Conversation

I was mechE undergrad and we had to design/build a few things. Aero undergrads had to do a glider flight. Grad, I was aero and taught a lab that included stuff like wind tunnel tests. There were a couple of drone projects but they were super expensive then.
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Today if I were running an aero program I’d definitely have a drone requirement. They’re so cheap to build now. Rockets are cheaper to do but run into regulatory shit for the truly cool stuff like remote guidance. Most engineering except chemical has cheap hobby/ed versions.
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Was talking to chemE clients if mine in fact about designing an “Arduino for chemE” type student program to market their tech. The problem is almost any level of chemE capability quickly enabled stuff like bomb making.
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I was mostly being flippant tbh, but it worries me when a theory-practice divide isn’t accompanied by mutual appreciation of uniquely salient experiences of the other side. Seeking Jungian integration with the shadow is perhaps too much to expect, but a bit if self-doubt perhaps.
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Engineering PhD programs produce their share of “spherical cows in a vacuum” work too but the redeeming feature is if they don’t talk to practitioners/industry at least they produce mathematically cute results that are pretty even if useless
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A client of mine who’s a legendary engineering bigwig in industry made the astute remark that unlike practicing engineers who like to solve problems, engineering PhDs often succumb to the temptation to admire the problem instead, which I fully cop to and own 🤣
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