Engineers are Professional Problem-Solvers
Abstract
CONASTA 53 – Canberra 26-30 September 2004
Annual Conference of the Australian Science Teachers Association
"Engineers are Professional Problem-Solvers"
How is it that people daily use their community’s physical infrastructure such as buildings, roads, pipes, electricity, communications (to mention a few) and not think about how it all works and who made it so? How can we daily use mechanised devices such as cars/trucks/buses, trains/trams, ‘planes, ships and not recognise the many people who designed and developed them? What about the many appliances, gadgets, TV/video, radio, whitegoods which we touch daily? They are too numerous to mention, but all are the products of Engineering from the Designer to the Manufacturer.
Where does the community think these things come from?
Why do so many people think ‘Engineers only drive trains'?
We ought not think that the many wonderful documentaries about Engineers and Engineering hold mass appeal – they do not. They appeal to a minority of watchers with a sense of wonderment and inquiring minds. The masses who form public opinion and win elections want to be entertained with the right mix of drama, sex and ‘rock ‘n roll’.
Engineers need to commit energy on such self promotion in order to reverse the current widespread public misconceptions.
Author:
Bill Lawson