In this blog post, we’ll examine the concept of new towns in South Korea, their development objectives, advantages and limitations, and the direction new towns should take in the future.   Definition and Purpose of New Towns Bundang, Ilsan, Pangyo, Gwanggyo, Dongtan, and Songdo are some of South Korea’s most representative new towns. In addition to these, various new town and residential...

In this blog post, we’ll explore the concept of the hydraulic radius and the design principles for economical aqueducts in a simple and natural way through the story of ancient Roman aqueduct construction.   The Construction of Rome’s New City and Geon-hwan’s Dilemma Let’s go back to around 700 BCE and imagine ourselves as ancient Romans. Rome was planning to build a new city in a newly...

In this blog post, we’ll focus on the process of cellular respiration—which takes place in the cytoplasm and mitochondria—to explore how the food we eat is converted into ATP, the cell’s energy source.   Starting with an Everyday Question People eat three meals a day. Just as we call family members who eat together “family,” eating is one of the most routine activities in human life. We...

In this blog post, we’ll examine how the surfactants in detergents remove grease stains—which are difficult to remove with water alone—focusing on two key cleaning mechanisms: rolling-up and liquid crystal formation.   Why Can’t Grease Stains Be Removed With Water Alone? When something gets on our clothes, we usually rinse it off quickly with water, and if it doesn’t come clean with water...

In this blog post, we’ll explore just how important oil is to our daily lives and examine the process by which crude oil is refined and used as a raw material for various petrochemical products.   What would happen to the world if oil disappeared? What would happen to our world if everything related to oil were to disappear right now? Let’s imagine you step outside for a moment and find that...

In this blog post, we’ll examine the concept of spent nuclear fuel, the nuclear fuel cycle, fuel characteristics by reactor type, wet and dry interim storage methods, and the key challenges Korea faces in spent nuclear fuel management.   Spent Nuclear Fuel and the Nuclear Fuel Cycle Nuclear power continues to play a vital role in South Korea’s overall electricity production, accounting for...

In this blog post, we’ll explore the concept and characteristics of gas hydrates—commonly known as “burning ice”—their potential as an energy source, their distribution patterns, and the current status of exploration and development in South Korea and around the world.   What Is a Gas Hydrate? A gas hydrate is a solid crystal that resembles dry ice in appearance; it is a substance formed...

In this blog post, we’ll examine the characteristics and principles of body armor materials—from the earliest materials used to the high-performance fibers widely used today, and on to the next-generation materials that will drive future body armor technology.   History: Cotton Armor and Early Body Armor Materials The history of body armor is very long. In Korea, during the Joseon Dynasty...

In this blog post, we’ll explore the principles of motor control, the roles of encoders and PWM—key technologies in this field—and why motor control is so important in modern engineering.   Why is motor control important? Since the dawn of the 21st century, the scope of engineering has expanded significantly, and technological standards have become increasingly sophisticated. In particular...

In this blog post, I will explain the manufacturing methods and characteristics of microdevices used in bio-micro/nano-mechanics research in an easy-to-understand manner.   Mechanical Engineering and Bio-Micro/Nano Mechanics Beyond familiar fields such as hydrogen fuel cell vehicles and AI robots, mechanical engineering encompasses a wide range of areas—including mechanical design, robotics...