News from EIT

The future of technology and world class education hinges on the ability of universities to continue to provide a premium higher education experience. Their curricula need to be aligned closely to the demands of the world more than ever before.

STEM According to University World News, Zimbabwe has warned their universities that they must return to their initial STEM mandates thereby reverting to their cores. By producing STEM professionals the government believes they can help to create wealth in a country which has endured protracted and very difficult economic times. A large chunk of the country’s prosperity depends on how many STEM jobs are being filled.

The Deputy Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology of Zimbabwe, Honorable Dr Godfrey Gandawa was quoted by Chronicle, saying:

“We cannot continue to ignore the global trend; there is a need for serious curriculum reform. Students deserve a modern education right now. Instead of a 19th century style, students need modern competences, development of a growth mind-set and a strong character.”

Britain has addressed the need for more STEM professionals; according to the Telegraph, candidates best suited to employers’ demands have increased. In recent years the demand for STEM professionals versus the number of suitable candidates was a ratio of 2:1. The ratio is now 0.90.

Interestingly, the millennial generation: people in their 20s, and 30s are very interested in forming part of STEM industries, whereas the Baby Boomers (those nearing retirement age) are less keen on finding STEM jobs. These revelations came from online jobs classifieds giant, Indeed.

Teachers Wanted

There is a hurdle remaining when it comes to addressing the shortages of STEM professionals around the world. It involves the training and retaining of school teachers who teach STEM subjects ably and in the context of the demands of the real world.

The Scottish government has put together a plan that would offer bursaries to those wishing to be trained as teachers of STEM subjects. These bursaries would total £20,000 each.

EIT Stock Image The country is hoping to find 100 bursary candidates a year, thereby budgeting £1 million per year.

The Deputy First Minister of Scotland John Swinney said:

“STEM subjects are crucial, not just to the education of our children but the future of the economy. We need to recruit more teachers in these subjects. And to do that, we need to reach beyond recent graduates and attract people who have the appropriate subject degree but are working in business or industry.”

Whether or not the Scottish government’s plans will work, governments are all in agreement: innovative and relevant STEM education (with some stress on entrepreneurial endeavor) and STEM graduates are critical to the growing of the global economy.

Works Cited

Christie, Sophie. “Growing Interest in Science and Engineering Jobs Set to Tackle Britain's Skills Gap.” The Telegraph, Telegraph Media Group, 2017, www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2017/09/19/growing-interest-science-engineering-jobs-set-tackle-britains/.

Macnab, Scott. “Scots Workers to Be Offered £20,000 to Retrain as STEM Teachers.” Politics, The Scotsman, Aug. 2017, www.scotsman.com/news/politics/scots-workers-to-be-offered-20-000-to-retrain-as-stem-teachers-1-4581534.

“STEM: Foundation for a Progressive Future.” The Chronicle, www.chronicle.co.zw/stem-foundation-for-a-progressive-future/.

Internships provide the opportunity for a prospective professional to gain the work experience needed in the industry they are aiming to work in. Internships enable students or workers to gain the work experience that is being sought after by employers. Adding ‘work experience’ to the curriculum vitae is an invaluable addition that sets a candidate apart from others who don’t have any, especially in engineering industries.

Internships are particularly famous for being used to implement more equality within industries that lack gender neutrality. Some companies believe, for example, that internships specifically designed for women, will bring more females into STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) workplaces. At other times internships are used to show prospective employees the ropes and give them a taste of an industry.

Internships are usually well run programs that do help individuals become professionals. There is a problem however: instead of a win-win, companies are using internships to their benefit without giving the interns much in return.

The unpaid intern fallacy

Some interns are being exploited. In their bid to gain that illusive experience they are taking on unpaid work. In the United Kingdom, for example, it is not uncommon to find qualified graduates working full time without pay. They often have to find alternative work, at night and at weekends, to make ends meet.

Unpaid_Internship The Institute for Social and Economic Research as the University of Essex have just published a report on the effect of post-graduate unpaid internships. Angus Holford, the lead author of the report, Access to and Returns from Unpaid Graduate Internships, writes:

“We show that, on average, former interns face a salary penalty of approximately £3500 per year compared with those who went straight into paid work, and £1500 compared with those who went into further study.”

A crackdown on unpaid internships has occurred in the United States. Companies are now being discouraged to advertise posts under the guise of unpaid internships that promise exposure and exposure alone. The government has taken it a step further and implemented the Fair Labor Standards Act which stipulates that an intern within a company must at least be paid minimum wage.

Students and workers are realizing that doing hard labor within companies, and not being compensated for it, is not worth their time. The rule of thumb, according to a number of engineers commenting on the matter in online forums, is never to take an unpaid engineering internship in the first place.

A system of temporary, on-the-job training positions, properly compensated, assists a student to further him/herself in an industry (and benefits the company too). Holford believes that this sort of contract is indeed useful:

“There is evidence that although workers on temporary contracts receive lower wages and job satisfaction, and less on-the-job training than those on permanent contracts, temporary contracts do act as a ‘stepping stone’ into permanent employment for university graduates.”

Rewriting study and work experience

Steve Mackay, Dean at the Engineering Institute of Technology (EIT), believes that where possible, study and work should be undergone simultaneously because practical work experience and theory-based knowledge are an excellent complement when acquired together. Steve recently outlined how the system of education and training at the EIT blends on-the-job training with part-time studying

EIT’s Bachelor of Science and Master degrees are contingent on students getting positions within a company, in an industry that will equip them with the relevant engineering skills. EIT offers school leavers and already working individuals a flexible online study option which includes a three year BSc degree followed by a two years Master degree. In Steve’s words:

“We’re hopeful that, for most of those five years you can be working, if not full time, then part-time. That’s a critical aspect today which I believe a lot of universities ignore. We need to make sure you all get jobs. Once you’ve completed your 3-year BSc with us, you can continue to study for the two years Master degree part-time, alongside full time work.”

Online learning is certainly making it more convenient for people to acquire professional development and/or a qualification. It also makes the process of learning more meaningful; theory gained from study can be implemented in the workplace and tested. Being able to contextualize the learning will inevitably enhance the experience.

It would be preferable for companies to do away with unpaid, post-graduate internships. Instead, graduates should be given a chance to prove their worth, whilst being properly compensated for their efforts. If they haven’t been able to work alongside their studies they will need the necessary mentoring to help build their capabilities on the job. And when required they can complete relevant, online courses of quality, to ensure they develop professionally.

Works Cited
"ABC - Australian Broadcasting Corporation." ABC - Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 27 Feb. 2013. Web. 31 July 2017.
Holford, Angus. "Access to and Returns from Unpaid Graduate Internships." By Angus Holford :: SSRN. 10 July 2017. Web. 31 July 2017.

Hurricane Harvey
Friday night (the 25th of August) a tropical storm hit Texas in the United States of America. 60cm of rain fell overnight (23 inches) with a total of 50 inches expected before the week was out. Whether or not Texas’ drainage system is able to deal with the volume of water that climate change is bringing will be a pertinent question once relief efforts have been fulfilled. Questions surrounding Houston’s water infrastructure are already being asked.

A New York Times opinionista has pointed to climate change as the leading cause for Hurricane Harvey’s wrath whilst accusations of America’s hand in contributing to global warming persist. Simultaneously many face practical considerations - what to do in the aftermath of an infrastructure-crippling hurricane.

The devastation caused by Hurricane Harvey will encourage engineers to lend their minds to climate science studies and funnel this knowledge into solutions for a world facing an increase in natural disasters, many of which involve flooding. The lack of engineering foresight, thus far, has been highlighted in neighboring state Louisiana.

No lessons learned

In New Orleans, Lousiana, critical water infrastructure (pumps and canals) were not prepared for heavy rainfall this hurricane season. This is despite the New Orleans’ levee failures in 2005, during Hurricane Katrina. Those levee shortfalls can be found in case studies comparing them to some of the largest engineering failures of all time - including Chernobyl. Furthermore, the studies pertaining to Katrina clearly highlighted the inadequacies of the civil engineering practices within the United States Army Corps of Engineers.

New Orleans experienced a spate of floods on August 5th of this year, with Louisiana’s governor declaring a state of emergency as a result of the flooding. According to the New Orleans Advocate, repairs and maintenance on pumping stations reduced their efficiency by a third!

To give a little clarity to the problem: the drainage system in New Orleans is designed to deal with one inch of rain in an hour, and a half an inch each hour after the first. With this in mind, and according to the Economist, four out of five turbines were not working at one of the state’s pump stations during the floods, and other pumps, in harder hit areas, were down for maintenance. Elsewhere, staff shortages led to inefficiencies so pumps were not switched on in a timely manner.

The citizens in flood-hit areas of New Orleans have accused the sewerage and water board, (amidst other allegations of incompetence) of uncleaned/cleared catch basins which prevented water from moving to the drainage systems. This latest event has led to a political crisis in New Orleans. Officials, however, have said that old and poorly maintained infrastructure is an America-wide problem.

Thankfully New Orleans seems to have escaped the worst of Hurricane Harvey, avoiding the full brunt of the catastrophe 12 years after Hurricane Katrina.

Texas
Hurricane Harvey Texas
The rising waters in Houston have resulted in a double-explosion at a chemical plant and, at the time of publishing, the hurricane has led to the deaths of 50 people.

The chemical plant belonged to Arkema Group, one of the world’s largest chemical companies. The coolant systems and power generators were rendered useless due to the floodwaters, and as a result the Arkema Group warned that an explosion was soon to follow. The plant exploded sending a large black plume of smoke into the air and forced police to evacuate an area of up to 1.5 miles. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said that no toxic materials were reported to have been released but will continue to monitor the situation as more explosions are possible.

In Beaumont, Texas, flooding has caused the city’s water pumps to fail, causing 118,000 people to be without any running water. Hospitals have had to evacuate their patients and transfer them elsewhere due to the lack of water.

The Atlantic reports that the Association of State Floodplain Managers in Houston has tried to get funding for flood control, but in vain. Without engineering expertise in storm water management technologies it is unsurprising that an event such as Hurricane Harvey has wreaked such havoc.

City planning has also copped some criticism. An excerpt from the Atlantic’s article points to the fact that Houston and New Orleans’ cities are in flood-prone areas:

“The hardest part of managing urban flooding is reconciling it with Americans’ insistence that they can and should be able to live, work, and play anywhere. Waterborne transit was a key driver of urban development, and it’s inevitable that cities have grown where flooding is prevalent.”

And it seems that Houston’s everyday citizens knew that a hurricane would inevitably cause a flood.

People outside of HOUSTON believe this is a ONETIME thing but this HAPPENS every 2 MONTHS or SO .. BAD ENGINEERING & FLOOD CONTROL pic.twitter.com/oRaX8x7IWg
— Aristotle Onassis (@OnassisHa36) August 28, 2017

This is gonna be fun... But we have to appreciate the City of #Houston Public Works and Engineering team. Or else this would be much worse. pic.twitter.com/YKow0yrKxy
— TheGreatNike (@XboxNike) August 27, 2017

Works Cited
Bogost, Ian. "Houston's Flood Is a Design Problem." The Atlantic. Atlantic Media Company, 28 Aug. 2017. Web. 31 Aug. 2017.
Leonhardt, David. "Harvey, the Storm That Humans Helped Cause." The New York Times. The New York Times, 29 Aug. 2017. Web. 31 Aug. 2017.
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., JEFF ADELSON |. "New Orleans Flood Fallout: Officials Lose Jobs; Revelation of Inoperable Pumps 'insulting to the Public'." The Advocate. 08 Aug. 2017. Web. 31 Aug. 2017.

Pipelines. Can’t live with them, can’t live without them.

The NZ pipeline disaster It is rumored that approximately three years ago a swamp kauri mining operation led to the damage of the Ruakaka-Auckland Pipeline (RAP) in New Zealand.

Swamp kauri has 50,000 year old trees that have been perfectly preserved under swamp peat. The extraction of this wood is a tedious operation. It is believed that a digger struck the RAP.

The pipeline has failed; it began leaking and it is alleged that there was increased damage from fuel transportation engineers. The RAP runs from Marsden to Wiri in New Zealand. The single pipe delivers diesel, both premium and regular, and jet fuel. It is believed 40% of New Zealand’s fuel travels through the pipeline.

A New Zealand fuel shortage resulted. The damaged pipeline delivers jet fuel to Auckland Airport - New Zealand’s premier airport - and 80,000 litres of jet fuel had leaked into the soil before the leak was discovered.

New Zealand’s Prime Minister Bill English dusted off any ‘crisis-talk’. When speaking to Sky News, English said:

“I wouldn’t use the word crisis, what’s happened here is no threat to cars and trucks in Auckland. A bit of minor inconvenience, 60 to 70 percent of scheduled flights are operating and this problem should be dealt with by early next week.”

Flight crisis

The reality is that flights have been cancelled, with thousands of passengers affected by the fuel shortage.

And rations were put in place – many planes have departed Auckland with 30 percent of their normal fuel levels. Tankers stepped in to deliver fuel to Auckland Airport, changing their normal transport routes, being forced to cart fuel from Marsden Port to Auckland Airport.

Qantas Airlines stepped up to the plate offering to fly a 747 from Sydney to Auckland to transport 50,000 kilograms of fuel to supply Jetstar and Qantas aircraft in New Zealand. A Navy ship named the Endeavour was also appointed to assist with the fuel shortages crisis.

According to the Guardian, traffic lights were reconfigured in Auckland to ensure that fuel trucks were given right of way, ensuring that fuel arrived at its designated destinations more quickly.

Questions asked
As with any engineering emergency, the questions pertaining to whether or not a disaster could have been avoided are asked. In 2012, a report by New Zealand’s Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, outlined contingency plans for damage to the pipeline.

Air New Zealand allegedly maintained the contingency plans for a disrupted aviation fuel scenario. They realized it would cause major operational issues for the airline and so asked that the government do something about it.

Source: Refining NZ

Refining New Zealand has been questioned about maintenance on the pipeline after the swamp kauri miners ostensibly scraped the pipeline two to three years ago. They responded that the pipe was indeed checked in 2014 and found to be in working order. The assumption is that when the diggers mined for swamp kauri one of the trees impacted the line as it was being pulled out of the ground. The trees are said to have been some of the biggest that farmers had ever seen.

The pipeline disaster came before an election in New Zealand and highlighted the infrastructural problems the country has been facing. Opposition Labour leader Jacinda Ardern blasted the ruling National Party of New Zealand saying:

“One pipeline and one digger and New Zealand grinds to a halt.”

The cause of the pipeline’s damage is still being investigated, but highlights a disturbing trend of damaged pipelines, the resultant cost to an economy and their considerable environmental impact.

Works Cited
NZ Herald By: Simon Collins, David Fisher: . "Airport Fuel Crisis: Kauri Log Digger Damaged Oil Pipeline." NZ Herald. Web. 20 Sept. 2017.
Roy, Eleanor Ainge. "New Zealand Jet Fuel 'debacle' Disrupts Election Campaign and Chokes off Exports." The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 19 Sept. 2017. Web. 20 Sept. 2017.

"Swamp Kauri Mining at Fuel Site Was Years Ago - Neighbours." Radio New Zealand. 19 Sept. 2017. Web. 20 Sept. 2017.

The youngest future engineer EIT encountered at the expo was a boy of fourteen who told us that he had an affinity for Mechanical Engineering. The most sought after qualifications were Electric Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Civil and Structural Engineering.

A handful of students expressed their desires to build car manufacturing companies, actively seeking programs that would provide automobile engineering training.

Are you after an exciting job that takes you around the world?

Actura is looking for a Tour Group Manager who will be trained to facilitate guided tours around the NASA space grounds in the United States!

About Actura

Actura Australia offers a world-class learning environment as the exclusive Australian partner of the Space School international study programs; and the worldwide partner delivering CASE curriculum-based robotics program. Established in Australia in 2014, Actura'a Australian team have delivered expeditions including students from 200 schools nationwide. As an innovative business, Actura has developed strong partnerships to bring Australian students the best of international STEM-skilled programs.

Actura focuses on the education of students by providing programs designed to broaden their minds, cultivate their drive, instill curiosity and the spirit of exploration, along with the values of pursuing learning excellence. In Australia, Actura is responsible for forming groups of participants from high school students; managing those customers (school management, students and parents); booking all flights; appointing and training tour staff; and liaising with US operations to organise the on-the-ground tour component.

Details

For further information on Actura, please visit their website: http://actura.com.au/

It is time to plan your reward for all the hard work you have put into your studies with the Engineering Institute of Technology!

You spoke and we listened!

Due to popular demand we will have two Graduate Galas in 2018:

Midrand, South Africa: 18th of October 2018
Perth, Australia: 23rd of November 2018

We are excited to celebrate our graduates during two very special events in the vibrant locations of Perth (Australia) and Midrand (South Africa). These will be memorable gatherings with the unique opportunity to receive your Diploma and a special token of appreciation directly from the hands of EIT’s Dean of Engineering, Dr Steve Mackay.

You will be able to meet our College Managers, some of our wonderful Learning Support Officers and Lecturers who assisted you in your studies and hear from inspirational speakers. Read more below and do not miss the opportunity to apply for the Graduate of the Year Award.

If you would like to attend an EIT Graduate Gala, please make sure you complete the form available on this webpage indicating your location preference.

Australian Graduate Gala

EVENT DETAILS

Date: Friday 23rd of November 2018
Time: 6:00pm to 8:30pm. Arrival by 5:30pm for prompt start
Location: Green Building EIT Campus - 140 Royal Street, East Perth, Western Australia
Dress code: Cocktail Attire
Cost: Complimentary for all EIT graduates
Accommodation: if you require accommodation in Perth you can contact the event coordinator, Carolina Asenjo, to find out about possible discount options for EIT graduates
Tourism activities: Perth and the whole of Western Australia have plenty to offer visitors and the time of the year will provide fantastic weather to wonder around the many parks, beaches and natural reserves, among other attractions. You can find out more with the Tourism Department of Western Australia, Expedia or Bookme
Valid Visitor Visa or Passport: You may need a valid visa/passport to allow you to come to Australia for this event. The Australian Department of Immigration and Border Protection has a very detailed website you can visit for more information: https://www.border.gov.au/.
Event Coordinator: Carolina Asenjo, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

SPEAKERS

Mr Ron Manners

His long career has taken him to a number of major world events such as the fall of the Berlin Wall, the collapse of communism in Russia and the Hong Kong handover. Mining is in Ron’s blood. He started out as an electrical engineer, training at Kalgoorlie School of Mines, and took over the family business in 1955. The mining industry has seen a number of changes in the past 60 years, such as the introduction of new technologies, and Ron has weathered this with humility, enthusiasm and good humour. As a proponent of the free market model, Ron set up Mannkal Economic Education Foundation, a think-tank that sponsors students and events. Ron is also a book author, including titles such as Poems of Passion, Heroic Misadventures, and Never a Dull Moment.

Mr Cameron Norsworthy

Cam is a coach, entrepreneur, author and speaker. He focuses on integrated coaching techniques that encourage sustainable transformations and rewards and has coached numerous World Champions, executives, entrepreneurs, and high profile military personnel. In 2013, Cameron founded The Flow Centre to align his training and passions and put Flow in the public eye.

Mr Partha Dev

Partha has 30 years of Civil Structural Engineering & Management experience in the oil and gas sector. He has worked on major capital projects involving fixed and floating offshore structures, onshore hydrocarbon, LNG facilities, power, mining and infrastructure assets and is known in the industry for his ground-breaking work in structural reliability assessment. Partha is passionate about mentoring students and professionals. He is also an adept problem solver and received the coveted E. Paul Torrance Australian Coach’s award from the Future Problem Solving Program committee in 2017.

South African Graduate Gala

EVENT DETAILS

Date: Thursday 18th of October 2018
Time: 11:00am to 1:00pm
Location: Midrand Conference Centre, Midrand, Johannesburg
Dress code: Cocktail Attire. Graduation Gowns can be hired. Specific hood colours apply per School.
Cost: Complimentary for all EIT graduates. Additional guests can attend by paying R345 each
Accommodation: if you require accommodation in Midrand you can contact the event coordinator to find out about possible discount options for EIT graduates
Tourism activities: Johannesburg in South Africa is the second largest city in Africa, Joburg, or Jozi as some prefer to call it, offers visitors an experience as unique and diverse as the city itself and the surrounding areas. Browse through the multitude of wonderful attractions and things to do in Gauteng as well as a dazzling array of options for everything from accommodation to car rental, restaurants, shopping and casinos, etc. https://www.gauteng.net/ https://www.joburgtourism.com/tourist-information
Valid Visitor Visa or Passport: You may need a valid visa/passport to allow you to come South Africa. Please visit the South African Home Affairs Department for more information: https://www.dha.gov.za/
Event Coordinator: Apolonia Pamuri, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

SPEAKERS

Mr Terry Cousins

Terry has over 30 years of experience in electrical power and distribution systems in various South African industries. He is currently a director of TLC Engineering Solutions who develops instrumentation and measurement systems for industry. He also presents courses on electrical power distribution and power quality. Terry is a Senior Member of the SAIEE, and a Member of the IEEE (USA) and has also served on the South African National Standards committee for power quality instruments (SANS 1816).

Mr Deon Reynders

Deon is an Electronics Engineer with over 40 years postgraduate experience encompassing middle management, engineering consulting, management consulting, hardware and software development, systems engineering, project management, marketing, and industrial relations. Over the past 15 years he has provided consulting and training services to clients in USA, Canada, Ireland, the UK, South Africa, Botswana, Trinidad, Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Malaysia, Myanmar, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Egypt. He is also co-author of several technical books.

Mr Tom Neillings

Tom started his career as an engine fitter in the RAF. After leaving the RAF he worked in oil and gas North Sea projects. During this period he gained valuable experience and knowledge of diesel power generating systems operating in harsh environments. Tom continued his career in South Africa with a short period in Saudi Arabia. Tom's down-to-earth and practical, yet entertaining approach makes him a sought after speaker and instructor. His enthusiastic approach to training coupled with his helpful nature is guaranteed to maximize the learning outcome for his students.

EIT Graduate of the Year Application

Applications Open

This is your opportunity to gain the ultimate feather in your cap. Complete the application form available here http://www.eit.edu.au/downloads/2018_EIT_Graduate_of_the_Year_Application_PDF_Form.pdf and send it to Carolina Asenjo (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) by October 08, 2018. An EIT panel will review the candidates taking into consideration their academic performance. If you have any issues accessing or completing the application form, please email Carolina Asenjo for assistance

The winner will receive:

A complimentary place on an EIT Professional Certificate of your choice. The course must have enough paying students to go ahead and must be completed by December 31, 2019
A write-up of your achievement in EIT’s website, social media platforms and eNewsletter which is circulated to over half a million engineering professionals worldwide
Electronic access to the complete IDC Technologies electronic library of technical manuals for 1 year
An Acer tablet (or equivalent gift) valued at $250 r.r.p.
Commendation at the Graduate Gala ceremony

All finalists will also receive a prize for their achievement.

Do not miss this unique opportunity to celebrate your academic achievement, network with key industry contacts, and enjoy a beautiful location

EIT Stock Image

REGISTER YOUR INTEREST FOR THE 2018 EIT GRADUATE GALA

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Mr Coffee to the rescue…

They say that money can’t buy happiness – but $999 can buy a Wi-Fi enabled coffee machine, and we think that comes pretty close! This advanced coffee machine, named Mr Coffee, makes coffee for you at your convenience with just a tap of your smartphone using Wi-Fi connectivity. What’s not to love? The only disadvantage we can identify is that Mr Coffee (pictured below) does not come with a walking robot to have the coffee delivered to your sofa as well!

EIT Stock Image

Click here to view Mr Coffee on Amazon.

Man undergoes elective amputation to be fitted with bionic arm

Due to being involved in a motor accident, a man named Milo lost functionality in his arm and therefore decided to voluntarily undergo amputation. His arm has been replaced with astonishingly intelligent wearable technology: a bionic arm, which allows him to have increased functionality. Manufactured by German prosthetics company Otto Bock, the arm is comprised of six sensors that pick up the neuronal signals sent to the forearm from the brain to control arm and hand movement. Electrical signals are converted into mechanical movement for maximised mobility.

To take a look at Milo's incredible journey with this wearable technology, click the video below:

Would you ride in a driverless sky vehicle?

Dubai is racing to become the first to have a sky transport network using Volicopters, pictured below.

EIT Stock Image

The Volicopter is claimed to be able to run at a top speed of 100km/h with a maximum flight time of 30 minutes. Nine independent battery systems ensure safety, and it has been assured that the on-board parachute system will “never be required”. Dubai will begin a 5 year testing period of the Volicopter later this year – but the real question is, would you trust your life with this new technology?

'Human on a chip’: Could this be an alternative to animal testing?

EIT Stock Image

Image: Human on a chip. Credit: fastcompany

For decades now, testing products on animals has been a point of concern and controversy that has caused companies to receive significant public criticism. However, thanks to developing technology, using lab rats or other animals for psychological, biological and physical experiments could become a thing of the past with the invention of the ‘human on a chip’. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory are working on developing new technology that essentially replicates vital human tissues onto microchips, for testing. Instead of testing on live animals, ‘Human on a chip’ aims at testing on non-conscious human cells, which will then be exposed to chemicals and electrical signals for the experiments (just like any other lab animal).

To read more on this amazing technology, click here.

-Works cited

Dar, Talha. 17 Sept 2017. “10 Best Tech Gadgets For Your Home”. Wonderful Engineering. http://wonderfulengineering.com/10-best-tech-gadgets-for-your-home/

K, Maarej. 4 Sept 2017. Man Undergoes Elective Amputation To Get A Robotic Arm. Wonderful Engineering. http://wonderfulengineering.com/man-undergoes-elective-amputation/

Belton, Padraig. “Would you take a ride in a pilotless sky taxi?” 1 September 2017. BBC. http://www.bbc.com/news/business-41088196

Sohail, Umer. 11 Sept 2017. “‘Human On A Chip’ Is The Latest Technology That Can Replace Animal Testing”. Wonderful Engineering. http://wonderfulengineering.com/human-chip-technology/

“I have thoroughly enjoyed the online Master of Engineering in Industrial Automation through EIT."

"It has been difficult two years juggling between work, family and study but well worth it as I have gained a lot more knowledge and confidence to do my job well.

The delivery of online course was exceptional as I had a chance to interact with lecturers as well as other students from the luxury of my own place. In the beginning I was bit skeptical about the online mode of education but the exceptional delivery of online Masters by EIT has changed my opinion. The course was delivered by industry professionals with decades of experience who passed on wealth of information and the most relevant knowledge needed to be successful in the world of Industrial Automation. In the end, I am quite happy that I selected Masters of Engineering (Industrial automation) as post-grad degree and chose EIT as the course provider.”

Muhammad Naveed-Ul-Hassan

Control Systems Engineer
Nickel West
Kalgoorlie Nickel Smelter & Concentrator

Cars are becoming more like smartphones every day. But is that necessarily a good thing? And what does it mean for the engineers who want to make a career out of automotive engineering? The days of the combustion engine seem to be coming to an end. The desire of tech companies and vehicle manufacturers is now to create fully autonomous, environment-friendly vehicles that takes individuals from point A to point B.

Elon Musk’s Tesla Motors is a good example of where the electric/smart vehicle market is going - customers seem to respond well to what is seemingly the future of mobility. However, it has been a rocky road for Tesla and its software-driven vehicles.

In 2016, a man lost his life in a Tesla car, after the Autopilot hardware and software inside the Tesla vehicle failed to recognize a trailer in the middle of the freeway.

EIT Stock Image

A year before that, Fiat Chrysler had to recall 7,810 Jeep Renegades with automated systems that could be exploited by hackers; a danger that they could be ‘remotely manipulated’. In response the company released USB sticks that would remedy the vulnerabilities and uploaded a safety update to the vehicles - it turned out that 1.4 million needed the update.

It follows then that as vehicles become more and more like computers they will need constant security upgrades.

Green-lighting OTA

On-the-fly software updates to the firmware inside vehicles are increasing rapidly. General Motors is the latest company to join the fray of vehicle manufacturers that are securing over-the-air (OTA) upgrades to their cars via a remote network. They can upgrade their network of vehicles with a click of a button, delivering specifically engineered code to their fleet of vehicles simultaneously

Software updates to a vehicle are becoming as easy as installing an app on a smartphone. According to ABI Research, 180 million new vehicles shipping between 2016 and 2022 will see the adoption of automotive over-the-air software updates.

EIT Stock Image

“Three factors changed the course of the automotive industry and paved the way for the future of OTA: recall cost, Tesla’s success as the foundation of autonomous driving, and security risks based on software complexities,” said senior research analyst at ABI Research, Susan Beardslee. “It is a welcome transformation, as OTA is the only way to accomplish secure management of all connected car’s software in a seamless, comprehensive, and fully integrated manner.”

However, cybersecurity is a common concern among those critical of OTA updates. But with faster communication to the entire fleet of vehicles with OTA, the chances of blocking hackers’ attempts on vehicles could be more efficient than having to prevent hacking on individual vehicles as the need arises.

It is clear that the need for cybersecurity engineers in automotive engineering will grow and will need agile higher education institutions to step up.

Engineers interested in cars today can either work with the tech companies (like Apple, who are designing a fully autonomous car) or stick with the tried-and-tested vehicle manufacturers. The market is becoming more multi-faceted and interesting; a broader range of skills are required in the automotive engineering space than ever before.

EIT Stock Image

Battery similarities

Automotive engineering companies are investing in the smartphone-vehicle-likeness by making vehicles battery powered. Lithium-ion batteries are found in our phones and will power your next car, but obviously on a grander scale.

After an emissions scandal, Volkswagen have pledged that they will invest up to $24 billion into zero-emissions vehicles by 2030 to try and challenge the already blossoming Tesla Motors. Volkswagen said that they will be manufacturing 80 new vehicles across its group by 2025. The company also wants to offer its other 300 group models in electric versions by 2030, Reuters confirms.

It seems there is no turning back for the unprecedented change the automotive engineering market is undergoing with the combustion engine heading into retirement? China has just announced that they will ban combustion engines within vehicles by 2040. Future engineers will become increasingly involved in e-mobility era in automotive engineering.

Works Cited

"ABI Research Anticipates Accelerated Adoption of Automotive Software Over-the-Air Updates with Nearly 180 Million New SOTA-Enabled Cars Shipping Between 2016 and 2022." ABI Research. Web. 11 Sept. 2017.

"As Your Car Becomes More like an IPhone, Get Ready to Update Its Software Regularly." Phys.org - News and Articles on Science and Technology. Web. 11 Sept. 2017.

Cremer, Andreas. "Volkswagen Spends Billions More on Electric Cars in Search for Mass Market." Reuters. Thomson Reuters, 11 Sept. 2017. Web. 11 Sept. 2017.

Mazda has reinvented the wheel. Or rather, they claim they have reinvented the engine which drives that wheel.

They have engineered a ‘SkyActiv-X’ series of engines which purportedly use game-changing technologies which they believe will save the combustion engine from its seemingly inevitable demise.

The new engines use ‘Homogenous Charge Compression Ignition (HCCI)’. It is thought to be the ‘holy grail’ of combustible engines in a world which demands lower emissions.

SkyActiv-X shuffles between diesel engine compression and common spark ignition combustion engines in a best-of-both-worlds approach. They have assigned a name to this process; Spark Controlled Compression Ignition.

Mazda explains that this process of jumping between two kinds of compression can ensure that the engine works 20 to 30 percent more efficiently than its predecessors. HCCI engines are superior to that of standard gasoline and diesel engines because they remain cooler, resulting in a reduction of nitrogen oxide emissions.

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The Mazda Motor Corporation has developed this next-generation engine to fit into their new long-term strategy aptly named ‘Sustainable Zoom Zoom 2030’. In terms of the details, however, Mazda is playing its cards close to its chest. As the cars near their release dates in late 2018, early 2019 more should emerge.

The question that persists with HCCI development is whether or not governments will trust further iterations of combustible engines as the world’s environmentalists call for the advancement of electrification.

Is it all for naught?

Britain has joined the list of countries determined to move to electric vehicles. They plan to ban the sales of petrol and diesel cars (and vans) from 2040 in an effort to curb nitrogen oxide levels in the country.

“Poor air quality is the biggest environmental risk to public health in the UK and this government is determined to take strong action in the shortest time possible. That is why we are providing councils with new funding to accelerate development of local plans, as part of an ambitious £3 billion program to clean up dirty air around our roads,” a government spokesperson said.

Governments have traditionally veered away from nuclear energy due to high profile incidents. Similarly, due to an increasing deluge of bad press, there is an increasing tendency to reject technologies that use ‘combustion’ and ‘engine’ in the same sentence. Furthermore, claiming to commit to a future of safer, electric-powered vehicles is a politically savvy decision at present.

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The war against combustion engines could make Mazda’s last ditch effort for the ideal internal combustion engine an engineering non-starter. Mazda’s Research and Development head Kiyoshi Fujiwara says: “Electrification is necessary but...the internal combustion engine should come first.”

Germany’s Angela Merkel, despite the pressure of world-renowned German automotive engineering companies, has also issued statements pointing to the retiring of internal combustion engine technologies. In a recent speech she said:

“Large sections of the auto industry have gambled away unbelievable amounts of trust. This is trust that only the auto industry can restore. And when I say ‘the industry’ that is the company leaders.”

Critics, however, say that the move to electrification in Germany may cause 900,000 job losses in the country. What remains clear is that the pressure on phasing out the internal combustion engine vehicle for the next big thing in vehicle engineering technology is going to be a bumpy road.

Works Cited

Asthana, Anushka, and Matthew Taylor. "Britain to Ban Sale of All Diesel and Petrol Cars and Vans from 2040." The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 25 July 2017. Web. 16 Aug. 2017.

Jamieson, Craig. "Here's How Mazda Plans to save the Internal Combustion Engine." Top Gear. Top Gear, 08 Aug. 2017. Web. 16 Aug. 2017.

Old-timers, let alone prospective engineers, can sometimes get lost in the buzzwords that the industry throws at them. And then there are those skills that are hugely useful, but not adequately covered within an engineering curriculum. Critical thinking is both a buzzword and an intangible, soft, but incredibly handy skill.

But what is critical thinking? The National Council for Excellence in Critical Thinking in 1987 fashioned a definition:

“Critical thinking is the intellectually disciplined process of actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and/or evaluating information gathered from, or generated by, observation, experience, reflection, reasoning, or communication, as a guide to belief and action.”

Critical thinking then, is the kind of skill an engineer should be equipped with before moving forward into an engineering career. The question is: Can critical thinking be taught? Educational institutions are attempting to impart this illusive skill before students even reach the tertiary education level.

How institutions are doing it today

EIT Stock Image Many educators providing subjects which a focus on science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) are using various initiatives to inspire critical thinking and problem solving. Examples of these are school clubs for robotics’ enthusiasts, electric circuit board projects, and general engineering weeks. Students who are involved get to physically tamper with actual, tangible engineering elements during class; to nut out solutions, to nurture and discipline their creativity streaks. Some schools are hosting STEM-camps that provide children the opportunity to problem solve and tap into their more advanced levels of cognition.

Critical thinking and problem solving are encouraged within STEM-focused subjects, but some institutions reckon that to ably facilitate students to adopt these skills something is being left out.

Hence the rise of STEAM: science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics. Educators have begun adding subjects usually relegated to the Arts to inspire and improve analytical thought from students preconditioned to mastering STEM-focused subjects. For critical thinking to occur self-awareness and emotional intelligence are useful and these skills are ignored or may get lost, through a lack of nurturing, when students focus on STEM alone. There is a shift occurring: subject matter from the Humanities Faculty is entering engineering curriculums.

Bloom’s Taxonomy

Engineers might have their institutions of education to thank for the careers they have today; many schools during the last few decades have utilized the psychological framework of Benjamin Bloom.

EIT Stock Image Bloom was an American educational psychologist who contributed to the theory of mastery learning in the 50s. Some of his systems are used by schools and universities to this day. Many of his findings, on the levels of learning, are undeniably useful for the teaching of engineering. For exams, assignments, and general engineering projects, his six levels of learning can help an engineer improve both their knowledge and their efficiency and boost their critical thinking skills simultaneously:

1.   Knowledge - count, define, describe, draw, find, identify, label, list, match, name, quote, recall, recite write
2.   Comprehension - conclude, demonstrate, discuss explain, generalize, identify, illustrate, interpret, paraphrase, predict, report, restate, review, summarize, tell
3.   Application - apply, change, choose, compute, prepare, produce, role-play, select, show, transfer, use
4.   Analysis - analyze, characterize, classify, compare, contrast, debate, deduce, diagram differentiate, discriminate, distinguish, examine, outline, relate, research, separate
5.   Synthesis - compose, construct, create, design, develop, integrate, invent, make, organize, perform, plan, produce, propose, rewrite
6.   Evaluation - appraise, argue, assess, choose, conclude, criticize, decide, evaluate, judge, justify, predict, prioritize, prove, rank, rate, select.

Through Bloom’s Taxonomy, designs and calculations can undergo levels of variance that can improve an engineer’s approach to projects and strengthen his/her ability to think critically.

Graduates need critical thinking - it’ll get them the job

Ersnt and Young, the multinational professional services company, believes critical thinking can set you apart as a graduate.

“Academic qualifications will still be taken into account and indeed remain an important consideration when assessing candidates as a whole, but will no longer act as a barrier to getting a foot in the door. Our own internal research of over 400 graduates found that screening students based on academic performance alone was too blunt an approach to recruitment.”

And as Einstein claimed: “The value of a college education is not the learning of many facts, but the training of the mind to think.”

Works Cited
Defining Critical Thinking. Web. 29 Aug. 2017.
Bloom, Benjamin Samuel. Taxonomy of Educational Objectives. N.Y.: Longmans, Green, 1956. Print.

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Be prepared. Think carefully about what questions you might be asked and prepare well-constructed answers. Practice with a friend or family member. There are plenty of resources on the internet for interview preparation including potential questions.

Do your research. Familiarise yourself with the company. Visit the website, research news articles, and cite information in your interview to demonstrate your knowledge.

Understand the big issues. Companies in this industry are often affected by the bigger picture. Research the current political/environmental /economic and social issues and consider how they may provide challenges for the company and for its staff.

Be up-to-date! Ensure your relevant technical knowledge is current. Make sure you are up-to-date with any relevant national/international standards to show you are keeping pace.

Give Examples. Consider the job criteria and have evidence ready to show you meet the needs of the position. Use specific examples which demonstrate your technical skills and ability to communicate with team members and clients.

Know your weaknesses. An inevitable question in an interview – keep it work-related, be honest and also provide a possible solution for how you feel you could improve that area.

Ask Questions. Have thoughtful, relevant questions prepared. Don’t ask question which have already been addressed in the job advertisement or company website.

Be confident. Don’t be shy to discuss what you are good at, but ensure the strengths you discuss are relevant to the position and have specific examples that demonstrate these attributes.

Be friendly. Especially to the receptionist/administrative staff who may assist you before the interview. The opinion of support staff is often taken into account. Companies want to ensure that the person they select will not only meet the needs of the role, but also fit the company culture.

Money matters. Avoid discussing salary, leave entitlements and benefits until the offer stage unless the interviewer introduces the topic.

EIT Stock Image Advancing from technician, to engineer, to senior engineer, to management, to the 30-years-of- service gold watch at retirement. Is this the picture of an ideal career trajectory? Is it realistic?

To bolster CVs or resumes engineers look to work for major companies and then hope for promotions within them. In an effort to have the edge they attempt to remain abreast of the shifts in industry and galloping technology. To this end continuing professional development, and indeed qualification upgrades, can help.

Unfortunately acquiring new and relevant skills does not always equate to moving upwards in a company. To be positioned well for specific promotional positions in a company is difficult and to add to the challenge there are other equally driven team members in the race too.

What do engineering companies want?

Some institutions offering engineering education and training closely monitor the shifts within engineering disciplines, in an effort to offer courses that ensure students receive industry-relevant qualifications. But this alone is not always enough. Students also need to have nurtured certain qualities which will benefit a company.

For example, IT and engineering are intersecting and engineering courses are now including modules once never utilized. It is, however, up to engineers to grow their skill sets across disciplines and industries (including skills which are not all technical), to position themselves for better career prospects.

Iowa State University has outlined 15 skills employers most want to see in engineering graduates:

Engineering knowledge
Communication
Professionalism
Planning
Safety Awareness
Quality Orientation
Cultural Adaptability
General knowledge
Innovation
Teamwork
Continuous learning
Analysis & Judgement
Integrity
Customer focus

It is becoming clear that engineering employers today require engineers to be multitalented. Gone are the days when engineers could disappear behind the scenes within a certain skill set; now they need to work on becoming entrepreneurial and capable across industries.

Flexibility is key, particularly for ambitious engineers and for those who would like to start their own businesses.

You’re in...now what?

Once in a company engineers must prove that they can deliver efficient performance that benefits the company in order to gain promotions. This can sometimes be achieved through getting Six Sigma certification.

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Source: Wikipedia

Six Sigma is a set of quality and process analysis techniques developed within Motorola in the 1980s. Thereafter, in 1995, it was turned into business and employment requirements by General Electric. It refers to the training and processes engineers can utilize within a company to minimize waste and work efficiently on their projects.

The levels are referred to as Belts (similar to those used in the Martial Arts). The levels progress upwards through the belt colors with each achieved through the defining, measuring, analyzing, improving and controlling of the assigned projects within the company. The engineer who reduces process cycle time, reduces costs and increases customer satisfaction has a better chance of getting promoted within an organization.

Getting certified in Six Sigma may make an engineer stand out, particularly in a business which requires a mandatory level of certification in the methodology.

There is, however, any number of ways to skin a cat, as the saying goes. There are many who would swear that Six Sigma can fine-tune working environments, but it has also been suggested that it can drain employer creativity. And what are engineers without this?

Some intelligent comments follow. They point out some simple truisms:

Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm – Ralph Waldo Emerson

There are no secrets to success; it is the result of hard work, preparation and learning from failure – Colin Powell

Success is liking yourself, liking what you do and how you do it – Maya Angelou

And the final one advises that we hone our ability to work as part of a group:

Great things in business are never done by one person. They’re done by a team of people – Steve Jobs

Works Cited
"Understanding What Employers Look for in Engineers." Engineering Career Services. Web. 18 Aug. 2017.
Wheat, Barbara, Chuck Mills, and Mike Carnell. Leaning into Six Sigma: The Path to Integration of Lean Enterprise and Six Sigma. Boulder City, NV: Pub. Partners, 2001. Print.
Golding, Ian. shhhhh-dont-mention-six-sigma-the-truth-behind-the-stigma Web. 16 Sept. 2013
https://www.prdaily.com/Main/Articles/30_inspiring_quotes_about_business_marketing_and_c_14073.aspx

Dear Colleagues,

EIT Stock Image Last night at a Careers Expo attended by happy throngs of kids and parents, one dad (a practising engineer) indicated to me that he had advised his two kids who were shortly finishing high school to avoid an engineering career and to focus on more lucrative jobs such as in law or merchant banking. I sympathise with him as many of my engineering friends have been caught out in the intermittent ‘down draughts’ and thrown onto the streets.

I am not so sure though

However, I am not so sure that lawyers and merchant bankers are able to find good jobs either. There is a ferocious amount of automation going at present with a lot of legal jobs being automated (you can buy a proforma contract document for a few dollars or even an hour of cheap legal advice online nowadays). Business graduates are ‘a dime a dozen’ these days because of the massive growth in these university programs.

The challenge with Engineering Jobs

The reason why most of my engineering buddies have been ‘let go’ (i.e. fired) was because a particularly large project they were happily engaged on had suddenly finished. Generally this is often done unpredictably and driven by a sudden impatience in the client who had run out of patience (and money) in ever seeing the end of that particular project.

Others have lost jobs because of a change in technology meaning that their current company was increasingly unprofitable. Sometimes, these engineers worked for a start-up firm where the blue sky prognostications of the business entrepreneur had met reality in terms of massively disappointed investors who bolted for the exits when the losses seemed to go on forever. And suddenly everything was then shut down.

Other friends lost jobs because their skills had become outdated and they had lost their verve in constant reskilling and sharpening their knowledge. Some of them had often lost enthusiasm for their jobs – perhaps tired of doing the same old thing every day.

When you read the previous paragraphs, you may come to the conclusion that engineering is a hopeless case for someone looking to the future stability in income. I do believe you can deal with these issues in a proactive way.

There are Huge Opportunities in Technology and Engineering

You only need to look at some of the most profitable companies in the world – they are all based around engineering and technology. Such as Apple, Exxon Mobil, Samsung, Berkshire Hathaway (incl. rail and food) and Chevron. Companies largest by revenue such as Saudi Aramco, Shell, Volkswagen and Toyota also employ huge numbers of engineering professionals. There are huge and growing opportunities in the new technologies such as the Internet of Things, Cloud computing, automation and driverless cars. The list seems endless and constantly growing.

The key thing is to wrap yourself up in a ‘Secure-your-career’ blanket to deal with the sudden changes you may be exposed to such as described above.

What is a ‘Secure Your Career’ Blanket ?

When commencing your engineering career you need to plan for the worse but to rejoice in continuing good fortune. A few key elements here would include the following.

Business Skills are Critical

One area which I believe engineering professionals are short changed is in not having sufficient business skills. After all – the pointy business end is where the bills are paid and decisions are made in a company.

These sort of skills include finance/accounting/marketing and law. With this know-how; you can participate more effectively in your business and indeed help steer it out of choppy waters and keep it going. Or at least help management make good decisions by giving a business perspective to your engineering role. You can also quickly identify when things are becoming unsustainable with your current employer and start looking at alternative scenarios.

Consistent Achievers in Engineering

Following on my comments on business skills above, when I think of engineering colleagues who have done well consistently, it is those who are entrepreneurial and have strong business skills either formally or through on-the-job learning. As a result, they are more attuned to dodging the curved balls coming in from all directions – something which is increasingly the case these days. I know that ‘pure’ engineers will be somewhat disparaging about people with business skills remarking that they are no longer engineers but business people. But a mix of engineering and business skills definitely makes you more saleable and able to sustain your career.

Make Yourself Indispensable in your job

You should ensure that you are the go-to expert in your firm. Other skills that ensure you stand out are the ability to write and communicate well. This helps upper level management and other spheres of the business gain a better understanding of what you do and why you are valuable.

Stay up-to-date at all times

Keep sharp with your knowhow and skills level. Ensure that you are constantly learning new techniques and applying new technologies. Not necessarily attending formal courses but in linking with people engaged in pioneering work.

Finally, keep everything relating to your online career up to date. This means not only your resume but LinkedIn profile and other social media sites. Ready to go when things start breaking up around you and you need to move or to seize a new opportunity.

Overall

Overall, I believe having a job is akin to surfing. You can ride a really good wave for a while but eventually when you hit the shore you have to paddle back and look for the new wave. With different characteristics and twists and turns.

Always remember Alfred Montapert’s comment: ‘To accomplish great things we must first dream, then visualize, then plan... believe... act’

Yours in engineering learning

Steve

Were you born to be an engineer? Were you supernaturally gifted with the skills necessary to become an engineer? Or can engineering be taught? If you have an innate skill for taking things apart and putting them back together again, you might have an engineer living inside of you.

However, the world today has made it clear that there are certain requirements that must be met when considering whether a person can become a qualified engineer or not.

Mathematics & Science

It is a common held belief that it is very difficult to break into the engineering world, to study engineering without the relevant mathematics and science qualifications.

In South Africa, in 2016, 265,810 candidates wrote the mathematics examinations. The pass rate for those exams was only 51.5%. The class of ‘16’s average for mathematics was 30.8%. The numbers reveal that many must have failed to bring the average spiraling downward. Physical science saw a pass rate of 62%, with a class average of 35%. The implications of such low numbers is usually that students either have to repeat their final year, or forge ahead and find a job in an industry with no matriculation certificate. Unfortunately, with a 30% mark for maths and/or science, finding a job in industries demanding these subjects may be difficult.

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To apply for a Bachelor of Science (in one of the streams of Engineering), through the Engineering Institute of Technology (EIT), 50% for mathematics and 50% for physical science is preferable, but assessments are made on a case-by-case basis. Once a student is given admission to the institution, an engineering mathematics bridging course soon follows. This gives those who require it, the level of mathematics needed to graduate as a technologist first and professional engineer second.

The willingness to embrace mathematics and science education can, however, be daunting and can certainly be the decider for students selecting study options and careers. These subjects do present a barrier to promising engineers, a barrier which seems to be growing and as a result causing the industry some consternation.

Engineers Australia has reported that the number of students studying science and mathematics is “in a free fall”. It further alleges that less than half of Australia’s engineers were born in Australia - highlighting the country’s over-reliance on skilled foreigners. In response STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) subjects are being actively encouraged by schools. STEM-influenced materials and equipment are flooding schools in the belief that students will be inspired and subsequently select those careers founded on these subjects.

The Dean of Engineering at EIT, Steve Mackay, says that students’ distaste for mathematics must be addressed early in their academic careers. He says that students lose their appetite at an early age (for a number of reasons) in what he called the “engineering valley of death”:

“Essentially, the concept is when the young adult gets to about 12 or 13 years of age they lose interest in STEM. There is a tremendous drop off. Then, when they get to 18 or 19 years old, there is only a small fraction of the school cohort that can actually go into engineering or scientific careers...which is a terrible shame.”

Apprenticeships

Whilst earning top honors for mathematics and science at school level often leads into engineering (among other industries), it is dangerous to suggest that those who are more technically gifted, and less theory-savvy, will never make it into the industry.

Select institutions provide students with apprenticeships - also known as learnerships. These opportunities offer alternate pathways into engineering. An apprenticeship educates a prospective future engineer on the more practical aspects of the industry.

In an interview, Chief Executive of the UK-based Building Engineering Services Association, Paul McLaughlin said that he believes apprenticeships will bridge the skills gap the UK is facing. He said:

“A vocational apprenticeship is just the first step on the journey to a fulfilling career. We are working closely with employers in our sector to develop and deliver apprenticeships at all levels -- from initial technician grades, right up to degree equivalence.”

Offering a variety of pathways to achieving engineering prowess is enormously sensible. We are, after all, living in a world that now regards study as a life-long endeavor. There is absolutely no reason why technicians, while they continue to work, cannot move up through the ranks and eventually achieve professional engineering status, if motivated to do so. Furthermore, their input along the way, no doubt, will be as critical to the wellbeing of society as their contribution will ultimately be.

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Works Cited

"The Real Matric Marks." News24. 08 Jan. 2017. Web. 25 Aug. 2017.

“Engineers Australia Report Find Less Students Do Math and Science Subjects”. Herald Sun. 22 Mar. 2017. Web. 25 Aug. 2017.

EIT Stock Image Friday night (the 25th of August) a tropical storm hit Texas in the United States of America. 60cm of rain fell overnight (23 inches) with a total of 50 inches expected before the week was out. Whether or not Texas’ drainage system is able to deal with the volume of water that climate change is bringing will be a pertinent question once relief efforts have been fulfilled. Questions surrounding Houston’s water infrastructure are already being asked.

A New York Times opinionista has pointed to climate change as the leading cause for Hurricane Harvey’s wrath whilst accusations of America’s hand in contributing to global warming persist. Simultaneously many face practical considerations - what to do in the aftermath of an infrastructure-crippling hurricane.

The devastation caused by Hurricane Harvey will encourage engineers to lend their minds to climate science studies and funnel this knowledge into solutions for a world facing an increase in natural disasters, many of which involve flooding. The lack of engineering foresight, thus far, has been highlighted in neighboring state Louisiana.

No lessons learned

In New Orleans, Lousiana, critical water infrastructure (pumps and canals) were not prepared for heavy rainfall this hurricane season. This is despite the New Orleans’ levee failures in 2005, during Hurricane Katrina. Those levee shortfalls can be found in case studies comparing them to some of the largest engineering failures of all time - including Chernobyl. Furthermore, the studies pertaining to Katrina clearly highlighted the inadequacies of the civil engineering practices within the United States Army Corps of Engineers.

New Orleans experienced a spate of floods on August 5th of this year, with Louisiana’s governor declaring a state of emergency as a result of the flooding. According to the New Orleans Advocate, repairs and maintenance on pumping stations reduced their efficiency by a third!

To give a little clarity to the problem: the drainage system in New Orleans is designed to deal with one inch of rain in an hour, and a half an inch each hour after the first. With this in mind, and according to the Economist, four out of five turbines were not working at one of the state’s pump stations during the floods, and other pumps, in harder hit areas, were down for maintenance. Elsewhere, staff shortages led to inefficiencies so pumps were not switched on in a timely manner.

The citizens in flood-hit areas of New Orleans have accused the sewerage and water board, (amidst other allegations of incompetence) of uncleaned/cleared catch basins which prevented water from moving to the drainage systems. This latest event has led to a political crisis in New Orleans. Officials, however, have said that old and poorly maintained infrastructure is an America-wide problem.

Thankfully New Orleans seems to have escaped the worst of Hurricane Harvey, avoiding the full brunt of the catastrophe 12 years after Hurricane Katrina.

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Texas

The rising waters in Houston have resulted in a double-explosion at a chemical plant and, at the time of publishing, the hurricane has led to the deaths of 50 people.

The chemical plant belonged to Arkema Group, one of the world’s largest chemical companies. The coolant systems and power generators were rendered useless due to the floodwaters, and as a result the Arkema Group warned that an explosion was soon to follow. The plant exploded sending a large black plume of smoke into the air and forced police to evacuate an area of up to 1.5 miles. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said that no toxic materials were reported to have been released but will continue to monitor the situation as more explosions are possible.

In Beaumont, Texas, flooding has caused the city’s water pumps to fail, causing 118,000 people to be without any running water. Hospitals have had to evacuate their patients and transfer them elsewhere due to the lack of water.

The Atlantic reports that the Association of State Floodplain Managers in Houston has tried to get funding for flood control, but in vain. Without engineering expertise in storm water management technologies it is unsurprising that an event such as Hurricane Harvey has wreaked such havoc.

City planning has also copped some criticism. An excerpt from the Atlantic’s article points to the fact that Houston and New Orleans’ cities are in flood-prone areas:

“The hardest part of managing urban flooding is reconciling it with Americans’ insistence that they can and should be able to live, work, and play anywhere. Waterborne transit was a key driver of urban development, and it’s inevitable that cities have grown where flooding is prevalent.”

And it seems that Houston’s everyday citizens knew that a hurricane would inevitably cause a flood.

People outside of HOUSTON believe this is a ONETIME thing but this HAPPENS every 2 MONTHS or SO .. BAD ENGINEERING & FLOOD CONTROL pic.twitter.com/oRaX8x7IWg
— Aristotle Onassis (@OnassisHa36) August 28, 2017

This is gonna be fun... But we have to appreciate the City of #Houston Public Works and Engineering team. Or else this would be much worse. pic.twitter.com/YKow0yrKxy
— TheGreatNike (@XboxNike) August 27, 2017

Works Cited

Bogost, Ian. "Houston's Flood Is a Design Problem." The Atlantic. Atlantic Media Company, 28 Aug. 2017. Web. 31 Aug. 2017.

Leonhardt, David. "Harvey, the Storm That Humans Helped Cause." The New York Times. The New York Times, 29 Aug. 2017. Web. 31 Aug. 2017.

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., JEFF ADELSON |. "New Orleans Flood Fallout: Officials Lose Jobs; Revelation of Inoperable Pumps 'insulting to the Public'." The Advocate. 08 Aug. 2017. Web. 31 Aug. 2017.

In memoriam: Roy Lunn - Automotive Engineering Extraordinaire

It must be one of the most rewarding industries in engineering. Many aspiring engineers in their youth dream of achieving a career in the industry. It entails an amalgamation of engineering disciplines coming together in the design and manufacture of a roaring, road-eating machine.

Automotive engineering incorporates mechanical, electrical, electronic, software and safety engineering. It has given rise to the hobbyists, the racing professionals, and the businessmen. And the industry has just lost one of its stars.

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Image: The iconic Ford GT40

Credit: Top Gear

Roy Lunn is one of Ford’s most celebrated engineers. He passed away on the 5th of August 2017 at the age of 92. Originally from Britain, he started his career by obtaining degrees in mechanical and aeronautical engineering at Kingston Technical College, where after he became a pilot in the Royal Air Force. At the end of World War 2, he began his career in automotive engineering. He took his hobby of racing sports cars and made it his career. And what a career it was.

Roy worked for AC Cars in 1946, moved to Aston Martin and worked there from 1947- 49 (where he got his first taste for the Le Mans race) and then moved over to Jowett Cars. In 1953, he joined Ford of England. He was an engineer and product-planning manager for the Ford Motor Company in the United States by 1958. He worked in a department known as the Ford Advanced Concepts Group.

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Automotive Hall of Fame Inductee

Roy Lunn was inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame in 2016. It was on the 50th anniversary of Ford Motor Company’s 1-2-3 finish at the 1966 iteration of the 24 Hours Le Mans race. Roy worked on the GT40 project that led to the undoing of Ferrari’s dominance in the Le Mans race. Ford went on to win the Le Mans race four more times after ‘66.

He didn’t stop there. Lunn contributed to Ford’s most iconic, most recognizable car, The Mustang. Lunn worked on the design team that engineered the 1970 BOSS 429 Mustang. He had had a hand in the design of the Mustang many years before that as well.

He also worked on the presidential limousine for President Nixon and used his engineering background in turbines to produce a gas-turbine-powered 18-wheeler long-distance vehicle, named ‘Big Red’.

Later on in his career, he slowed down a little, but led teams that would manufacture consumer cars. In 1983 he led a team at American Motors Corporation that birthed the Jeep Cherokee. Lunn became the technical director of Jeep and paved the way for the SUVs we know today. Under Roy Lunn, the automotive world saw the first unibody, four-wheel-drive SUV.

For his work on that Cherokee Lunn is today considered the forefather (and ‘Godfather’), of the SUV. The car went on to sell 3 million units, and according to Autoweek, was the first American-branded vehicle to outsource its manufacturing to China.

The future

Towards the end of his life, Lunn began driving a Toyota Prius in a bid to embrace the future of automotive engineering. He also dreamed of contributing to the future of sustainable and clean automotive engineering. According to the New York Times, Lunn began developing a three-wheeled electric vehicle, built out of completely sustainable materials and costing $5,000.

EIT Stock Image In 2008, Lunn published a book, ‘Globalization - A Worldwide Quest for A Sustainable Future’. Showing that he truly cared for the earth’s future.

Connecting the dots of Roy Lunn’s impact on automotive engineering reveals how influential his presence was to the industry throughout his life. And as automotive engineers endeavor to follow in the footsteps of inspiring Roy Lunn, his influence will stretch into the future too.

Works Cited

"'Godfather of the Ford GT40' Roy Lunn: 1925-2017." Autoweek. Web. 23 Aug. 2017.

"Roy Lunn, Pioneering Engineer of Celebrated Cars, Dies at 92." The New York Times. The New York Times, 18 Aug. 2017. Web. 23 Aug. 2017.

Dear colleagues

When you are on a fixed salary in a company life is pretty certain. But in the more fraught world of consultant and contractor, life can be considerably more complex and financially tricky when dealing with contracts that require you to deliver a specific outcome. Remember if you don’t handle these correctly, you will end up considerably poorer despite putting in an enormous amount of hours working. So it is worth re-considering the different options here as discussed below.

In a simplistic way, as a contractor, you can bid for work in three ways.

Fixed price contracts. These arrangements lock you into a price. Generally, come hell or high water, whatever happens, this is the price you as the consultant or contractor get paid for delivering a specific outcome.

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Time and materials. You get paid for both your hours spent on the job as well as the materials supplied to the client.

Two phase contract. In the first phase, you get paid on a time-and-materials basis to define the job to both yours and the client’s satisfaction and then in the second phase you actually perform the contract on a fixed price (or sometimes time and materials basis).

Fixed price can be a gamble

If you know exactly what has to be done and how long it will take and the project is actually achievable (many aren’t – particularly in software development – and I have been there a few times); then this is a great option. But if the outcomes are uncertain and the project is badly defined, you are playing with fire going for a fixed price contract. Sadly enough, many clients know exactly how difficult and risky a particular job will be and go for a fixed price and “lure” a contractor or consultant in to do the job so that the risk is removed from their lives. They are simply after a rock bottom price.

Interestingly enough on the other side of the coin, I see that many contractors go for fixed price contracts knowing full well that they will be able to “drive a bus through the contract” when it comes to negotiating at the end of the job exactly what they will get paid. We had a particularly tough case recently here with an underground tunneling contract which was fixed price (no matter what the consistency of the earth and rock was); but the contractor actually ended up getting compensated for his risk as she incurred substantial additional costs. The client wasn’t too enthused with the thought of lengthy litigation and inability to use the tunnel for an extended length of time so after jumping around for a while, paid up.

If you are forced into going for a fixed price contract and the definition of the job is still a bit uncertain, then ensure that you define exactly what you are going to provide in the contract in terms of hours and materials and some rate of compensation for when the project specifications change. You may find that if you do this precisely enough, you will end up making more money from the variations to the contract than the actual main part of the contract ! A popular strategy followed by some control system vendors who bid a very low fixed price (and thus won the job against fierce competition) with the full knowledge that the variations would compensate them handsomely. If you as the client take on these fixed prices jobs; you will have to spend an inordinate amount of time defining all the terms and conditions and contemplating all eventualities otherwise you are up for considerably more money than originally anticipated.

Sometimes fixed price contracts don’t work too well in odd ways. On one particularly acrimonious job we were advising the client on (for building a Gas Turbine power station); we defined everything extraordinarily clearly and ended up with a fixed price job. Unfortunately the contractor didn’t factor in the risk for writing the control system software and the client had an awkward choice at the end. Either let the contractor go bankrupt and not finish the power station construction or pay more money for the unexpected variations the contractor hadn’t factored in (and thus keep him in business). The client ended up paying well above the fixed price but despite this, after a few months the contractor still went bust. Resulting in the client having to complete the job with the attendant risk now shifted onto her.

Theoretically, you can claim on variations to the contract, but this is always fraught with some negotiation and angst as the client is not overly enthused with paying more. However just remember, when a variation to the contract comes up, at the earliest possible opportunity, you should bring this to the client’s attention and bill him. No matter how awkward and unpleasant this is. If you delay until the end of the contract, you will run the risk of not getting paid.

And at worse case, as a contractor / consultant if you cannot see your way for getting paid for the additional work you are doing, and can’t get agreement from the client for the unreasonable variations that are being imposed on you, simply “up stumps” (as we say in cricketing lore) and leave site. It generally never gets better. It is best to face up to the reality of the situation and avoid your losses getting considerably worse. At this point, you may find that the client can see that you are serious and is more accommodating

Sometimes it helps to compromise

Clients naturally worry that with time-and-materials contracts that they will be “taken to the cleaners” as far as the ultimate price of the job. And this is a well deserved concern. I think often unproven contractors can get lazy and simply bill for every hour. Naturally this is a short term win; as they are unlikely to be invited back on site again.

I would suggest if both client and contractor are unsure that a two phase approach is always the best. Develop and agree on a good specification where the unknowns are clarified and defined for the first phase. And then a fixed price or well considered time-and-materials proposal can be agreed on for the second phase. Let’s face it. At the end of the day, in the specialized world of engineering, it is important that we build up long term trusting relationships between client and contractor and both parties get a fair return on their investment. Not too much. But not too little. But just right.

New Fangled approaches

I worry sometimes about these new fangled approaches of alliances and partnerships between clients and contractors, rather than using fixed price or hourly rates. A bit like a partnership between God and the Devil. With superb management on both sides, they can work out. But often they end up costing one of the parties far more.

And naturally remember that unless you are an altruistic person, that it is better to not get awarded a contract if you are going to lose money on it. Finally, as Samuel Goldwyn wryly remarked: “A verbal contract isn't worth the paper it's written on”. Make sure all agreements are in writing, signed by the correct parties and can cope with project modifications.

Yours in engineering learning

Steve

Mackay’s Musings – 29^th August’17 #667

125, 273 readers – www.idc-online.com/blogs/

Engineering mothers save lives with a simple vehicle tool

Elsa Foley, an engineer at Nissan and mother of two boys, has developed an innovative new technology called Rear Door Alert. The inspiration behind this? Every summer, children die from being left inside a hot car. With the help of Marlene Mendoza, another female engineer, Rear Door Alert has been engineered to set off a unique alarm when something has been left behind in the back seat of the car. Take a look at the video below for an explanation of this new innovative technology.

Apple posts secret job listing

On a hidden website, Apple posted a secret job advertisement in a bid to attract the world’s best engineering talents...

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Image courtesy of telegraph.co.uk

However, the initiative backfired when a clever journalist discovered the secret ad. Zac Whittaker, a security reporter with ZDNet, stumbled upon the website whilst analysing data sent from iPhone applications. After Whittaker posted about it on Twitter, the job ad was taken down by Apple.

Futuristic public transport designed by Russian engineering company

Russian engineering company Dahir Insaat has revealed a bizarre plan for what the future of public transport could look like. A gyroscope could be used to avoid traffic entirely, simply by travelling over the top of them. For an animation of how it works, check out the below video.

Although Dahir Insaat’s designs could be deemed as far too futuristic, it is still an interesting idea – and who knows, it could come to life in the future!

Would you live in a floating house in Amsterdam?

With recent advancements in civil engineering, floating homes have become a reality in the bustling city of Amsterdam. Built to protect from the city’s floods, as well as create more space for residential areas, the houses are put together on land and transported to the water via boat.

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Image: Amsterdam's "floating village"

Half of the house is underwater, with the structure built from lightweight timber frames. Since the project began in 2011, approximately 20,000 people have moved into these homes. The project will continue on to see a total of 18,000 homes for 45,000 residents, with more of a "village" feel to be created with the future construction of floating schools, restaurants and shops too!

However, although a great solution to floods, unfortunately earthquakes are a major threat to these floating “villages”.

Works cited

The Huffington Post UK. 14 Aug 2017. http://www.huffingtonpost.com.au/2017/08/14/an-engineer-has-reimagined-public-transport-and-it-looks-insane_a_23077583/

Jessica Miley. 20 Aug 2017. http://interestingengineering.com/apple-is-looking-for-talented-engineer-with-secret-job-listing/

Laura Begley Bloom.21 Aug 17.https://www.forbes.com/sites/laurabegleybloom/2017/08/21/this-female-auto-engineer-is-saving-lives-with-one-simple-tool/#4b457968761f

Maarej K. 25 Aug 2017. http://wonderfulengineering.com/floating-houses-are-the-new-thing-in-amsterdam/

Members of our EIT team attended the SkillsWest Expo this last weekend to show off our course offerings.

Our EIT stand showcased a clever robotic arm which visitors were invited to test and drive. We then put everyone’s names into a draw to win one of these mechanical arms - in kit form. We have now drawn a winner and are happy to announce that it is Toby Wallace from Busselton, Western Australia.

We thought that you may like to learn a little about our winner. Toby is in year 11 at school and has a career in engineering firmly in his sights. I think when you have read his story, you will agree that this young man will contribute ably to society and will strive hard to achieve his dreams. This is his story:

I have always been interested in machines and vehicles, most likely due to the fact that I grew up watching star wars, star trek, and playing video games about designing vehicles and using cool technology. When considering what career I would like to pursue, I realised that mechatronics, electronics and mechanical engineering would allow me to be one of the people who gets to build the awesome machines and robots of the future. I have always wanted to build something like an Ironman suit, and I realised that this is the industry that would allow me to do cool things like that.

As technology grows into the future, there is the potential for us to use it for good, but the potential to use it for evil is a major issue. I hope that working in this field will allow me to create devices for help and safety, rather than harm. I would love to work in designing devices for security, and to protect people when they undertake dangerous tasks.

I think it is most likely that I will end up working in a city, as there are very few opportunities for work in the country; however, I think country towns like Busselton will always be on my mind, and I would like to focus on developing devices for them too. One example of this is shark repulsion devices that would save many lives surfing in places such as the Margaret-river region.

Two major things have helped me get an idea of what I want to study. Firstly, I realised that it is possible to work in an industry shown in the movies I loved and in the video games I played; I realised that these weren't just fun, they were job opportunities. Secondly I realised that it is possible to study in many areas, you don't have to limit yourself to one very specific area. I'm planning to do some kind of mechatronics or electronics engineering, but also would like to do audio engineering, as music making is another of my passions. I also realised that some of the other areas I didn't want to miss out on, such as caring for endangered animals, could be done as part time volunteer work while I study and afterwards.

When Toby receives the kit for the robotic arm he will have some building to do, but then it is after all a good part of engineering – engineers create and build cool things. And hopefully he will have a heap of fun in the process.

We wish you everything of the best Toby. And thanks to all the Expo visitors – it was lovely to meet you.

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The United States has just witnessed the first total solar eclipse in 38 years. For some US states people would have observed a partial eclipse, but for 14 other states, the moon would have blotted out the sun completely. 2 minutes and 38 seconds of darkness was experienced in Madras, Oregon.

The next total eclipse will appear in American skies on April 8, 2024.

The power grid effect

An obvious impact of a solar eclipse is on photovoltaic cells that rely on the sun’s rays to generate power.

Steven Greenlee from CAISO - one of the largest independent grid operators in the world –commented, “Our solar plants are going to lose over half of their ability to generate electricity during the two to two and a half hours that the eclipse will be impacting our area,”

It is unlike a cloudy day because with an eclipse the loss causes a rapid decline and rebound of solar power that grid operators have to carefully manage.

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The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) explained that 70 percent or more of the sunlight for utility-scale solar power plants would be obscured during the solar eclipse.

Source: EIA

It has taken grid managers a year to prepare for the three hours of obscured sunlight. A startling fact when one considers that solar power only makes up 1 percent of the overall US power supply.

Another interesting fact: wind power cannot take up the slack during an eclipse and the drop in solar power because wind drops off too wind slackens during a solar eclipse as well.

Scientists and engineers have used the solar eclipse as a tool for research - keeping an eye on how technology reacts to an event that disrupts both space weather and weather itself.

Chasing an eclipse with engineering

Teachers and students in STEM-related classrooms in schools and universities across the United States ensured that they were ready for the solar eclipse; for example pinhole projectors were built to allow for the safe viewing of the event.

NASA took the eclipse very seriously, ensuring it was scrupulously tracked.

Utilizing specially engineered telescopes mounted to the front of two retrofitted WB-57F aircraft, NASA tracked the shadow of the moon as it shifted across the United States. The aircraft’s telescopes would also capture the Sun’s outer atmosphere (the Corona) during the solar eclipse and also took thermal images of Mercury. The sun’s atmosphere is usually harder to study without a solar eclipse, so it was a valuable moment in time.

The planes climbed to 50,000 feet, progressing through most of the Earth’s atmosphere to obtain the best images possible. Eleven other land-based investigations of the Sun’s atmosphere took place during the solar eclipse too.

Dan Seaton, a co-investigator of the project and researcher at the University of Colorado in Boulder, Colorado, believes the high altitude observations will be more advantageous than those from the ground. He spoke to NASA saying:

“These could well turn out to be the best ever observations of high frequency in the corona. Extending the observing time and going to very high altitude might allow us to see a few events or track waves that would be essentially invisible in just two minutes of observation from the ground.”

This quote that follows is anonymous, but reflects on most all of us during the light of day. Throughout the eclipse, however - just as with the night – most were perfectly still:

“Every morning in Africa, a Gazelle wakes up. It knows it must run faster than the fastest lion or it will be killed. Every morning a Lion wakes up. It knows it must outrun the slowest Gazelle or it will starve to death. It doesn't matter whether you are a Lion or a Gazelle; when the sun comes up, you'd better be running.”

Works Cited

DiChristopher, Tom. "The Total Solar Eclipse Is Going to Knock out a Lot of Solar Power." CNBC. CNBC, 21 Aug. 2017. Web. 21 Aug. 2017.

Garner, Rob. "Chasing the Total Solar Eclipse from NASA's WB-57F Jets." NASA. NASA, 25 July 2017. Web. 21 Aug. 2017.

Choi, Annette. “Solar eclipse 2017: how the solar power industry is prepping for a huge blip” VOX, 20 Aug 2017.Web 24 Aug 2017.

Dear Colleagues

I bumped into an engineering friend the other day – unfortunately he has been out of work for a number of months and is in his late fifties. He was becoming somewhat despondent about the employment situation and at his age it is undoubtedly tough. Employers are very cautious about employing engineering ‘veterans’ no matter how good they are. Unless the employers have a specific need for the specialised skill that you may have.

My take on it is that if you are idling without work; you have to work every angle you can lay your hands on to get back into employment. The longer you are out of the workforce; the harder it is to get back in.

Statistically, it is said that up to 80% of new jobs are never advertised. So what you see on the job’s website and in the newspapers are only a poor shadow of the real activity going on below the surface. Similarly, new projects and work, is often not advertised but given to existing contacts or those who the company knows about.

Unadvertised jobs include jobs that only are created when the right candidate with the right fit of skills (and attitude) comes along. Or there is an impending vacancy that will happen some time in the future and the job is thus not advertised. Or, the hiring manager, is casting around internally for someone suitable; and hasn’t got to the stage of formally advertising.

It is thus not routine practice for employers to screen resumes from strangers to find an appropriate candidate. Employers are extraordinarily risk averse these days – they are looking for a solid referral from a trusted individual who can vouch for the ability of the candidate. Sadly, the old adage is true:’It’s not what you know that matters, but who you know.’

I often hear of job candidates applying for a job, being interviewed and then never hearing anything further. They find out later that some internal candidate has then been appointed to the job (or some “mate of a mate”).

A few suggestions on getting your profile out there and enhancing your chances of securing a good job.

•   Keep actively involved on all the various social networking sites especially LinkedIn (very good for professional activities) and their various job and project forums.
•   Stay active and involved with your local engineering society and keep vigorously networking and attending presentations by experts
•   Join forums which discuss technical topics in your area of interest. Contribute actively.
•   Keep talking to all your peers in industry about current developments
•   Scan newspapers, magazines and web sites for projects starting up and completing
•   Keep an eye on people being employed (as advertised in New Appointments)
•   And when looking at job adverts – look not only for jobs but details of new projects/services being created by companies.
•   Form relationships with employers – esp. if you are turned down for a job and stay in touch for other opportunities.
•   Keep talking to your chums in industry by grabbing a quick cup of coffee with them.

Good luck.

Thanks to Debra Feldman and the IEEE for an excellent article.

And remember – no matter how much you already know, as George Santayana remarks so sagely: The wisest mind has something yet to learn.

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Yours in engineering learning

Steve

Mackay’s Musings – 22nd August’17 #666
125, 273 readers – www.idc-online.com/blogs/

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Hadi Harb is a qualified Engineer, research scientist, consultant, and business owner. He lends his invaluable knowledge to the Engineering Institute of Technology as a lecturer too. His typical subjects are Programming (C++), Process Control, and sometimes he covers modules relating to data communication, and to anything involving data analysis and signal analysis. He also lectures on topics which touch on research and practice, and practical project management.

Originating from Lebanon, Hadi now lives in Barcelona with his wife and two daughters and enjoys a challenging work life. Apart from lecturing EIT student cohorts based around the world, he consults to a tech company in Japan on artificial intelligence and also runs a family business.

But how and where did Hadi start his journey in the engineering world? And how did he get the itch to forge his specific path forward in engineering?

School, university and beyond

“As a young boy I always liked math and physics. When I got to university, I really had no choice but engineering. Dealing with more technical aspects - it was natural to me,” Hadi recalls. “My school was in Lebanon in a city called Baalbek, an old Roman city. I was there until I was 18, then I went to the capital of Lebanon, Beirut, to study engineering for five years, equivalent to a Masters in engineering. The first three years there you study general engineering. After that, I specialized as an electrical electronics engineer.”

However, whilst Hadi was studying, he came to a fork in the road - he wasn’t sure what career steps to take next. Then he saw a television program where engineers were talking to a robot, and the robot was talking back. That was his ‘aha moment’, Hadi explains.

“So I decided that my final year project would be to control a robot using my voice. I built everything, and it worked, it really worked. It opened opportunities for me to continue my education in France,” he reflects. EIT Stock Image

He went on to do his Masters and PhD in computer science and was blown away by the capacity of computers. He became particularly interested in artificial intelligence. His focus was on classifying sound signals and detecting the gender of a speaker and the mood of a speaker with artificial intelligence as well.

Entrepreneurship

After finishing his PhD, Hadi worked for a year as a research engineer. He worked with teams whose goal was to classify music signals. Detecting if two songs are similar or not is referred to as ‘music and audio classification’. Basically genre specific music is cross-referenced with other genres and songs in an effort to find similarities with the source music.

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“I co-founded a startup called Ghanni. It was about selling technology related to music, similar to the app Shazam. It was really early for this kind of technology so didn’t work extremely well, but it worked. We had some clients - some radio stations used our technology to provide smart radio services to their listeners. The business remained good and acceptable.”

But then Hadi experienced a devastating blow, to the company and personally. One of his colleagues died of cancer. As a result Hadi decided to dissolve the business. “It was sad, really. He was a great guy; 25 years old, he was working on his PhD, but died three years later. And since the business was struggling, I decided to reorganize and go to Barcelona,” he laments.

Reorganization

Hadi went back to basics in order to continue growing his career. He concentrated on the technical aspects of engineering and began to do consultancy in artificial intelligence. One of the companies he consults to is a Japanese company working on intelligent chatbots, similar to Amazon’s Alexa.

At a similar time he joined the Engineering Institute of Technology where he is involved in the education of their students in engineering. He says, “I am trying to share some of my experiences from the past as an engineer, as a research scientist, and as a business owner. I believe there are interesting things to share.”

Resilient entrepreneurial flair

Amazingly there is more: Hadi, together with his family, run Harb Farms in Lebanon. They create and supply several types of cheeses within the country. When asked, “Why cheese?” He explained that the agricultural region he and his family are from inspired their decision to set up a cheese making business. But he did add that they love cheese, “especially Mozzarella!”

Naturally it is interesting to wonder if his engineering background has assisted him with the family business. He believes it has had a significant impact. It allowed him to better organize the cheese making process, all the way from milk production through to the manufacturing of the cheese. He also felt that his research background helped him set up the early R & D and subsequently to improve traditional cheese recipes and adapt them to the market.

We at the Engineering Institute of Technology are very grateful to have Hadi Harb – an educator, entrepreneur and highly qualified engineer - sharing some of his hard wrought experience and knowledge with our students. And obviously we thank Hadi for allowing us to share a little of his life - a successful engineering life.

Engineers have IQ mastered, but do they have emotional intelligence (EQ)?

An engineer takes to a popular engineering online forum and writes: “I can’t get a job because I’m too awkward. Has anybody else been turned down for a job because they lack people skills and/or emotional intelligence?”

The big question is: Do engineers need well developed EQs? The answer is a resounding ‘yes’. As the forum writer above points out: the need for it begins with the interview. Then there are engineers in the workplace completing projects in teams, negotiating with clients etc – all of which requires some emotional intelligence.

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Emotional Quotient or Emotional Intelligence (EQ or EI) are terms created by two researchers in 1995 – Peter Salavoy and John Mayer. Psychologist and behavior science journalist, Dr. Daniël Goleman, then introduced the concept to the public and popularized it in 1996 with his book simply called “Emotional Intelligence”.

Goleman was merely using a pithy phrase for what was already known as the ability to recognize, understand and manage our human emotions. The definition has grown to include the understanding and influencing of others. This aspect of EQ would be familiar to engineering managers; and they would understand the inherent difficulties involved.

The blunt truth is that engineers who struggle with EQ may indeed hinder their career growth potential. According to Talent Smart, people with higher EQ make an average of $29,000 more per year than people with low EQ. Not only is EQ good for career success, but it can dictate success when it comes to entrepreneurial endeavor too.

Can it be taught?

Corporate Training International has summarized the kinds of skills people need to hone in order to function efficiently in the corporate world:

Self awareness
Self regulation
Self motivation
Empathy

EQ is a big help when it comes to making and sustaining relationships in the work place. In an engineering sense, working together efficiently and all being ‘on the same page’ are elements crucial to a synergetic workforce.

There are steps that we can take to contribute to our own well being and to the well being of a workplace. Conflicts, for example, can threaten the equilibrium within a team if handled without emotional intelligence. The following may be useful when attempting to establish a healthier EQ:

Form new habits
Care about others’ feelings
Keep your emotions in check
Integrate yourself into others’ lives sensitively.
Take and accept criticism
Learn from your mistakes

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Happiness

The Dean of Engineering at the Engineering Institute of Technology, Steve Mackay, reckons that engineers must be happy in their workspaces, but understands that work pressures can dampen an engineer’s enthusiasm. Mackay calls it the Rule of Two Thirds for Happiness - and thinks engineers should live by the rules and re-evaluate according to the rules every week.

Are you satisfied with your job?
Are you comfortable with where you live?
Do your have fulfilling relationships?

If you can manage two of those three, you should count yourself happy, says the Dean. And, interestingly, happiness is the best environment for a maturing emotional intelligence. A depressed, clouded mind is less likely to make a contribution at work whereas an engineer who has reasons to be positive will become more emotionally astute and resilient and consequently, more productive at work.

Thanks very much to Henlie Holm who inspired and contributed to this article.

Other works cited:

Wallace, Brian. "Emotional Intelligence Is Necessary for You, in Any Field; Here Is Why." Business Standard. Business-Standard, 18 July 2017. Web. 07 Aug. 2017.

CORPORATE TRAINING. 2017. Emotional Intelligence - Training material for trainers. www.corporatetrainingmaterials.com Date of access: 23 June 2017.

Dear Colleagues

As you all know – common sense is NOT so common around here when it comes to avoiding industrial failures. Often these failures are caused by avoidable (always) strategies such as good maintenance, better quality equipment and better training for staff.

Historically, a hundred years ago a telegraph problem could have disrupted a few people’s lives – however the scale today of the impact of an electrical failure (power or communications) can be huge.

Some examples of these spectacular failures (as listed in the IEEE Your Engineering Heritage: The $25 Million Ceiling Fan and the £100 Million Server by Robert Colburn) are quite laughable but were hugely painful to all involved:

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British Airways

The most recent failure which you may remember was the British Airways fiasco which probably cost the airline of the order of $120m involving a damaged computer server (and perhaps some inadequate training in remedying the problem). This caused the cancellation of all flights from two UK airports for a day causing massive irritation for stranded passengers (it was a holiday).

Newark Airport New Jersey

In January 1995, a construction crew damaged a 26kV cable (using steel piles so it was conclusively damaged) for the entire airport. Emergency generators weren’t sufficient. 70% of the flights had to be cancelled. There was a chink of a solution – two back up powercables – but they ran through the same conduit which had been damaged.So no cigar here either.

Smoke Shuts Down Airport

A few years ago, a tiny (cheap) extractor fan in a bathroom started smoking resulting in the evacuation of the entire O’Hare airport facility. A huge 800 flights were cancelled.Over reaction, perhaps.

Crashing the European Powergrid

A small drop in power to de-energise the powerline across the Ems River in Germany to allow a cruise liner to pass underneath resulted in blackouts across Europe from Poland to Morocco.Mainly because all the power supplies were on a knife edge.

Solar Storms

With the growing intensity of electrical transmission power lines throughout the world (particularly in North America and Europe), solar storms have created strange power power drop outs and impacted on delicate electronic equipment such as radar (again used for passenger flights).

What Should One Do about Preventing these Failures ?

It is always easy in retrospect to give solutions to these problems. What are good strategies to deal with these rather troubling issues ?

First of all – don’t go for the cheapest solution no matter how silly the purchase may appear. It may be a critical element in a chain of items.

Think carefully about safety and back up systems. Consider failure points of the entire system carefully.You may find something trivial could be the cause of massive failure.

Ensure staff are trained to handle typical maintenance issues and also the grand swag of unexpected contingencies with common sense and a proactive approach.

Thanks to Robert Colburn of the IEEE History Center at the Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, N.J. USA.

A fabulous comment to bear in mind from William Gibson (Zero History): When you want to know how things really work, study them when they're coming apart.

Yours in engineering learning

Steve

Mackay’s Musings – 15th August’17 #665

125, 273 readers – www.idc-online.com/blogs/

We are happy to announce that our 4 Bachelor of Science programs have been approved for on-campus delivery. Students are now able to apply for an International Student Visa to study at our Perth, Western Australian campus.

The Engineering Institute of Technology (EIT) is the only college dedicated to the fields of engineering and technology, and ultimately to your success in learning

Our campus is in Perth, the sunny and friendly capital city of Western Australia, and we would like to invite you to study here with us.

We are very proud to offer you one of our four Bachelor of Science degrees in engineering. They cover the important disciplines of Mechanical, Civil and Structural, Industrial Automation and Electrical. And for those students who have already graduated with a Bachelor degree we have the Master of Engineering (Industrial Automation) - a growing and vital field of work in the world today.

Our programs are inspired by industry because they are designed and presented by an international cohort of experienced engineers. We continuously improve our content to ensure it remains on the cutting-edge of engineering endeavour. And to further prepare you for the workplace and enhance your learning experience we have a dynamic and modern approach to the practical components of the programs.

Western Australia is an exciting state for the practice of engineering because it is rich in resources, has a growing renewable energy focus, a vast range of agriculture, investment in infrastructure and is engaged in varied and robust automation projects.

Perth itself is a beautiful and clean city without being overly crowded. The beaches are magnificent and everyone, both the locals and visitors, love the weather.

For cricket enthusiasts, our EIT campus in East Perth is on the doorstep of the WACA and also a few steps away from the free city busses.

If you are looking for an adventure overseas and a world class qualification in engineering please contact us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to learn more. We look forward to hearing from you.

A pedestrian bridge on the N3 road in Bedfordview, in Johannesburg collapsed in the early hours of the morning on Tuesday the 8th of August 2017. The bridge collapsed onto four vehicles, resulting in five injuries with zero fatalities.

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The highway has been re-opened since the collapse. Transport Minister Joe Maswanganyi finds the collapse odd, saying the bridge was deemed safe in 2016. He said: “Sanral did an inspection of the bridge and we were told that the bridge was in a good condition and we have a certificate in that regard. What happened on Wednesday was shocking.”

The bridge was built in 1978. It was recently decommissioned and thus regarded as an abandoned bridge but still thought to be rigid enough to stay standing.

The transport minister has tasked forensic experts and officials from the Council for Geoscience and Sanral (South African National Roads Agency) with investigating what caused the bridge’s collapse.

Rubble removal teams spent the public holiday on Wednesday removing the collapsed bridge to allow traffic to flow.

Speculation

Whilst the investigation progresses armchair critics are offering possible causes for the bridge’s demise. Some of these assessments point to another disaster which occurred at a similar time: an earth tremor apparently triggered by the collapse of an illegal mine. The reports of this illegal mine caving in are unverified, but could certainly account for the accident if proved true.

Dr Eldridge Kgaswane, scientist for the Council for Geoscience was, however, skeptical. He pointed out that there had indeed been a tremor, but because it only measured 2.0 on the Richter scale was an unlikely cause. He suggested that a tremor measuring around 6.0 would have been a more likely catalyst for the bridge’s collapse.

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Talking to IOL (a South African news website), a ward councilor Gill Humphreys says that vandalism could have been the cause. She pointed out the bridge had been tampered with for years, “Over this time, it has been stripped of nuts and bolts and all steel reinforcing. We are questioning why Sanral did nothing to ensure the safety of the bridge, as this almost certainly caused the collapse.”

Questions have also been asked about a truck bumping into it at some point and whether this had compromised the structural quality of the bridge.

Another more outlandish online allegation is that a bomb caused the pedestrian bridge to fall. At the time of publishing, however, none of these rumors have been confirmed.

The validity of infrastructure inspections has been questioned following the collapse. Engineers now tirelessly work to end the speculation. SANRAL delivered a statement reading:

“We are relieved that we managed to clear the debris and open the road in less than 48 hours. We wish to thank the teams involved in the collaborative effort to clear the site. At the same time, we have not forgotten those who were injured during the bridge collapse. We wish them a speedy recovery and are keeping them in our prayers.”

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Avoiding future collapses

Twitter users are warning that more bridge collapses could occur in South Africa. They believe their age is one of the factors compromising their structural integrity. This photograph of a pedestrian bridge at the R61 next to Angus Station in Ekurhuleni clearly shows signs of structural disintegration.

They are asking for their photos to be retweeted in an effort to motivate their municipal governments to do something about these aging bridges.

A probe into what caused a bridge scaffolding collapse back in 2015 on Grayston Drive in Johannesburg is still ongoing. The bridge collapse caused the death of two and injured 19. What remains apparent is that South African civil and structural engineering entities need to take bridge construction, assessment and maintenance more seriously in years to come to avoid potential catastrophic failures.

Works Cited

Cox, Anna. "Industry News." Vandalism May Have Led to Bridge Fail | IOL Motoring. 10 Aug. 2017. Web. 10 Aug. 2017.

"Johannesburg N3 Bridge Collapse: Traffic Flow Restored, but Questions Remain over Inspections." Daily Maverick. Web. 11 Aug. 2017.

In an effort to partner with universities, with the IET (one of the world’s largest multidisciplinary engineering bodies) and with other educational entities in the engineering space, Steve Mackay visited the UK on a whirlwind trip this month.

There is much chatter about the online, digital age of learning and as we know Steve is not only passionate about the opportunities that this platform of learning offers to students, but is a staunch proponent. He is poignantly aware that there are students in parts of the world who are unable to either reach a campus or access world-class education for any number of reasons, some of which include financial and geographical constraints and full time work.

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During this visit to the UK he certainly witnessed a shift in attitude towards distance learning and, to varying degrees, implementation progress. The favoured approach seems to entail a more sophisticated version of the old asynchronous style of online teaching. Traditional readings are now meshed with videos, automated quizzes and forms of gamification.

Cambridge University, whose lecture theatres remain brimming with the student elite from around the world, is even considering the implications of an online model. Steve was heartened to see the glimmer of interest in a number of their dynamic engineering dons. The idea of sharing their quite remarkable academic prowess and their vast research and industry capability with those who cannot make it to Cambridge was not lost on them.

Among others Manchester University is bravely promoting a new online Master of Science in Electrical Power Systems and Liverpool University and their partners are well and truly forging ahead with online course options, mainly in IT.
Steve believes that EIT can learn much from these UK entities, but with its own robust synchronous online learning platform and considerable volume of cutting-edge engineering content, he also firmly believes that EIT can offer a great deal in return. Steve, together with the EIT team, will redouble their efforts to ensure these partnerships benefit and ultimately improve the educational outcomes and opportunities for those drawn to engineering and technology in all corners of the globe.

Thanks to http://www.bornmobile.co.il/index.php?q=node/148 for the amusing image.

Dear Colleagues

As you all know, the global workforce is rapidly growing. And it is rapidly becoming more multicultural and multinational. We all have our own cultures, skills, behaviours and attitudes about life and work which are generally focussed on our local environment or town. However companies are increasingly straddling borders or are required to work with suppliers/clients and partners in different countries. Fortunately for some of us, the English language is becoming the key language used; but cultures and attitudes don’t line up that that easily.

I marvel at the different cultures and languages around the world and would hate to see everything crushed into one uniform Macdonalds type culture.

A few suggestions follow in boosting your positive interaction with your engineering colleagues in different countries with different cultures.

A researcher, Ms Tsedal Neeley, reckons there are five attributes you require to successfully work in this new environment. These are:

Delight in Positive Indifference

Ignore cultural differences that may impact on you. In fact, consider them irrelevant and a non-event.

Look for Common Features in Different Cultures

When working with people from different cultures look for examples of similarities. For example, you may find both Japanese and American cultures embrace efficiency and productivity. Whereas Indian and Italian love good food and style.

When Thinking of your Multinational Company focus on the Global Company rather than individual offices.

Look at the values and goals of the global company rather than local nuances and issues.

Actively seek out Interaction with Other Cultures in Distant offices.

The trick is to welcome interactions and to thrive on them especially when they are totally different cultures. Consider them enriching you. This heightened level of interaction does tend to build trust and improve mutual understanding of how each party works.

Aim for Your Global Engineering Career rather than a Local One.

Working as an expat used to be unusual. Today, one should aspire to working in different countries as part of a global engineering career.

Thanks to a lovely article written by Tsedal Neeley entitled: How to Successfully Work Across Countries, Languages, and Cultures

In support of this, the famous car manufacturer CEO, Carlos Ghosn, remarked: More and more, in any company, managers are dealing with different cultures. Companies are going global, but the teams are being divided and scattered all over the planet.

Yours in engineering learning

Steve

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Mackay’s Musings – 8th August’17 #664

125, 273 readers – www.idc-online.com/blogs/

Developments

There are more than enough photographs of abandoned buildings on the internet to fill tome, but the history behind them is often overlooked. Oftentimes abandoned buildings speak of a troublesome past - a past where engineers, among others, were involved in constructing the next great thing which did not stand the test of time for various reasons. Engineers from a subsequent generation are then employed to take the abandoned husk of past infrastructure, and turn it into something new.

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Abandoned buildings are, however, most often demolished; it is rare for them to be re-purposed for the arrival of new tenants. Despite this, the coastline of Rügen in Germany is experiencing just such a renewal. A seaside resort in Rügen, once belonging to the Nazi Party, is now being re-upholstered and turned into the sort of holiday destination Adolf Hitler could only have dreamed of.

German engineering

The original construction began in 1936. The entire resort stretched along the edge of the coast for an impressive 4.5 kilometers. Engineers were tasked to construct 8 identical buildings, each 450 meters in length, and build them to accommodate 20,000 inhabitants. The plans to make it into a fully functioning resort were halted when war began in 1939.

The buildings were built out of reinforced concrete, a very new and ‘cutting edge’ method of structural engineering at the time. (Proof that German engineering was churning along and innovating even in the 1930s.) 9,000 laborers were used to construct the eight blocks. A cinema and a theater were built as well.

Historian and tour guide Roger Moorhouse told Business Insider:

“The photos cannot physically do it justice. By all accounts, it would have been one of the most impressive structures in the world.”

It was purportedly built for the industrial workers of Nazi Germany, a resort for much needed holidays. Historians, however, believe it was also used for the indoctrination of German people and this more sinister reputation remains.

It was built as part of a Nazi expansion project known as Strength Through Joy. The most notable engineering endeavor that came out of this expansion project was the Volkswagen Beetle.

Constant re-purposing

The 8 buildings in Rügen underwent further changes after World War 2. The Soviets destroyed one of the buildings, but before that they occupied one of them as a military barracks from 1945 to 1955. Some buildings were then rebuilt, renovated and restored in 1990.

In 1993, the entire area, with exception to Block 3, was deserted after being used by military schools and political asylum seekers. Block 3, between 1995 and 2005, was used as an exhibition and museum area to educate people about the past. After 2004, after not being able to find permanent residents for the blocks, the resort was opened up to private investors.

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Renovated Praro Resort

Credit: Business Insider

From 2006 onward, ownership of the blocks changed hands several times, but by 2013 the Praro Resort had emerged. The four buildings that remained standing were renovated into a hotel and re-purposed into elderly housing. Tennis courts and a swimming pool were added, and a shopping center was built. The project cost north of $131 million. A fifth block was turned into a youth hostel which is now considered to be one of Germany’s largest youth hostels.

A bright future for abandoned buildings?

Could abandoned buildings rise again in the smart city future? With global population growth and the expansion of cities, the demand for infrastructure and housing increases. Civil and structural engineers could find themselves attached to renovation projects like the Prora Resort in the near future; creating something new out of something old and forgotten, giving it new meaning, and being cognizant of the past.

Works Cited

Baranowski, Shelley. "Family Vacation for Workers: The Strength through Joy Resort at Prora | German History | Oxford Academic." OUP Academic. Oxford University Press, 01 Oct. 2007. Web. 24 July 2017.

Weller, Chris. "Hitler's 3-mile-long Abandoned Nazi Resort Is Transforming into a Luxury Getaway." Business Insider. Business Insider, 01 Sept. 2016. Web. 24 July 2017.

The world’s first floating farm off Scotland’s north-east coast

The trial Peterhead wind farm, named Hywind, is estimated to provide power to 20,000 homes, with the turbine output expected to equal or surpass generation from current ones. This breakthrough technology will see wind power being harvested in waters that are too deep for the current conventional bottom-standing turbines.

Below: the wind turbines are currently being put in place. Image credit: BBC.com

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Fast facts:

Each tower weighs 11,500 tonnes
Turbines can operate in water up to 1km deep
Each blade measures 75 metres

UK to ban new diesel and petrol vehicles from 2040

In a bid to reduce air pollution, the UK government will put into action a £255 million fund, as well as publishing a court-mandated clean air strategy. This has come after a new order by the courts for the government to act upon the illegal levels of harmful pollutant nitrogen dioxide. To help accommodate such a change, buses and other transport will need to be cleaned, roads may need relayout and road features such as speed humps may need to be added in to smoothen vehicle flow.

Forget planes – fly on a $10 000 drone!

A Swedish man has invented a $10,000 Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) drone, called the ‘chAIR’, which can lift a person several feet over the ground. The creator, Axel Borg, completed his first successful flight last month. The footage below shows him aboard the drone, navigating through the forest and dodging obstacles without a hitch.

Fukushima: Robot finds what could be melted nuclear fuel

The first images of what could be melted nuclear fuel deposits inside Japan’s Fukushima nuclear plant have been captured by an underwater robot. If the findings are confirmed, it will be a major stepping stone in the clean-up operation (from when the power plant was hit by a tsunami in 2011, forcing over 200,000 people out of their homes). Locating fuel debris in each of the damaged reactors is a crucial part of the decommissioning process, which is expected to take many years.

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Image: BBC. Lava-like rocks were found under one of the damaged reactors

The need for speed: Google intends to make the Internet faster

It seems that technology continues to advance at an extraordinary speed, making it difficult for the Internet to keep up. The engineers at Google understand the modern day demand for faster internet, and are therefore looking for alternate solutions. The BBR (Bottleneck Bandwidth and Round-trip propagation time) is a congestion and control algorithm that plays a large role in internet speed. If Google’s engineers can incorporate this algorithm into the system, internet speed could increase and ultimately reduce the minor inconveniences and annoyances of a slow Internet connection.

Works Cited

Harrabin, Roger. “World's first floating wind farm emerges off coast of Scotland.” 23 Jul 2017. BBC.com. http://www.bbc.com/news/business-40699979

Harrabin, Roger. New diesel and petrol vehicles to be banned from 2040 in UK. 26 Jul 2017. BBC.com. http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-40723581

Gohd, Chelsea. “Google Wants to Make the Internet Faster. Here’s How.” 24 July 2017. Futurism.com. https://futurism.com/google-wants-to-make-the-internet-faster-heres-how/

BBC News. “Fukushima disaster: Robot finds possible melted nuclear fuel”. 23 July 2017. BBC.com. http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-40696303

Sohail, Umer. “Swedish Man Creates A $10,000 Drone That Can Carry A Man”. WonderfulEngineering.com. 20 Aug 2017. http://wonderfulengineering.com/swedish-flying-carpet-drone-carries-man/.

List of cool engineering jobs We have all heard of the common engineering jobs such as Electrical Engineer, Civil Engineer, Mechanical Engineer and Software Engineer; let’s take a look at some of the uncommon and perhaps ‘cool’ engineering jobs that actually do exist.