Engineers and arts (To Dilwala and Deron)

[ACtrafficengr]

In the CE in Society thread, Dilwala asked whether it was important for enginers to know about arts,etc. Deron replied that engineers should understand that the arts are important, but leave the art up to architects, etc.

The frequency of highway fatalities in the U.S. has been essentially stagnant for decades now, hovering around 40,000 lives per year. This is despite all the efforts of highway and automotive engineeers. To make further progress, we need to know more about the drivers. Yep. we have to get into those "fuzzy" sciences of human behavior and pscychology. The calculator and physics book aren't going to be enough anymore.

That's really true of any branch of engineering. To be truly successful, we need to understand our clients and their needs. This means knowing something the humanities, since our clients are, after all, human.

Also, we should try to reduce the rifts between engineers and architects. Architect comes from Greek words meaning "chief builder" or "master artisan." Not too different from "engineer-in-charge," is it?

 

[emmgjld]

I have known Engineers who had meager working knowledge of the Arts & Humanities. I have not been impressed the the output, whether social or professional. Leaving Arts to the artists, History to the historians, politics to the politicians compounds the problem of 'Engineers getting no respect'. I cannot deal with my clients, employees and other professionals just within the confines of my 'job'. I have noticed that my actual output or 'product' looks and works better when I leave the professional confines. Just my take on the issue.

 

[FLisa]

And sometimes engineers turn into artists - Alex Calder being the most notable.
Understanding people is integral to the success of any product or project. Arts and humanities can give insight into peoples wants, desires, motivations and preferences.

 

[TAC]

Not only do arts and sciences help us understand the needs and wants of others, but they help us to be more well-rounded ourselves. This can only help us be better engineers. A large part of engineering is coming up with creative solutions to complicated problems. I think being exposed to arts and humanities helps us to think in ways that are above and beyond the science of the problem. Having a well rounded education is like having a tool box full of tools. You might be able to get by with a hammer, screwdriver, and cresent wrench most of the time, but every now and then you need a thinga-ma-jig to get the job done.

 

[BillBirch]

What about Da Vinci as being perhaps the greatest proponent of the integration of the arts, engineering (and medicine)? He has taught us the many solutions we seek have been addressed by nature itself.

 

[Imagineer]

I recently saw a program on the Discovery/TLC/History channel (never can remember which one) about the building of the interstate freeways. The program said that the very first freeways built here in America were straight and level. The monotony caused many accidents as people fell asleep or stopped paying attention. After a while, the civil engineers started putting in curves and stopped leveling hills. Traffic accidents from inattention and falling asleep decreased.

Two of my most pleasantly memorable road trips involved awesome stretches through the mountains and valleys of Montana and the curvy interstate wandering through the rolling Iowa hills. The drive through Montana even got better. I "just had to" test out the spedometer on my new Thunderbird the year that they posted "Safe and Reasonable".
Imagineer