Non-Engineering Questions

*casually points to the "Automotive" section at the right-hand side of the screen*

Also, you'd be stunned how many people don't (or can't) make a distinction between an engineer and a mechanic. My old boss couldn't and always recommended "fixers" he knew for engineering openings!

I see no real harm in it at the moment. Such questions aren't all that frequent - yet. And if we can help someone in dire need by stepping slightly outside of our profession, good on us!

_{Did you mean "man" or "engineer"?}

In my case I believe it them to be synonymous, though not mutually exclusive. Its an existential thing, Like rene descartes' "I think therefore i am" (implied a man); only as I see it "I engineer therefore I am..." (implied a man)

In Heinlein's case He probably thought them to be the same thing. Not an engineer, not a man. Not able to do all that stuff- well probably not much of an engineer.

And He was not being sexist, he felt that men were far inferior to the fairer sex.

Though come to think of it, Podkayne of Mars was a female engineer in training... But while his 'Friday' was the quintessential uber female, she became most successful when she became least intellectual...and most 'merely female'...

Let the polemics begin...

Milo

Hear, Hear..

BUT.. not all at the same time, becasue everyone knows that men cannot multi-task!

You are talking about a 'genious' not an engineer.

A man who cooks a meal is a cooker... A man who writes sonnets is a composer... A man who fights efficiently is a soldier... A man who uses the laws of physics in a practical way in order to make things work is an engineer...

Of course, it is good for a man not just to be strictly specialized in a narrow working field, but also be able to do many other things (maybe not perfectly but fairly good). On the other hand, it's not possible for one man to have all the skills and knowledge to do everything in a perfect way. He should be a 'god' not a man.

We cannot avoid specialization -i.e. engineering fields: electrical engineer, mechanical engineer e.t.c- and even further specialization -i.e. telecom engineer, industrial engineer e.t.c.- due to the enormous quantity of knowledge. You have to be somehow specialized in a field in order to be efficient in your work. Till the 19th century the knowledge where more 'limited', so it was feasible for someone to possess almost all this knowledge. But since the 20th century the knowledge became so enormous that a spacialization was unavoidable. The "master builder" of the 19th century was replaced by the team work of many expertised engineers.

Thanks. I hear you, but I don't think that 'Genius' is the right term.

I will accept the word "father" "dad" " Engineer" "Polymath" "Man" or whatever.

If Genius is the correct term, than I am the son of many generations of geniuses , and sadly, not one myself.

Despite my degrees, professional standing, many articles published, and lectures given.

But I appreciate and aspire to do what they could do.

I made this for dinner. Nobody calls me "cooker."

I believe that a word that comes closest to define what Robert Heinlein said and I proposed is Bricoleur, courtesy of Claude Levi Strauss as an improvisational set of behavors.

In the US the MacGyver Tv character was the quintessential bricoleur, the A-team and Mission Impossible both show "bricolage" in a team setting.

Thanks for the comment.

Milo

You forgot James Bond.....

Milo

That's about the best lookin' cookin' I've seen in a long time.

I never heard of the word "bricoleur" so I looked it up. It sure sounds like me. Another TV image of a bricoleur is Neal Caffery in White Collar. That's a great looking steak. The bad part is: I could wolf down at least three of them. I would be uncomfortable, but happy. Looks like a NY strip.

Funny you should ask.

Yes, New York Strip.

Yeh,

What he said! _{Except that I'm not going to the grocery store.}

I have that quote on the wall in my classroom...My students don't necessarily agree....yet :)

Kudos for teaching and trying to make a difference!

Milo

Hopefully I can inspire a few to take up engineering or science...

It'd be great. However that was Lazarus Long. It helps to be alive for a few millenia. (Heinlein was just about my only SF read.)

I like the idea, though, and agree with it on the grounds that it is a personal risk-lowering strategy.

However, to contribute something useful to society, specialization is key to becoming good enough to move it forward. If everyone were mediocre at everything, progress would be slower or not at all.

Given a choice between frittering time away on some vain pastime or learning something interesting, I'd choose the latter in almost every case.

Part of being a good engineer (or any other profession for that matter) is being a well rounded individual which often includes having to deal with and be tolerant of those who some think of as being lesser than their own ego's can accept.

All nerd and no play make for a very limited social interaction something or other..

Basically sit down have a beer and chat it up with the "common folk". You never know which ones are diamonds in the rough!

Yes.

I'll be happy to learn from you, if you sign in so I can know the comments are attributable to you.

Milo

Let he who has not sinned cast the first stone...
I think some of yours have missed the engineering mark, but I'm not obsessive enough to click on your username and check.
I'll put my paws up and make a plea bargain that I'm exempt due to my cute furriness
Del

Touché.

Burn.

http://cr4.globalspec.com/thread/57376

ronseto, I'm a little surprised by your thread. Is it only okay for you?

ok the point was made and ronseto had humbly conceited in an earlier post, ......man we're a tough crowd. : o.........btw, without using too much imagination..i think one can fine an engieering topic in those threads if one tried.

I do not believe in the concept of sin. You either do good or bad. Sin was invented way back as a means of controling the masses.

Amen

I'm not an engineer. My degree is in Project Management and I work in the engineering department and manage safety. I've been quality control supervisor in this same company.

In the US Navy, they have a program called the Surface Warfare Officer and the Enlisted Surface Warfare Specialist.

The two navy programs allow an individual to take the time to functionally learn all the jobs that are done on a ship besides their own primary job. Upon completion and you pass an oral examination before a board, you get to wear a pin on your chest and it counts as extra points towards advancement.

One thing I learned when getting my BSBA was that during the 22 year break between graduating High School and starting my college classes is that much of the information in the texts I already knew and was actually using things for examples and then later reading the examples in the texts. We learn a lot through our own life experiences.

That's why I browse these forums. Sometimes I get to contribute a little, but I learn an awful lot of new things from the rest of you.

I really appreciate being able to draw from a pool of knowledge that promotes my own knowledge. Sometimes I will make comments about things I don't know anything about and state them like they are fact because it generates an emotional response from those of you that do know what the subject matter is and will give me more information than if I were to just ask a question. You guys are a great source for information.

To all within the sound of my keyboard, "I retract all I said about non-engineering questions. This forum is currently broken down into individual sections and that seems to be working just fine". Please forgive one who is sometimes full of s---.

Not so fast.

I think your observations are valid. Since CR4 joined up with Hemmings, we have become the "cheap Chevy junker car" repair capitol of the internet.

There have been car questions on this site as long as I've been posting.

True,

But I think you will agree that the volume has increased recently.

But don't forget, there is a separate section for automotive topics. As long as they are not posted in any of the other sections, there is no problem. There are at present 15 different sections. This is the same as 15 different forums.

Maybe they need to add a 16 and call it Whinge.

GA - well put

Well put. I just happened to notice the red band across the top of my page.

" The Engineer's Place for News and Discussion"

That, to me would imply, that this is a place for engineers to discuss anything they wanted.

Whether it's good or bad, I've found a lot of people here that think kind of the way I think.

I don't just want to see something, I want to know how the hell it works. And, is there a way to make it work better?

WOW! I wonder what it would be like to have a CR4 convention in Vegas. We could all meet in person.....Never mind, I can't slink away like a cat, I have to crawl under the table as a human....pisses the wife off every time.

There should be a new thread in which is worked out were that spot on the planet is, were most have to travel least. Averaging all participants positions. Hope we don't end up in a life boat

Destination engineering any one?

well Kris didn't come up with the final answer yet, but we did have this discussion.

Chris

Opening it is easy. Counting the contents is harder. Closing it is impossible. Any of the potential actions are related to engineering.

There is a french artist (Forgot the name) who put his soft smelly substance into cans and sold it to hip art lovers. Not cheap, he made a fortune. Someone thought he was just kidding and opened a can. Same problem, he should have trusted the label.

If it has CR4 written on it it possibly contains traces of nut. Sorry Del, just too good to not be used on this occasion, Ky.

Let me make sure I'm understanding you completely.

If I turn on the radio and I don't like the song that's playing, I can simply switch the station, or turn the radio off?

Why in the hell would I want to do that when I can complain to management?

I'm a person, and I have feelings, and I'm very sensitive......no radio station should be allowed to play music I don't like.

You must be a racist!

GA and right on target - we have to make the choice to comment or subscribe and are free to unsubscribe at any time.

I am sorry if my topic offended you, I tried my best to categorize it as best as I could… Conversation in the General Section. I even tried to warn you of it's irrelevant content by the specific nature of it's title.

But, you are correct in that the subject thread has no place here, nor do I for that matter; I am not a degreed engineer, heck I don't even have an associates degree.

All I have is that I am a 4th generation non-degreed individual working in an engineering capacity and that, like my father, and his father, and his grandfather have taught all generations to do is to continue to seek knowledge in all places (why I'm a member of CR4.)

In the future I will abstain from further posts along the PB&J line and stick with posts like this one or this one.

And, you know… now that we've mentioned it, since I am not an engineer I should probably add that disclaimer.

Ronseto, I do agree that a forum such as this can easily loose it's identity if not regulated, so thanks for refocusing us. But, something to consider… is not 'engineering' the application of knowledge, logic, deductive reasoning, and problem solving in an effort to satisfy a need or solve a problem? Can't we apply an engineering mentality to social issues? And even more directly, aren't we obligated to?

JavaHead

I'm with Milo on this.......I have seen that a degree just opens the door slightly farther when job seeking.......and even after abtaining a degree... when starting a job that is when the real work begins whether degreed or not.

p911

Other topics like yoga or peanut butter and jelly sandwiches have nothing to do with engineering Let's all try to keep on an engineering track.

Actually it can.....manufacturers or more specific as contract packers can tract in packing these materials. And they can use the same equipment. from packing nuts to other items to save cost (i.e. why they are contract packers) I'm not even going to add kosher....oops too late.

That have to put on warning labels....such as Warning, this facility have process nuts.....or in such a manner.

But seriously, talking lightly about what seemingly irrelevant topics such as this in an engineering forum can inspire or new processes, also IMHO.

p911

I'm not an engineer. I have an AA degree in EE that I obtained after I dropped out of high school in the late 60's. I then went into the Marine Corps. From there I went to College for many years on the GI Bill. I took classes in every department when and according to my interests. My purpose was as much to learn specifics as to "learn how to learn". My degrees are in Anthropology and Biology.

Forums like CR4 are one way I continue my education. It would be truly be a loss to me to not be able to pick up bits of information on many subjects. It would be a loss to not see the way professional engineers approach and dissect a problem which is a true talent.

As far as automobiles, many people have very little understanding of the theory and workings of their automobile. Answers explaining the system involved would give those people a background which will be much easier to understand when they pickup the Haynes or Chilton to fix their car.

The Lazarus Long quote is one of my favorites as it tries to portray what it is to be a 'whole man' concretely and abstractly.

Thank you CR4 and contributors for allowing non-engineers to have a view into the engineer's world.

Maybe we should put as label on CR4, "MAY HAVE NUTS IN IT".

46 comments on the topic - seems acceptable to most of those people for sure.

Its all relative..... works both ways! As Mr.A. Einstein found out a very long time ago!!

ronseto

come on. At times a diversion topic and sharing experiences and views may not be outclassed. To the best of my knowledge I remember even ronseto had initiated odd topics like

* Why we feel like urinating in water?

*Giving up tobacco cigars

and so on. Hope I caught you. ?

Although this is an engineering oriented forum, all business and no play makes for a dull forum day. besides, where else will you find such diverse, intelligent people to propose a problem that may be perplexing you. You will get answers just as diverse and intelligent. Our opinions vary, but I do enjoy reading them as they are thoughtful and usually respectful. It is OK to take your nose away from the grindstone occasionally.

Tom