Steam engines, believe it or not, have been around for over 300 years. In England in 1698, Thomas Savery patented the first working steam engine—this was a simple machine that utilized the ...

The steam engine's story involves ingenuity and collaboration. Hero of Alexandria's early device showed steam's potential. Thomas Savery's engine pumped water from mines. James Watt improved ...

As the liquid turns to gaseous nitrogen at around -196 C, [The Action Lab] figured that it could be used to propel a simple steam engine at room temperature. Testing this out had amusing results.