Engineering's soft side

Denver Post ^ | 09/30/2005 | Jennifer Brown

[decimon]

Via joannejacobs.com

For the edification of you technical types.

[Perdogg]

Okay, interesting (I am a PE).

[razorback-bert]

writing proposals for nonprofit groups

Sigh!

Some of the best in our business comes came from CSM.

[Clock King]

Leftist word games.

[Leo Carpathian]

"This kind of engineering is more compassionate. You need to bring your heart into the picture."

Now they are screwing engineering too?! I would not go over bridge built by one of them compassionates!

[DakotaGator]

Looks like bleeding-heart, fuzzy-headed, PC thinking has invaded the Engineering profession.

[Freedom_Is_Not_Free]

More politically correct idiocy. Political idiology has NOTHING to do with engineering. This is absolutely insane. This is all about engineering society, not solving problems.

[TaMoDee]

Amen Brother! BS PE, MS EngrMgmt.

[Clock King]

The objective is to introduce foreign languages, communication skills and cultural perspective to the stereotypically conservative, numbers-oriented, male engineering student, Black said. The change already is drawing more women into the field.

I wonder this numskull even knows how sexist this is: "Women are softer; they don't want to handle the hard numbers of physics and math and metal. They want talk, communication." Talk and communication won't solve the problem of hunger in Africa, or clean water. Or the ethnic-cleansing of Mexico's mestizo and black population. These are political problems that need to be looked at with hard facts and tough spines.

[Alberta's Child]

Actually, one of the most prestigious awards an engineer can receive is the Hoover Medal, which is awarded by a committee of professional engineers from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, the American Society of Civil Engineers, the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, the American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical and Petroleum Engineers and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.

The award, which is named after President Herbert Hoover (an engineer himself) in honor of his heroic work to oversee the relief efforts in Europe after World War I, is awarded to "an engineer whose professional achievements and personal endeavors have advanced the well-being of humankind."

The Hoover Medal

[Clock King]

One more thing and then I'm off my rant.

He recalls a student complaining on the way to Honduras that lugging bags of donated clothes had nothing to do with her project. After she saw impoverished villagers gathered in a schoolhouse, eager to meet the American students, she didn't say another word about the clothes.

I have ceased to be amazed at the number of people who are just plain ignorant of the level of poverty in the world (ie, Angelina Jolie). Have they never been outside their safe white suburbs in their life? Do they think TV is lying to them?

[WV Mountain Mama]

My husband said that the best part of being in engineering (undergraduate and masters) is that there was no political BS. You go to class, do the work and that was it. I guess they finally found a way around that. I also guess that all the water purifier systems designed by the non-humaitarian engineers didn't work as well because they were created out of necessity and not LOVE.

[r-q-tek86]

And you thought only architects smoked dope

[NHResident]

Pure, undadulterated BS - PC applied to undermine engineering. Engineering is about dealing with FACTS NOT POLITICS - Engineers called upon to deal with the ambiguity of solving human problems end up on the wrong side because they don't deal in nuance or ambiguity. Ever think about the number of early Muslim suicide bombers were engineering students or why the professor at the university in Florida that was a leader in AL Quaeda was a professor of engineering? CSM has gone 'pink' in more ways than one - very sad day for the engineering profession. How 'sensitive' do you think the dynamics of building a bridge will be to taking a more sensitive approach to unbalanced forces?

[TheHound]

I am puking all over my keyboard. The last bastion of sensibility - Engineering - is now being invaded by PC. NERDs Unite!!!

[Lorianne]

Good article, however I contest that being humanitarian is "soft".

[Lorianne]

Science, engineering ....facts can be used to solve human problems. After all, what is medicine except science employed to help humans?

[Pessimist]

I couldn't read this w/out picturing it being said to Dilbert in a cartoon strip.

What BS.

[Robert A Cook PE]

"A humanitarian engineer also has an ethical sense, a broader cultural sense, and has a sensitivity of what constitutes appropriate technology," said Cooper, a senior mechanical engineering major.

Nothing about economics. Nothing about practicality.

She/he/it is not engineering: It's political. Playing politics with somebody else's (taxpayers) money so the liberal (professor) "feels" good.

And "political engineering" is a truthful a statement as "politically correct."

[JillValentine]

Oh, now we have to hear sexist crap from an ignorant liberal woman?

Here's a little reality for Ms. Touchy-Feely PC Engineer. Engineering, unlike sociology or Hispanic studies or Feminist-Eats-Too-Much-Ben&Jerry's studies, requires being logical and practical. As for the compassion, genuine compassion comes naturally from actually working in a logical and practical way, and seeing how real work can help people in need. It does not come from making PC speeches. Maybe if Ms. Liberal talked to some people who are helping others without being PC, like our servicemen and women who are helping Iraqi civilians rebuild their society, she'll understand what real compassion is.