig. 1). More technically sophisticated 3D printers have also made their way into niche sectors, such as the production of airplane parts and even the construction of houses [2], [3]. 

Are Visual Effects Getting Too Real for Comfort?

In a hyper-realist cinematic universe of AI-generated faces, digital clones, and simulated reality, the binary between reality and simulation has never been less in focus. From the deserts of Dune that scorch to the digital re-emergence of the stars in Star Wars, today's visual effects (VFX) now replicate reality so well that amateur audiences can no longer tell what's real and what's not. That goggle-eyed leap is inspiring, though it also poses an unsettling question: have we passed the point beyond which VFX is too real to be reassuring?