Engineer Calcs By following these 13 engineering writing tips, you can become a better engineer. Engineers need to master technical writing to reach their full potential. It may come as a surprise, but engineers do a lot of writing. And the higher you climb in the profession, you’ll find yourself writing even more. This applies to all … Read more
Great technical writing conveys clear and accurate information. Using my engineering writing style guide, you’ll know what good technical writing is. Important to realize, you don’t need to be the next Stephen King. But, to write like a great engineer, you need to have a certain level of writing skills. This applies to all types … Read more
We fear powerful volcanic eruptions with the flowing lava and balls of fire. But, the destructive volcanic ashfall effects on the power grid go unnoticed. I’ve already discussed the impact of a powerful coronal mass ejection hitting Earth. The destruction would be unworldly. I want to now go over the impact of a powerful volcanic eruption. … Read more
Do engineers think differently? For the most part, most engineers do think differently. This becomes more clear with elite engineers. But, this way of thinking is not limited to only engineers. I wrote about how you too can think like an engineer to become more successful. If you do the type of work engineers do … Read more
Do engineers use Excel? Engineers use a lot of data and equations. So, Excel makes the perfect tool to manage and crunch numbers. I use Excel all the time myself. It has made my engineering work much easier. I can do just about everything with Excel. I understand it’s not always the best solution. But, … Read more
Drilling into Europa would be the biggest engineering challenge. To show the difficulty, we’ll calculate the required energy to pierce this ice surface. I’ll also look at other methods of reaching Europa’s ocean as well. The more options the better. Part of the challenge is that Europa is 390 million miles from Earth. It’s the … Read more
Do engineers use AutoCAD? Yes, all types of engineers use AutoCAD. AutoCAD makes engineering work more efficient among many other things. AutoCAD, a Computer-Aided Design (CAD), we use for both 2-D and 3-D designs. Since its release in 1982 by Autodesk, it has transformed the engineering world. When I do work for older facilities, I’m … Read more
Why machines are better than humans at work is a sensitive topic. But an important topic that all humans need to understand. I’m clearly only speaking about work productivity here. As a business owner, it’s a no-brainer why you’d choose machines over humans. Machines are appealing in many ways. I’d go as far as to … Read more
One day we may have the ability to live on Mars. But, this may mean living underground on Mars. This presents many unspoken tunnel drilling challenges. We all love the sun. On Mars though, we can’t be too picky. Living underground may be the only option to survive. Living underground shields us from: Deadly radiation … Read more
Is checking engineering calculations important? Yes! Even the best of engineers make mistakes. Mistakes that could lead to failures and death. So, by checking engineering calculations, you can prevent problems. This is especially important for design work that impacts the public. I’m going to go over the 5-step process that I use with my engineering … Read more
How much math do engineers use? A lot. Most hand calculations are only basic math. But, great engineers need to understand high-level math concepts. In college, you do a lot more high-level calculations. Working as an engineer, a lot of the times you’ll just use basic algebra and trig though. Then maybe a couple of times … Read more
How are engineers jobless? Many factors contribute to jobless engineers. Engineers are not immune to job loss and hardships. The factors that lead to job loss for all types of engineers include: Weak economy Companies hurting for money Shrinking engineering fields Too many engineering schools Globalization Artificial Inteligence (AI) / Automation Employers new employment model … Read more
Can engineers work remotely? It depends on a couple of factors. Certain types of engineers can, while others would find it impossible. These factors come down to answering two questions: Do you need to use high-level machinery and computers in your job? How much do you need to interact with your end product in your … Read more
Should engineer be a protected title? Yes, as a way to let the public quickly know if someone is qualified to perform a certain task. The title “engineer” is a signal to the public. From a title alone, you’ll know if someone has special expertise in a technical area. As a result, you’ll better know … Read more
Should engineers get a PhD? Depends on what you want to do in your career. There are pros and cons to getting a PhD in engineering. To decide, you first need to ask your self what type of career you want. Your choice depends on the following factors: Your interests The amount of money you … Read more
Do engineers like their jobs? Like every profession, some engineers do and some don’t. It depends on various factors that engineers can and can’t control. These factors include: Your personality Why you chose your profession Job type I’m going to discuss each of these factors to see why an engineer may like or dislike their … Read more