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The article reports on the survey of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) regarding how engineers apply sustainability in their workflow. The author mentions that 62 percent of respondents says that their organizations are interested in designs that use less energy, while 35 percent are focused on designs that reduce materials waste. He states that engineers also refer cost as a primary impediment in implementing sustainability practices. The author adds that 40 percent of the respondents picked regulatory requirements for sustainable investments.

The article discusses the revival of the steam engine design in some of engineering projects across the U.S. in 2009. One of designers who resort the use of steam engine design is William Gould who is based in San Diego, California, and is attempting to revive the exact engineering detail and color of the 1879 Mason Bogie locomotive. Gould shares that he uses CAD technology in order to design similar with such engineered objects from the past. Aside from Gould, Kinetic Steam Works has also restored a steamship which will be used as an artistic excursion in the Hudson River.

The article profiles Rob Burchett, an associate at Técnico. Armed with a caliper and tape measure and assistance from his colleagues, Burchett measured components then created a digital model of the entire U.S. Navy's Hyperbaric Diving Simulation Facility (DSF), from the outer geometry to the electrical part and pipes within and even the knobs and dials on the control panels. With a degree in mechanical engineering, he was skilled in parametric three-dimension (3D) computer-aided design (CAD) modeling with packages such as Pro/ENGINEER and SolidWorks.

Two letters to the editor are presented in response to the articles in previous issues including "Designing for Keeps," and one article related to heirloom design by Saul Griffith in the September, 2009 issue.

The article announces the launching of the Innovation Transfusion Program by the U.S. National Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA). Under the program, employees of NASA's payroll can spend one year working in high-technology environments outside the agency where they can offer their expertise and ideas. It also supports innovation workshops between NASA and external organizations that have novel approaches for addressing problems of interest to the agency. It reveals that the program is available online at http://ipp.nasa.gov.ii_transfusion.htm.