Key Milestones in the Development of Engineering - Essay Example

Key Milestones in the Development of Engineering s) grade Key Milestones in the Development of Engineering Introduction The world witnessed dramatic scientific breakthrough in the past two centuries. Science, technology, and engineering aligned in the process of innovation. The development of Engineering is closely associated with the growth of science and technology. Therefore, in order to identify the key milestones in the development of engineering, one needs to make a collective study of all these factors. This paper tends to discuss how Engineering became a significant area of research and education. It also covers the remarkable stages of the development before it spread into numerous branches. History of Engineering The history of engineering begins with the history of mankind. Although the forerunners of engineers like craftsmen, builders, and sculptures were not addressed so, they laid the foundation of engineering (History of engineering). When they began to approach problems in a more scientific way, their work became more professional in its nature. Mathematical representation and structural analysis of problems became basic features of engineering. “Science, technique and craftsmanship grow together. New development in engineering arises from a combination of all three.” (Gregory, 1971 p.7 ). Basic concept of engineering Designing, creating, and processing were the basic notion of engineering. “Engineering is the application of mathematical and physical science (physics, chemistry, and biology) to the design and manufacture of items that benefit humanity.” (Pytel A., Kiusalaas J 2001 p.1). It was obviously in the 18th century since the industrial revolution, engineering emerged to be an important concept. Industrial nations opened up new employment opportunities to design and operate machinery. As Ritz (2006) states, the creation of industrial workforce became essential in the developed countries and the entrepreneurs thought that the public schools should take the initiative. Engineering as an educational subject. As a result of industrial revolution, vocational schools became popular and technical education became the inevitable part of curriculum (Ritz). As mentioned earlier, science, technology, and mathematics became the inseparable parts of engineering. Today technological literacy is essential for engineering students of every discipline. The modern concept of engineering courses is that it should emphasis the application of mathematical and scientific knowledge to a specific field while including liberal subjects such as social science and humanities to give engineers broader education. (The Columbia Encyclopedia, 2009 p.15857). Significant landmarks 1. Industrialization Industrialization was the initial effect of the enormous application of technology and engineering in various fields. Sophisticated machinery and highly useful equipments were designed for every work which resulted in high level of production and profit. Application of technology reduced labor cost as well as human effort. However, the effective application of technology always demanded skilled engineering. Hence civil, mechanical, and structural engineering disciplines flourished in the 18th and 19th centuries starting from Britain to different parts of the world. 2. Electricity and chemicals If the initial landmark of the development of engineering was the industrial revolution, the second must be the invention of electricity and chemicals in the mid 1800s (history of engineering). These two innovations intensified the field of engineering more than ever before. As a result of these inventions, new engineering orders came up such as chemical engineering and electrical engineering. The application of electrical engineering brought about dramatic improvement in every field. Steam engines were replaced by electric and electronic devices. Both electric engineering and chemical engineering became highly important areas of research and employment.( History of engineering). 3. Invention of computer The advent of computer technology was a landmark in the development of engineering. Today all engineering activities rely on the support of computer technology and its engineers. In fact, no engineering is solely independent in its function; instead collective efforts of experts from various engineering fields accomplish remarkable tasks. Moreover, as Horenstein (2009, p.3) proposes, modern successful engineers are educated in multiple engineering disciplines. Healthcare is a notable industrial sector that has been highly benefited by modern engineering and technology. This branch of engineering is known as medical/ biomedical engineering. The use of X-ray, CT scan and MRI helps diagnosis and treatment of various diseases. Furthermore, modern equipments help in the research and development of new medicines and experiments. Transplantation of internal organs, hip replacement, and life support systems are some of the remarkable contribution of medical engineering. 5. Governmental/organizational support Scientific research and engineering was highly promoted by governments and various organizations in many parts of the world. Governmental policies on technical and engineering education accelerated the growth of engineering in industrialized nations. For instance, National Academy of Engineering (NAE), founded in 1964 coordinated scientific and engineering experiments, and still conducts studies on relevant topics in engineering and technology in the United States(NAE website.). Another non-profit organization Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) performs national and international level leadership in college and university programs in applied science, computing, engineering and technology. (ABET website). 4. Information technology Finally, the most remarkable milestone in the development of engineering was the growth of information technology. Telecom engineering began popular with the telecommunication technology. It is closely associated with electrical, civil, structural, and broadcast engineering. Information technology and communication has been highly benefited by the modern engineering branches. Technologies like internet and mobile phone have become the fastest method of collecting and transferring information. In addition to the above mentioned developments, various other engineering subjects also have been rising as latest developments since the growth of computer and information technology. Some of them are biological engineering, environmental engineering, nuclear engineering, aeronautical engineering, genetic engineering, system engineering, and microelectronic engineering (Horenstein, 2009 p.2). Many of them are basically the streams of conventional engineering like mechanical, civil and structural engineering. However, the complexity of modern technology and science has made the new disciplines distinctive. Conclusion The development of engineering is the development of science and technology. Today, engineering is not an individual task; instead, it is the collaboration of broad interactive teams of experts. It has grown to numerous discipline of research and has become highly significant profession in modern world. Engineering profession is always relevant wherever plan, construction, and operation are required. The advancement of science and technology will promote engineering and make it a wider subject of significance in future. Works Cited Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET), official website. 17th Oct. 2009 http://www.abet.org/ “Encyclopedia Article” The Columbia Encyclopedia Sixth Edition, Columbia University Press.2009 Gregory M S. History and Development of Engineering. Longman, 1971. History of Engineering. Engineering an Endless Frontier. Viewed 17th Oct.2009 http://www.creatingtechnology.org/history.htm Ritz J. Technology and Engineering are Both Addressed Through Technology Education: A Critical Factor that will Influence What We will Teach Is the Field and Profession of Engineering. The Technology Teacher, vol.66. 2006. Horenstein M N. Design Concepts for Engineers, illustrated 4, Prentice Hall, 2009. National Academy of Engineering (NAE), official website.17th Oct. 2009 http://www.nae.edu/15.aspx Pytel A., Kiusalaas J. Engineering Mechanics: Statics, Engineering Mechanics Series, edn.2. Cengage Learning EMEA, 2001. Read More