News editor
We start the week with an event based around a subject that is, to be honest, starting to grate somewhat.
This Thursday the Royal Academy of Engineering hosts ‘Putting the E word into engagement’, a day described as being one of discussions and networking, with attendees debating the challenges and successes of good engagement with engineering.
They say, ‘We will be exploring why engineering engagement is important, if it is different to science engagement and the ways we can make it happen.’
They add that the event will feature talks from Ingenious projects, the grant scheme for creative public engagement with engineering projects.
This is, of course, all very laudable and just a little bit terrifying.
How so? Well, by the time you read this I should be on a beach somewhere east of the Bosphorus river. What, you rightly ask, has that got to do with anything?
The answer is very simple: I can predict at least seven events – from waking up in a warm, centrally heated house to disembarking from the flight – that wouldn’t have been possible without engineers.
These events will have been made possible by engineers working in sectors as diverse as communications, civil and structural, electrical and electronics, aviation, mechanical, computing and rail.
It beggars belief that the public needs to be made aware of the contribution made to their lives by engineers but, unfortunately, it seem that they do given that the common perception of an ‘engineer’ is essentially that of a handyman.
Apologies to the RAEng for hijacking their event in order to have a bit of a rant.
Energy next and two events that are guaranteed to polarise opinion.
First, the UK Environmental Law Association is hosting a meeting this Thursday where experts from the US will share lessons about developing hydraulic fracking to extract shale gas.
In the US shale gas is said to account for 23 per cent of domestic gas production, helping to bring about a fall in energy prices.
The Institute of Directors believe that by 2020, America’s shale gas industry will have created 3.6 million US jobs directly and through cheaper energy to the wider economy, particularly for manufacturing.
In the UK they believe shale gas could create 35,000 jobs and meet 10 per cent of the country’s gas demand for the next 103 years.
However, in 2011 fracking was identified as a possible cause of a small earthquake in Blackpool and the practise – which involves injecting water, sand and chemicals into the ground at high pressure to crack the shale rock and release trapped gas – has since been stopped, although this moratorium is expected to be lifted in early November.
Tomorrow sees the British Library host a TalkScience event entitled Sustainable energy for the 21st century: Can we ensure a bright future?
A panel of experts will consider Britain’s energy future, asking if technology itself is enough to provide a sustainable energy future, and whether it is possible to meet the government’s energy targets without using fossil fuels or nuclear power.
The panel includes Dr Kirk Shanks, lecturer in Energy Demand at Loughborough University; Prof Colin Snape, director of the Energy Technologies Research Institute at Nottingham University; Prof Phil Taylor, DONG Energy Chair in Renewable Energy at Durham University; and Daniel Crean, a PhD student at Sheffield University who is researching radioactive site remediation.
The Guardian’s environment correspondent Fiona Harvey will moderate the discussions.
Finally, today sees the start of Euronaval 2012 in Paris, France.
In a statement issued in July the organisers said the event ‘seeks to highlight innovations by French and international players in the naval sector and new technologies in what is a high-tech industry.’
They added that the 23rd Euronaval show will attract close to 400 exhibitors from 35 countries and trade visitors from 100 countries with increased participation from Germany, Brazil, Britain and Russia.
Only 7 events? Would you even be lacing up your (no doubt) fashionable shoes without automation in manufacture?
In the ’90’s The Engineering Council ran a number of schemes such as ‘Opening Windows on Engineering’ and ‘Neighbourhood Engineers’ which aimed to enlighten pupils about engineering as an interesting career choice. I always felt, even to those pupils who had no interest in it as a career, talking about the subject would make them realise how important it is.
When I visited schools to talk about my career, I went a lot further than Jason when he said he could think of at least seven events involving engineering prior to his pending trip! To help encourage interaction with the pupils I would offer a £10 note, sometimes a £20, to any pupil that could think of something between when they woke to when they got to school, that had nothing to do with engineering. This question did occasional get changed to “who can tell me anything that doesn’t involve engineering?” I nearly got caught out a couple of times (Should I name the school…? Suffice to say, it was in West Oxfordshire). One girl said “grass – that just grows and has nothing to do with engineering”! I looked out of the window at the playing field that had inspired her question and there in the distance was a large motor mower mowing the grass! Another girl said very loudly and abruptly “Sex”, much to the approval of the rest of the class. Now I did struggle with finding a connection there, but then I remembered a colleague who was a Rubber Technologist (thank you Diane D!) so then just had to check if they knew about contraception and the engineering involved in that!
Jason also mentions ingenuity. Our English language is partly to blame here for the lack of status for engineers in general. An Engineer in Mainland Europe is an Ingenieur (or variations thereof), which comes from the word ingenious, in Britain it comes from engine (which of course always was an ingenious device). The link to engines was clearly shown by the results of a survey conducted in the ‘90’s which asked the public to name a famous British Engineer. Answers expected were Brunel, Watt, Faraday or Stephenson, but top answer returned was Kevin Platt, the motor mechanic in Coronation Street!
So many people I know, and meet do not have a clue about engineering. If its not in their face, it doesn’t exist. To that end I think the engineering world missed a trick when the old London Power station became Tate Modern. To me it would have been the ideal place as a centre for alternative energy development. It’s perfect, there are tall chimneys on which to mount wind energy units, the Thames is close by for water energy, and there’s plenty of roof space for solar power. But hey ho, its now a great place to hang your pretty pictures.
Of course there are 1001 things that can be done to promote engineering and it needs to come from the top to do this. However, one thing stands out: the status of an engineer. The term engineer should be reserved (as it is in Germany, for degree qualified people.
Failing that, people will always associate an engineer with the bloke who fixes your washing machine. I cannot believe that an institution like the Royal Academy of Engineering cannot see that.
The lack of visibility of the role of engineer and the contribution they make to society is
perpetuated by the education system. The predominance of teachers who are a product of an incestuous cycle of school, teacher training and back to school, They have no idea and in many cases have no interest, in anything practical and often take pride in not being good at maths and science.
While the ultimate achievement for our teachers is to become a bastion of academia we will not produce students who are interested in engineering. Teachers end up not teaching that what they don’t know or are not interested in.
I like Roger Parks’ approach to inspiring students to think about Engineering, relating such to familiar objects and activities.
Whilst teaching at Coventry University and because I had told my Head of School that maths was not my strongest topic…he put me in charge of remedial maths for first years! In fact we had to call my module something else in case -according to the university ‘rules’ -the maths Department hijacked it: as the HoS said: Traditionally, Engineering students were taught by the worst lecturer in the Maths department who used the approach that ‘they are only engineers, doesn’t matter what they learn!’
I initiated a module using various aspects of daily life: sport, cooking, travel, data management, clothing etc to demonstrate various mathematical equations and concepts: and Mathematics in the bedroom was one area -springs in mattress subjected to various loadings, well I will not go on…but these were popular elements to my module. And I believe colleagues did find such improved the understanding of mathematical concepts in later years of study.
Is it too late for us Engineers? I spent last weekend with my brother-in-law: who was Chief Designer etc of one of the major Diesel Engine manufacturers: as he said at the time: the Falklands Task force would not have left port, let alone win a war 8,000 miles away without his firm’s contribution, But he was despondent that HMQ (comprised as it appears to be of Old Etonians, lawyers and arts graduates) will ever even start to understand what we do, let alone encourage us. We live in hopes.
Best
Mike B
At a conference on new materials in France recently, with 1600 attendees, chairmen of the sessions were each asked to select one of their presenters to go into a local school to give a half-hour talk to interest students in their subject. I’m sure this did a lot to raise the profile of engineering and its enthusiastic practitioners.
“It beggars belief that the public needs to be made aware of the contribution made to their lives by engineers but, unfortunately, it seem that they do given that the common perception of an ‘engineer’ is essentially that of a handyman.
well OC its simple really…
1: there’s more to the UK engineer than the south east you know, everyone knows the best are/were in the north west so get over there too.
2: its not only the NW student you should be trying to convince, its his/her dad pottering down the garden shed on his latest micro sat 3D printed designs for fun.
3: if theres no money to setup a real UK based web page populated FULL of every single latest and greatest UK uni etc engineering discovery made today
then dont be surprised when everyone thinks the US made all the real discoveries today…
engineering site examples being
http://phys.org/news/2012-11-discovery-future-high-demand-nanomaterials.html
http://www.photonics.com/
to name but two sites that massively advertise engineering break through s
where exactly are the UK sites, its only by chance i find this UK site… looking for UK Plasma Jet Electric Thrusters for Spacecraft info as it happens.
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2027072188/plasma-jet-electric-thrusters-for-spacecraft?ref=users
the UK uni’s and copanies NEED to be far more proactive in pushing all UK innovations including nano,space, and real world graphene/buckyball practical innovations as relates to photonics electronics etc ASAP.
to add if you want to see a reminder of benefits of the British engineer/scientist you apparently need to take Caltech lecture classes in the US these days they appreciate the many UK engineers from here… search for and see “The Mechanical Universe”
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=949035002599580195