In 1712, an English inventor and ironmonger invented the first atmospheric engine, creating a machine that used steam and atmospheric pressure to pump water from mines. Thomas Newcomen developed the ...

When an inventor has a unit of measurement named after him, it's clear his work had more than a small impact on scientific and industrial progress. So it was for James Watt, whose Watt engine is often ...

This video follows an attempt to recreate Hero of Alexandria’s steam engine from raw materials and see whether it could do practical work. The build runs into sealing problems, friction, steam loss, ...