Letter 1 What’s an Engineer?
Dear Nick and Natasha,
I’m pleased to start corresponding with you about the noble profession of engineering. Thank you for the privilege of letting me do so. This letter focuses on addressing a basic question: What’s an engineer? This may seem like a trivial thing to do. But, I think it’s best to start with the essentials before discussing more complicated ideas. Now, I know that many people in society have a rudimentary idea of what an engineer is. (Except for those people who still jokingly say we drive trains!) Yet, I think it’s a very limited idea. And, unfortunately, I’m convinced that even many engineering students and working engineers have a rather narrow concept of engineering.
Popular media and culture often reinforce certain semi-accurate ideas about engineers. In the classic science fiction television series Star Trek, the chief engineer Scotty is an indispensable member of the crew, but he’s often portrayed as a mechanic who spends all his time running around fixing things. One of the main characters in the popular comedy television show The Big Bang Theory is the engineer Howard Wolowitz who, although considered extremely competent at what he does, is frequently taunted for supposedly not being as smart as his physicist friends. And then there are all those engineers in books and movies who want to use technology to save, enslave, or destroy the world. Whatever merit these conceptions might have, I hope this letter helps somewhat to clarify and broaden your view of engineering.
A Basic Definition
Let’s start with the word “engineer.” It comes from the Latin word “ingenium,” meaning “skill.” It’s related to the English words “ingenious” and “ingenuity.” This refers to an ability to cleverly generate, understand, or explain a concept and/or provide a solution for a problem. But, how did this word come to describe our profession? The answer is, at least partially, historical.
As human civilization grew, certain people developed expertise in creating mechanical gadgets, building physical structures, and harnessing sources of power like the sun, wind, and water to solve practical problems. Different words were used to describe this class of people, such as artisans, craftsmen, master builders, mechanics, tradesmen, etc. Yet, the modern English word “engineer” probably dates back to 1325 to describe a person skilled at constructing military engines, that is, devices and machines.
Now, the Oxford 3000 Dictionary defines an engineer as “a person whose job involves designing and building engines, machines, roads, bridges, etc.” In a strict sense, this is correct, but it’s too narrow and doesn’t even begin to touch on the wide variety of roles and responsibilities of an engineer. I’ve checked several other dictionaries, and they all have narrow definitions similar to this one. Thus, I propose the following broader definition: An engineer is a person who is trained to have a unique expertise for proposing and implementing innovative ways to solve practical problems using science and technology.
A Jack of All Trades
As science and technology continue to advance into the future, the word “engineer” and the above definitions could become irrelevant. Even today, an engineer is much more well-rounded and multi-skilled than many realize. Such a person is often said to be a “jack of all trades.” So, I’d like to present a series of aspects of what engineers actually do in today’s world. Some individual engineering jobs embrace many of these aspects, while others embrace fewer. Nevertheless, some facets may become even more, or less, dominant in the profession in the distant future. With that said, here’s my list of the top 14 aspects of engineering, in no particular order (see Figure 1.1).
Figure 1.1 The many roles of an engineer.
An engineer is a visionary. They picture in their minds a desired future that is better than the present. That image drives them to think, speak, and act, so the desired future becomes a present reality.
An engineer is a designer. They conceive of small or large improvements on the form or function of older products (i.e. technology, technique, or process), as well as thinking of new ones.
An engineer is a builder. They use state-of-the-art machines, methodologies, and materials to fabricate or create initial prototypes and the final version of products.
An engineer is an inspector. They evaluate the quality and the performance of products, and then they make all necessary recommendations and changes.
An engineer is a repairer. They fix products that are not functioning properly according to the desired safety standards, technical specifications, user needs, and so on.
An engineer is a disposer. They store, discard, disassemble, and/or recycle products that are irreparable and/or out-of-date in a safe, legal, ethical, and effective way. This can also include disposing toxic materials and waste products.
An engineer is a scientist. They know how to use fundamental scientific principles and procedures to conceive, produce, and maintain effective products for their customers and society at large.
An engineer is an artist. They actively release their creativity to develop products that solve practical problems, while also appealing to human psychology and the physical senses.
An engineer is a business person. They make realistic decisions based on the “inflow” and “outflow” of finances for developing, marketing, selling, and distributing products.
An engineer is an ethicist. They consider their personal values, employer policies, professional standards, and society’s laws and goals when developing effective solutions to practical problems.
An engineer is a communicator. They speak, write, and create resources to effectively communicate to other engineers, clients, customers, and broader society about their work as engineers.
An engineer is a teacher. They instruct, mentor, and train engineering students and working engineers, so they will have the knowledge and skill to bring effective solutions to practical problems.
An engineer is a leader. They formally supervise and/or informally influence small and/or large groups of people to accomplish goals in providing novel solutions to practical problems.
An engineer is a consultant. They offer expert advice to engineering and/or non-engineering clients, so they can make the best decisions about developing or purchasing products.
Strengths and Weaknesses
Every engineer is unique and potentially has the different aspects I just listed above in various combinations and measures, which can either help or hinder their career. Let’s consider the legendary electro-mechanical engineer Nikola Tesla (1856–1943), as described by Margaret Cheney and Robert Uth in their book Tesla: Master of Lightning.
Tesla had hundreds of inventions and patents to his name. There’s the brushless AC (alternating current) induction motor, fluorescent lights, radio, radio remote control, wireless power transmission, the Tesla coil, the “Egg of Columbus,” just to name a few. He received many awards and was eventually honored by his peers, who named the strength of a magnetic field per square area by the scientific unit called the “Tesla” symbolized by the letter “T.”
Yet, in my personal opinion, all Tesla’s engineering accomplishments were due to his greatest ability, namely, having a clear vision of what he wanted to achieve. For instance, as a young boy he pictured a massive waterwheel being turned by the powerful waters of Niagara Falls to harness its energy. He told his uncle he would do it one day. And, true to his vision, he accomplished this feat 30 years later, when his revolutionary invention of AC power generation was implemented in 1896 by the monumental Niagara Falls Power Project. Later in the June 5th, 1915, issue of Scientific American, Tesla stated that “in this lies the secret of whatever success I have achieved. My imaginings were equivalent to realities.”
But, like all engineers, Tesla had weaknesses. By all accounts, he was not driven by money in his work, but by an idealistic desire to improve the world. Ironically, this lack of business sense probably hurt his career. As a case in point, Tesla persuaded the wealthy financier J.P. Morgan to financially back his idea of building a massive tower that would transmit wireless communication signals across the entire world. By 1902, the 187-foot tower, power plant, and laboratory at Long Island, New York, were almost complete. But, when Tesla asked Morgan for extra funds and revealed the true nature of the project—to provide cheap power to the entire globe—the profit-driven financier abruptly backed out of the plan. With dwindling funds, Tesla had to shut down the project in 1905. The tower was finally demolished in 1917.
So, What’s the “Take Home” Message of This Letter?
The gist of this dispatch is that an engineer not only designs, builds, inspects, repairs, and disposes of devices, machines, processes, etc., but also potentially has an array of other roles and responsibilities that are incorporated into the job. Of course, a day in the life of a particular engineer may be very different than their colleague’s. Some will have more of these facets to their job, while others will have fewer facets. But, on the whole, the engineering profession includes a broad sweep of duties and experiences, making it much more holistic than many people think. Now, whether you’re just thinking about studying engineering at university or a technical school, you’re currently a student engineer, or you’re a working engineer, there are many opportunities for professional growth. I hope this letter encourages you to explore new facets of what it means to be an engineer.
Sincerely,
R.Z.