The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine are private, nonprofit institutions that provide expert advice on some of the most pressing challenges facing the nation and world. Our ...

Every engineer is going to have a bad day, but only an unlucky few will have a day so bad that it registers on a seismometer. We’ve always had a morbid fascination with engineering mega-failures, few ...

If you’re in manufacturing, it may feel like disruption is happening faster than you can react to it. Skills shortages and supply chain issues are threatening production targets and profitability. New ...

Grappling with all the uncertainty, the epidemiologist’s role during the pandemic proved confusingly complex. A more pragmatic, problem-solving mindset might help in making good decisions. The last 20 ...

Guru Madhavan is the Norman R. Augustine Senior Scholar and senior director of programs at the National Academy of Engineering. His new book is Wicked Problems: How to Engineer a Better World (W.W.