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Today, engineering is the top choice of majors among high school students graduating in the top 5% of their class. That doesn't mean it is necessarily for you, of course, but it is certainly a direct road to a well paying job and a challenging future. Because that is true of many majors at any university, please read the description of engineering below and then decide if you shouldn't at least consider engineering. Engineering... An Adventure in Creativity Engineers are innovators, builders and problem solvers. They use scientific knowledge in a wide variety of ways. They design and build machines and energy generation systems that help free society from drudgery. They develop life-saving tools and techniques, methods of reducing environmental pollution, and new ways to solve other societal problems. Engineers are vital to the well-being of any advanced society. Engineering... Putting Knowledge to Work There are two professional groups within the broad area of physical science and technology. There are the scientists, such as physicists, mathematicians, chemists, astronomers, and meteorologists; and then there are the engineers. Scientists and engineers work as a team to develop most technological advances, but the detailed activities of these two groups differ. The scientist seeks new knowledge and discovers new technical principles. The engineer puts this knowledge and these principles to practical use. Scientists discovered the process of fission, for example, while engineers design and build the nuclear reactors that produce electricity today. As Dr. Theodore Von Karman, a world renowned aeronautical engineer, stated, "The scientist explores what is; the engineer created the world that has never been." Our society has become increasingly complex. Engineers today face new problems related to health, environmental conservation, and urban planning. It is now common for engineers to work with natural scientists, sociologists, and medical specialists. The world's resources are dwindling rapidly, yet we must provide food and energy for a rapidly growing population, and we must limit environmental side effects that accompany the use of these resources. The engineer's challenge is to help solve these problems in a politically and socially acceptable manner. |
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