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Source: Harvard University Date: October 2, 2007 Even Without Math, Ancients Engineered Sophisticated Machines Science Daily — Move over, Archimedes. A researcher at Harvard University is finding that ancient Greek craftsmen were able to engineer sophisticated machines without necessarily understanding the mathematical theory behind their construction. Recent analysis of technical treatises and literary sources dating back to the fifth century B.C. reveals that technology flourished among practitioners with limited theoretical knowledge. "Craftsmen had their own kind of knowledge that didn't have to be based on theory," explains Mark Schiefsky, professor of the classics in Harvard's Faculty of Arts and Sciences....

Judaeo-Christian values are considered by many in the West to be what separates modern civilization from intellectual, moral and spiritual chaos of the societies that threaten and denigrate the West. Honesty and fidelity are indeed the Judaeo-Christian values on record. While these traits observably exist among Western-Western relations, do not credit Westerners for the invention of honesty and fidelity. Instead, Westerners discovered the success of such behavior through the trials and tribulation of disease, famine and war. The genius of Western Civilization is not contained in individual piety found among Western prophets but instead derives from a collective genius, repeatedly...

Capt. Dave Lin discusses details regarding the camp's new conference center with site engineer Renato, Jan. 11, in Afghanistan. Lin is an engineer with the International Security Assistance Force headquarters. U.S. Air Force photo U.S. Air Force Capt. Dave Lin Engineer Helps Give Afghans Skills to Rebuild By Capt. Stacie N. Shafran International Security Assistance Force Headquarters KABUL, Afghanistan, Jan. 12, 2007 -- A day in the life of a project engineer fills up pretty quickly. Between meetings and constant walks around the base to survey projects, there's concrete to be poured, gravel to be delivered and contractors needing...

A Chinese engineer was charged Thursday with stealing trade secrets from a Silicon Valley company that made military training software and attempting to sell them to Asian governments. Xiaodong Sheldon Meng, 42, a Chinese national with Canadian citizenship, was indicted on 36 felony counts, including the rare charge of economic espionage to benefit a foreign government and various violations of military technology export laws. In an unrelated but similar economic espionage case, two other engineers pleaded guilty Thursday to stealing proprietary computer chip designs from four technology giants and attempting to smuggle them to China. Prosecutors say Meng stole the...

BASRAH, Iraq, Oct. 3, 2006 — A group of California National Guardsmen from the 40th Engineer Brigade are making a difference in Iraq serving with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in the Basrah Area Office of the Gulf Region South District. “There are three of us serving down here in Basrah,” said Maj. Zac Delwiche, a liaison officer with the Oil Area Office. “We all have different jobs, but the Corps is making good use of all of our skills.” Delwiche is joined in Basrah by fellow 40th Engineer Brigade soldiers: Master Sgt. Bob Lamoureux and Sgt 1st Class...

Like many other baseball fans, Joe Kosa, 28, is spending his Sunday glued to a TV. But relaxed he's not. Instead, the ESPN (NYSE:DIS - News) production assistant is stationed in front of dozens of flat-screen TVs tuned to global sporting events at the headquarters of the Disney-owned network. He's furiously jotting down notes to weave into a storyline that will be read in 60 seconds flat on tonight's 6 p.m. SportsCenter broadcast. With the San Diego Padres leading the Chicago Cubs 9-0, the outcome is hardly in doubt, and writing the highlights should be easy. Then, Clay Hensley, who...

BAGHDAD, Aug. 11, 2006 -- Bettering the lives of Iraqi youngsters is what Peter Debski says is the best part of his job. Project engineer Peter Debski poses for a photo with local children at a youth center in Baghdad’s Kadamiyah district in February. Debski said renovating the facility is one of the most fulfilling things he’s done in his career. Photo by Norris Jones  '(Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. He’s been involved in overseeing millions of dollars of reconstruction work in and around Baghdad over the past 10 months, including new water and sewer networks, electrical distribution...

To the editor of the Washington Post, After spending almost three days traveling with and being interviewed by one of the co-writers of a very poorly written article (“Much Undone in Rebuilding Iraq, Audit says”, Washington Post, August 2, 2006), I’m astounded at how distorted a good story can become and what agenda drives a paper to see only the bad side to the reconstruction effort here in Iraq. Instead of distorting the facts, let’s get to the truth. There is no flailing reconstruction effort in Iraq. The United States has rightfully invested $20 billion in Iraq’s reconstruction - in...

I am submitting this as a Letter to the Editor based on the terrible, and largely inaccurate, article I read by Andy Mosher. he knows there is a good side to the story of Reconstruction in Iraq; he saw it! yet he chose to write a negative story based on old SIGIR findings. Why? Don't you want the American people to know the truth?Why Won’t They Tell You the Truth? After spending almost three days traveling with and being interviewed by one of the co-writers of a very poorly written article (“Much Undone in Rebuilding Iraq, Audit says”, Washington Post,...

KABUL, Afghanistan — Army Col. William E. Bulen assumed command of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Afghanistan Engineer District from outgoing Commander Army Col. Christopher J. Toomey on Aug 2 during a change of command ceremony here. Lt. Gen. Karl W. Eikenberry, commander of Combined Forces Command-Afghanistan, presided over the transfer of leadership while Master Sgt. Eric O. Johnson, AED’s Command Sergeant Major, oversaw the exchange of colors. Lt. Gen. Eikenberry used the occasion to reflect on America’s continued commitment to Afghanistan illustrated in the District’s work. “As we look to improve Afghanistan’s infrastructure, AED is helping to lead...

FOB KALSU, Iraq (Army News Service, July 28, 2006) – With hard hats on, building materials nearby, and hammers and construction plans in hand, five 6th Iraqi Army Division engineer officers teamed up with their peers from Multi-National Division – Baghdad’s 62nd Engineer Battalion, 16th Engineer Brigade. The IA engineers took advantage of classroom education and learning new construction management techniques during the Engineer Officer Shadow Program June 17-23. “The program provided an opportunity for IA engineer officers to actually get some hands-on experience, both with construction skills, and new equipment, and in working side-by-side with their fellow U.S. Army...

Lt. j.g. Alfred Nuzzolo mingles with school children in Iraq during his recent seven-month deployment. Nuzzolo helped local Iraqis rebuild a training base that had been damaged during the global war on terrorism. Courtesy Photo U.S. Navy Lt. j.g. Alfred Nuzzolo Engineer Returns from Helping Rebuild Iraq By Pat FisherMarine Corps Logistics Base MARINE CORPS LOGISTICS BASE ALBANY, Ga., July 21, 2006 -- A Navy engineer assigned to the Resident Officer in Charge of Construction office here recently returned from a seven-month deployment to Iraq to help rebuild an Iraqi training base. Lt. j.g. Alfred Nuzzolo, assistant resident in...

His e-mail cites a conflict over his support of those who questioned flight preparation The Johnson Space Center's director of engineering said Monday that NASA has removed him from the management team for the space shuttle flight scheduled for Saturday after he expressed support for workers who questioned preparations for the flight. Charles Camarda, 54, a former shuttle astronaut and veteran aerospace engineer, said in an e-mail to colleagues that his removal from involvement in the scheduled launch of Discovery, on which he flew last year, was against his will. The e-mail was distributed to others, including reporters. "I refused...

 The city of Kabul sits behind Eric Aubrey as he visits a local job site. Aubrey just completed a second tour in Afghanistan with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.  Photo courtesy Afghanistan Engineer District U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Eric Aubrey Engineer Reflects on Second Deployment to Afghanistan U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Afghanistan Engineer District KABUL, Afghanistan, June 14, 2006 — The red-headed guy with the calm, quiet demeanor and ready smile who steps off the plane in Moline, Ill., reminds you of a good neighbor or the nice guy next door. He is both. But, what...

If you are looking for the legacy of Abu Musab al Zarqawi, do not look in the concrete rubble of so-called safe house in Baqubah that became his final resting place. Instead, look less than 10 miles to the west, on the side of the road in the desert town of Hadid, for a pile of cardboard banana boxes. Inside those boxes were nine human heads. Some of the heads still had their blindfolds on. Iraqi police are still attempting to identify the murdered men. Days earlier, in Baquba, Iraqi police found another eight severed heads. One of those heads...

BAGHDAD, Iraq - A military investigation into allegations that U.S. troops intentionally killed Iraqi civilians in a March raid in Ishaqi, a village north of Baghdad, has cleared the troops of misconduct, the military said Friday — despite dramatic video footage of slain children. Meanwhile, a lawyer representing families of some of the two dozen unarmed Iraqi civilians allegedly killed by U.S. Marines in the western town of Haditha on Nov. 19 said three or four Marines carried out the shootings while 20 more waited outside the homes. He also said victims' relatives turned down a request by U.S. investigators...

San Francisco -- The numbers don't add up. China and India are not turning out nearly as many engineers annually as commonly believed, Duke University researchers report, and the ones they do graduate are probably not as well-trained as their U.S. counterparts. In testimony this month before the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, the researchers said their study of engineering-school graduates showed far less disparity in numbers among the three nations than reported elsewhere. "It's contrary to what everyone else is saying," said Vivek Wadhwa, executive-in-residence and adjunct professor at Duke (Durham, N.C.). Looking at all computer science...

Remember the Trebuchet, the original siege engine?It's back and ready to put your physics muscles to the test. Custome build your "Treb" to take on three seperate challenges: Distance, Accuracy and Power. GlobalSpec Treb Challenge

From left, U.S. Army Sgts. Jack Rauschenbach and Scott Buck and Spc. Michelle Frank help build housing for soldiers at Forward Operating Base Salerno, Afghanistan, April 12, 2006. The soldiers are assigned to the 961st Engineer Detachment, deployed from Milwaukee. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Samuel Hays Army Engineer Unit Ready for Afghan Duty The 961st Engineer Detachment looks ahead to "great things" during their Afghan deployment. By U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Nicholas Lutton 345th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment FORWARD OPERATING BASE SALERNO, Afghanistan, April 21, 2006 — U.S. soldiers assigned to the 1224th Engineer Detachment transferred authority to...

The first Slovakian engineers came into Iraq in August 2003; their primary duties are unexploded ordnance disposal and engineering work. CAMP ECHO, Iraq, March 2, 2006 — Slovakian engineer units working in Multinational Division Central-South held a change of command ceremony at Camp Echo, Ad-Diwaniyah, March 1. The 5th rotation of the Slovak Engineer Unit transferred authority to the 6th rotation composed of 100 troops. The handover ceremony was attended by authorities of the Slovakian Armed Forces, Multinational Division Central-South, senior national representatives and distinguished guests. The first Slovakian Engineers came into Iraq in August 2003 with Multinational Division Central-South....