Science and Technology

Thomas Keyser will become the dean of the Illinois State University new engineering college in April. He currently serves as dean of the College of Engineering, Technology, and Management at the Oregon Institute of Technology.

Scientists at the Peoria Ag Lab have been working to develop a healthier alternative to butter. They want to replace saturated fats with plant-based and other natural oils that mimic the taste and texture of butter.

The Town of Normal is making Smart Cities technology a big priority. The City of Bloomington has been less vocal on that front, but also is leveraging new tech. Smart Cities technology, broadly defined, is supposed to make city operations smoother for the public and more efficient for the municipality.

City Manager Pam Reece said the Vision Zero-Go Safe Plan to eliminate auto collisions with walkers and bikers is one the themes to emerge from a recent strategic planning session.

Rivian produced 7,363 electric vehicles during the third quarter of the year, according to a company news release. That's a 67% step-up from the prior three-month period, and more than six times the number produced in the first quarter of 2022.

A piece of digital art that won a prize at the Colorado State Fair has reignited an old furor over what art is and how artists create in an authentic way.

Illinois State University researcher Elizabeth Kosuth said a survey of 800 McLean County seniors showed older people have a wide range of expertise and comfort with computers.

A chemical and agricultural behemoth has bought a St. Louis-based startup company that works closely with Illinois State University, where researchers have worked to domesticate the weed pennycress into a cover crop and oil seed plant dubbed CoverCress.

For years, conservationists have promoted cover crops as ways to fix nitrogen in the soil and prevent soil erosion. Farmers haven't been leaping for joy because it costs money and labor to plant and then to scrape the cover crop off the field in time for spring planting. Incentives to plant cover crops through conservation grants barely offset that.

A McLean County stargazer is over the moon about the first images released from the James Webb Space Telescope, millions of light years beyond the moon. The telescope launched at Christmas and until now has gone through startup routines and tests. It's now ready to do the science.