That 3-D data then got plugged into a solid-modeling program where engineering parameters such as material, thickness and structure were assigned to the shape.

FORBES: Easy Designer

He got a degree in Electrical Engineering with a focus in solid state circuits from the University of Alexandria.

FORBES: Constantin Delivanis' Voyage from Alexandria to Mountain View

Lilliputian's engineering miracle was in designing a tiny solid-oxide fuel cell that instead of melting everything in its vicinity is merely warm to the touch.

FORBES: Pip-squeak Power Plant

The team of Professor Keon Jae Lee from the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, KAIST has developed a high performance flexible all-solid-state battery, an essential energy source for flexible displays (see paper in Nano Letters: "Bendable Inorganic Thin-Film Battery for Fully Flexible Electronic Systems").

ENGADGET: Korean scientists solve flexible battery riddle (video)

And the important thing is that you have a good, solid background in the technical fields -- the science, the technology, the engineering and the math -- to build on that, because once everyone comes and is selected as an astronaut, we all train generically for space flight, and then we train specifically for our mission.

WHITEHOUSE: President Obama's call to the International Space Station

Typically an innovation index will use solid, reliable and traditional metrics like numbers of patents registered, number of third and fourth level maths and engineering graduates leaving university, and the existence of industry clusters.

FORBES: Why America Is Second Best With Its Innovation Culture