Engineering is the application of science and maths to solve problems. While scientists and inventors develop innovations, engineers apply these discoveries to the real world.
Technology, a millennia-old practice, is now a core part of STEM education, integrating science, math, and innovation
You can see examples in the Pyramids of Giza, at Stonehenge, the Parthenon, and elsewhere. Yet, today’s engineers operate in many different areas as well as building structures.
Engineers innovate across scales, from cells to infrastructure to sustainable energy.
Meanwhile, designing originated with the wheel’s invention, subsequently evolving alongside engineers’ own term, derived from 14th-century military engineers who constructed catapults, thereby leading to modern-day Corps of Royal Engineers and U.S. equivalents. Army Corps of Engineers continue to use this military meaning.
The word ‘engine’ itself comes from the Latin word ‘ingenium’ (c. 1250), which means ‘innate quality, especially mental power, hence a clever invention.’
What Does an Engineer Do?
Engineers design, evaluate, develop, test, modify, inspect, and maintain a wide range of products, structures, and systems. Engineers manage projects from materials to manufacturing, analysis, and mentorship.
Types of Engineering
Engineers operate in many different areas, dividing the field of engineering into various types. Engineers specialize by industry, such as petroleum or agricultural engineers.
Technology merges specialties, combining fields like civil, structural, aerospace, electrical, and computer engineering.
Here are some of the traditional and more common interdisciplinary engineering fields:
1. Mechanical Designing
Mechanical architects design, build, and manage hardware systems, from simple devices to complex machines like robots, turbines, and spacecraft. Engineers in this field design control systems and develop measurement tools to monitor and manage equipment performance and status.
2. Electrical Engineering
Electrical engineers develop, test, and manage electrical and electronic systems and devices. These range in size from the smallest microchips to large transmission and power generation systems. This includes everything from broadcast engineering to electromagnetic devices, computer systems, telecommunications, and more.
3. Civil Engineering
Civil engineers design, construct, maintain, and inspect large civil infrastructure projects, such as roads, railways, bridges, tunnels, and dams.
Working on both public and private projects, civil engineers traditionally work in sub-disciplines such as environmental engineering, structural engineering, or surveying.
People established civil engineering as a separate field to distinguish it from military technology.
4. Aerospace Engineering
Aerospace engineers develop aircraft, and spacecraft, and improve vehicle technology
5. Nuclear Engineering
Nuclear engineers develop and manage nuclear power and safety.
6. Biomedical Engineering
Biomedical engineers are concerned with the design of systems, equipment, and devices for use in healthcare and medicine. By working with medical specialists such as doctors, therapists, and researchers, biomedical engineers can meet the requirements of healthcare professionals.
7. Chemical Engineering
Eengineers use physics, chemistry, biology, and engineering principles for the design of equipment, systems, and processes for refining raw materials for mixing, compounding, and processing chemicals for a variety of products. Chemical engineers carry out processes on a commercial scale, managing operations that range from refining petroleum to fermenting and producing biomolecules.
8. Computer Engineering
Engineers Of Computers design computer hardware, systems, networks, and software. Computer engineering combines other technology disciplines, such as electrical technology and computer science, as well as software technology and design.
9. Industrial Engineering
Industrial engineers design and optimize facilities, equipment, and systems for manufacturing, materials processing, and other industrial applications.
10. Environmental Engineering
Environmental engineers are concerned with the prevention, removal, and elimination of sources of pollution that affect the environment. Measuring pollution levels, determining sources of pollution, and cleaning up polluted areas, these engineers need to work in compliance with government regulations
11. Marine Engineering
Marine engineering is related to any engineering tasks on or near the oceans. This includes design and development for shipping, submarines, oil rigs, on-board, harbors, plants, and more. This specialized area of technology combines other types of engineering, including mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, civil engineering, and programming.
12. Geotechnical Engineering
Geotechnical engineering is an area of civil engineering that focuses on the engineering behavior of earth materials. Using the principles of soil and rock mechanics, this subdiscipline of geological engineering uses knowledge of geology, geophysics, hydrology, and more.
Why Engineering is Important
Technology has been a part of human history, in one form or another, for thousands of years. Of course, as our knowledge and understanding of science and mathematics grew, so our engineering expertise and competence also improved.
Today’s engineers use the most advanced technologies, alongside established scientific principles, to apply cutting-edge solutions and innovation to real-world challenges.
Engineering has revolutionized our world and will keep innovating.
Conclusion
Technology is all around us and is an integral part of our everyday lives. It is something that many people take for granted, but it is the technology that allows you to make a coffee in the morning, heats or cools your home, allows you to travel, communicate on your mobile device, and so much more.
As James A. Michener wrote in his 1983 novel, Space, “Scientists dream about doing great things. Engineers do them.”
FAQs
How does engineering help the world?
Engineers shape the world around us, innovating solutions to our problems and creating new technologies to help advance society. This ranges from air or space travel to electronics technology and through to water supply Technology to make sure those in remote communities have access to fresh, clean water.
Helping those in need through the development of new technologies to prevent disease or protect the planet from environmental issues, engineers use science, maths, and problem-solving to find answers to both local and global challenges.
Can engineering solve any problem?
Technology cannot solve any problem, but it can be used to solve a wide range of them. Engineers work within the bounds of reality, finding real-world solutions to real-world problems. Many technology problems have more than one solution, allowing engineers to find the most suitable one given the resources at hand.
Where did engineering come from?
Technology has existed since ancient times with the invention of the wheel, pulley, wedge, and lever. Imhotep considered the first named civil engineer, designed and supervised the construction of the Pyramid of Djoser (the Step Pyramid) at Saqqara in Egypt around 2630–2611 BC.
Despite its roots in antiquity, it wasn’t until 1390 that the word engineer came into use. Originally known as ‘engineers’ these specialists were responsible for the construction of military engines, such as catapults, ballistas, the trebuchet, and other siege engines and engines of war. This military connection can still be seen with the Corps of Royal Engineers and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. This later led to the creation of civil technology and other technology disciplines distinct from military technology.
Engineers specialize, yet collaborate across fields.
Where can engineering take you?
Technology can take you around the world, traveling to work on projects in foreign countries, as well as being an in-demand and well-paid career choice.
Walking the line between academia and a vocational discipline, technology combines soft skills and academic knowledge with practical application. In addition, it opens up potential opportunities in consulting, technical writing, manufacturing, logistics, business, and more.
Will engineering be automated?
Automation is spreading through many industries, including engineering, with the advent of the fourth industrial revolution. As increased automation removes repeatable tasks from workplaces, there have been concerns that roles will be replaced. These concerns existed during the previous industrial revolutions but were ultimately unfounded. This looks set to be the case with this fourth wave of concern as engineering still has an emphasis on human-focused activities such as design, quality control, and problem resolution.
Automation has seeped into engineering over the decades but, rather than replacing people, the use of automation frees up engineers to solve challenges, innovate, and move to more specialized roles and duties.
Will engineers be needed in the future?
Engineers will certainly be needed in the future and many forecasts say that the demand for engineers will increase. Technology has one of the lowest unemployment rates of any large job sector and, as technology continues to evolve, engineers will remain integral to solving our problems and delivering innovations to society.
Will engineers be replaced by robots / AI?
A recent Oxford University study reveals that automation may threaten nearly 50% of US jobs over the next twenty years, fueling public concern about job security.
However, it is more likely that the increase in artificial intelligence and robotic systems will have a positive impact. Routine and simple tasks can be easily automated but many more complex and nuanced roles will still require humans. Indeed technological advancements in the past have created new jobs, including researching and maintaining the very systems that people fear will replace them.
While robots take on the more mundane tasks, it means that people will be able to use their time completing more engaging work, such as design, R&D, and those roles where communicating with other people is important.
Rather than replacing humans, it seems that robots and AI will provide more engaging work opportunities for people – leaving the tedious tasks to the machines.
Where is engineering going in the future?
It is difficult to forecast where engineering will go in the future but many of the skills required of engineers today will still be relevant in the future, such as analytical skills, creativity, communication skills, ethics, agility, and the pursuit of continuous learning.
With technology continuing to advance and the increase in automation, professionals with the ability to work with technology and electronics will be sought after. Being able to use smart devices and a joined-up, Internet of Things (IoT) approach also looks set to be important.
Organizations will use devices to remotely monitor engineers in hazardous locations, tracking their location and ensuring their safety. Engineers will drive innovation by leveraging automation, electronics, software, and embedded systems. Meanwhile, industry leaders will roll out lean processes to streamline technology, cut unnecessary tasks, and boost efficiency.
Should I study engineering?
Technology is a great choice for people who like to learn new things, make a difference, earn a good wage, and enjoy excellent employment prospects.
Skilled and qualified engineers are in high demand across a range of industries and many enjoy good wages and benefits.
However, you will need to keep your skills up-to-date during your career and so will need to learn new things. However, with that being said, the more skilled you are, the more in demand you become, the higher the wage you can command, and the more opportunities you will have to travel or work on different projects.
Are engineering jobs in demand?
Technology jobs tend to be in high demand due to the many projects that are occurring across all areas of society. However, you must also take account of the fact that demand is driven by global or local necessity, so certain industries will be more buoyant than others at different times.
Is engineering hard to study?
Like any subject, technology becomes more in-depth and complex the further you go with your studies. However, it does require a grasp of maths and science as well as being able to apply common sense and logic to solve problems.
Although it has been said that engineering ranks as one of the more difficult degrees, engineer educators have experience in helping their students through to graduation, so if a technology degree interests you and you think you have what it takes, then you should certainly not be put off.
What do you study in engineering?
Technology involves the application of the principles of science and mathematics to solve real-world problems and to innovate new products and processes across a wide range of industries and applications. Designing, testing, and building structures, machines, devices, and processes using maths and science is all part of an engineer’s role, so there will be certain similarities in the study. However, the details will change depending on which field of engineering you study, from aerospace and chemical to civil and electronics through to mechanical engineering and beyond.
Can technology be self-taught?
It is certainly possible to learn aspects of engineering on your own, but you will still need to be assessed and get a qualification before you can work as a professional. There are also aspects of engineering, particularly the more hands-on aspects, that are difficult to learn on your own. It also depends on which area of engineering you are interested in!
As such, we would recommend you seek proper training if you want to become an engineer.
Why engineering is important
Technology is all around us, from the device you are reading this on to the buildings we live in, the cars we drive, and more. From bridges to computers and medical devices to railways – engineers have been involved at some step of the way. Although they are not required in every business, they will still be involved in setting up or creating initial technologies.
Technology is critical to industrial innovation, combining scientific and mathematical principles with practical know-how to deliver products, services, and processes.
Engineers keep pushing humankind forward, developing innovations, protecting lives, preventing diseases, and helping to keep the planet itself safe and clean. Certainly, industry has been responsible for problems such as fossil fuel use and the associated climate change, but it is to engineering we must turn to solve the crisis and deliver sustainable alternatives.
As real-world problem solvers, engineers continue to be important across all parts of society.
Why Technology is a good career
Aside from the good job prospects and security, as well as the higher average wages, technology is a good career because it allows you to work for the benefit of society.
Whether it is through improved transportation systems, delivering better medical devices and technologies, finding new cleaner energy sources, increasing living standards for underdeveloped nations, or solving the problem of global hunger, engineering plays a part in changing people’s lives for the better.
The career can bring you a great many personal benefits, such as travel, high rates of pay, and good job security, but it also allows you to use your knowledge, skills, and experience to make a real difference in the world.
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