Engineering plays a crucial part in every product, gadget, the system you use in your daily life. Bridges, cars, phones, computers, aircraft – all are designed and produced by engineers. Most people aren’t familiar with the work engineers do, because if it’s working, you don’t notice it. The smooth running of everything from computer systems to traffic lights is all down to engineers. Engineers directly contribute to the wellbeing of society, and the individuals that make up that society.
Engineers work primarily in innovation: either designing a brand new product or improving an existing one. These engineering innovations go on to make our lives easier, more comfortable, or productive. Creative solutions to everyday problems are often at the heart of engineering – here are three ways Engineering impacts modern life.
3 Ways Engineering Impacts Modern Life
1. Health
Medical technology allows for new procedures and treatments to fight diseases. Recent developments include nanotechnology that can fight cancer cells without damaging healthy tissue, brain-machine interfaces that allow for transmission of brain signals to artificial limbs, and even edits to the human genome.
Synthesizing new vaccines, bio-engineering new antibiotics, and creating new scanners that can detect minute changes are all done through the power of Engineering. Engineering also allows predictive systems to run multiple simulations of theoretical treatments, which are being used to research cures for cancer. These advances could not have been achieved without the Engineers who design and build the machines that make it all possible.
2. Technology
Technology exists to make our lives better. Technology is becoming so advanced that it is now progressing at the fastest rate in human history. We’re doubling the rate of tech progress every decade, giving the power of technology an exponential curve upwards. Engineers are at the forefront of technological advancement, designing new machines and algorithms to help tackle societal problems.
Technology is being used to combat climate change, improve our quality of life and bring people closer together. Engineers look at objects and processes and think ‘how can this be made better?’ Increasingly, moral and ethical issues are brought into question as well. A focus on Ethical Engineering keeps such rapid progress on a more controlled path that works for the benefit of society as a whole.
3. Transport
Engineering has resulted in breakthrough developments in transportation across land, sea, and air around the world. Mag-lev trains are faster, cleaner, and more efficient than traditional trains, self-driving electric cars can help lower accidents, planes are safer than ever before, and boats are cutting their emissions through solar power and smart materials. Roads are changing and soon we may abandon them entirely, taking to the skies in flying cars.
As the world’s population increases and society becomes increasingly urbanized, we’ll need new transport solutions to be able to move large numbers of people reliably and efficiently. Finding innovative, sustainable solutions to these problems is what makes Engineering careers so rewarding and vital to society at every level.
Engineering advancements have all been made through rigorous study, experimentation, and teamwork, key values to anyone considering a career in Engineering. VHR works closely with Engineers across sectors to find fulfilling Engineering careers working with cutting-edge Engineering technology for some of the world’s leading brands.
How Engineering is Solving Complex Problems
The basic purpose of engineering has always been about solving complex issues and making our lives simple, safe, happy, and productive. If we look through the pages of history, we can see how engineering has solved complex problems. Be it transportation, manufacturing, or even winning wars, engineering has always played a pivotal role in our ventures.
Even today, engineering is helping us create devices, machines, and software that can solve some of our most complex problems. For example, robotics and embedded engineers have already developed robots that can detect and disarm explosive charges. Robots have already been developed to help in the case of fires and disasters to evacuate trapped victims. These systems are being put through rigorous testing and undergoing continuous improvement before they can be deployed on a large scale.
Climate change is a looming disaster; it could be quite disastrous for the human race if left unchecked. Fortunately, engineers and scientists are working together to develop green technologies, low-cost nuclear reactors, and means to harness solar power. These innovations will focus on curbing the amount of pollution humans spill into our ecosystem.
How Engineering Education has Evolved over the Years
As Engineering has evolved over the years, engineering education has also become more specialized. These days, colleges offer multiple streams of engineering such as electronics, electrical, mechanical, automotive, aeronautic, telecommunications, chemical, biotechnology, etc.
Mechanical engineering is considered to be an evergreen branch because almost every industry requires engineering graduates from the mechanical specialty. Other than that, the future is looking increasingly bright for software, IT, and telecommunications engineering graduates as these fields are closely related to the internet and networking.
That being said engineering is all about problem-solving and transforming dreams into reality. So, as long as our desire to build new things doesn’t come to a halt, the importance of Engineering will keep soaring high.
