STEAM not STEM 25

[Gumpmaster]

Where is engineering going? Down the tubes is the only place I can guess.

Some in the USA are trying to put the arts on par with engineering:

Oregonian STEAM Article

STEAM not STEM website

-So, should we water down our engineering education even further so we can be more artistic?
-Are arts really as important as the science and math portions of an education?
-Is this just an attempt by those with a less technical education to justify themselves?
-Does congress really need a STEAM caucus?

 

[CheckerHater]

So, student saying 2 + 2 = 5 will be considered “creative”?

 

[TenPenny]

The whole thing is a pointless exercise for politicians to hold meeting, eat food, drink coffee, make staffers write reports, and accomplish absolutely nothing. That's what politicians and their staff do, write reports, research position papers, and eat and travel on the taxpayers' dime.

At the end of the day, the actual accomplishments are generally zero to negative, but lots of meetings are held.

 

[CheckerHater]

So, all the "steam" will go into whistle? Sorry, just couldn't resist.

 

[SnTMan]

Ehhhh, art it's easy. There's no specs. Do whatever you want...

Regards,

Mike

 

[Gumpmaster]

Sometimes my structures are like modern art. Free form, make no sense, purposeless. People don't like them only because my genius is beyond them.

I can only think that politicians having a direct influence on engineering education will be a bad thing. I can't think of any benefits it will have.

 

[rb1957]

"where is engineering going?" ... off-shore ... india, china, brazil, ...

Quando Omni Flunkus Moritati

 

[rb1957]

STEAM successfully diverts the technical focus of STEM ...

but then i guess that's the objective ... to make it more "inclusive"

Quando Omni Flunkus Moritati

 

[JohnRBaker]

For those who might feel that 'art' has a minimal role in engineering and manufacturing today may I suggest that see the documentary 'Objectified' by Gary Hustwit. For more information about this film, go to:

http://www.objectifiedfilm.com/about/

If you want to learn more, go to...

http://www.objectifiedfilm.com/stream/

...where you can watch the 'trailer' as well as rent or buy the movie itself.

And if you like this film may I also suggest the other two films in Gary Hustwit's so-called 'design-trilogy', 'Helvetica' and 'Urbanized':

http://www.helveticafilm.com/about.html

http://urbanizedfilm.com/about/

And if you're a real 'gearhead', you'll love 'Linotype: The Film' by Doug Wilson:

http://www.linotypefilm.com/about.html

Anyway, enjoy.

DISCLAIMER: I have NO financial interest in any of these films. They are offered solely based on my opinion that they are interesting enough that more people should see them for their insight into our world and how we've put our mark on it.

John R. Baker, P.E.
Product 'Evangelist'
Product Engineering Software
Siemens PLM Software Inc.
Industry Sector
Cypress, CA
Siemens PLM:
UG/NX Museum:

To an Engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.

 

[SnTMan]

I am talking primarily about "consumer" products here...

I don't think there is any lack of "creativity" these days. What I think there is, is a lack of practical consideration of living with the product. With the advent of solid modelers and CNC manufacturing everything is swoopy, curvy, colorful and overmolded. Everything looks like a bug.

Ever try stacking up your bug-like objects? They don't, and if they do there is a lot of wasted space. The swoopy, curvy, overmolded toothbrush handles are too big to fit in a normal holder. I've got cordless tool chargers that the battery hangs over the edge of the charger, takes up unnecessary space. Why not turn the battery around?. The off-grey 1/16" lettering on my black electronics is only readable in the mid-day sun. The LCD screen on my cell-phone is not readable in any kind of daylight at all.

How about puzzling out the minor controls in the next rent car you're in? Why are they not standardized? "Travel mugs" are so top heavy and small at the base that they need to be in a cup-holder even in the house.

Never mind the cost pressures applied. I could go on I suppose...

Regards,

Mike

 

[stanweld]

Many designs should be considered art, especially great designs. Engineers provide realization of the design but not all engineers are good designers or inovators. If exposure to the arts, especially the design arts, produce more inovative engineers, it's not a bad idea.

 

[JohnRBaker]

What I think there is, is a lack of practical consideration of living with the product.

Then you DEFINITELY would enjoy watching the documentary 'Objectified' mentioned in my previous post since that's the basic message of the film.

John R. Baker, P.E.
Product 'Evangelist'
Product Engineering Software
Siemens PLM Software Inc.
Industry Sector
Cypress, CA
Siemens PLM:
UG/NX Museum:

To an Engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.

 

[SnTMan]

JohnR, I'll give it a look when I get the time...

 

[dicksewerrat]

I think we should do this. Once the engineers can add art, we can get start to practice architecture.

Richard A. Cornelius, P.E.

http://WWW.amlinereast.com

 

[CheckerHater]

This quote is usually attributed to David Hilbert, German mathematician:
'One of Hilbert's students stopped showing up to classes. On enquiring the reason, Hilbert was told that the student had left the university to become a poet. Hilbert:"I can't say I'm surprised. I never thought he had enough imagination to be a mathematician."'

 

[MiketheEngineer]

I have been in Engineering for almost 40 years. Graduated when NASA was winding down the Apollo missions. They all said I was dumb as there were like 50,000 engineers being let go. I have always made at least a good and right now a very good living. Engineering will NEVER go away. And I can retire in five years!!

 

[JohnRBaker]

I've been in engineering for nearly 47 years (if you count my co-op time) and am looking forward to retiring in maybe 2 years or so (I might hold out for that 50 year 'anniversary') and like you, have always made a good living and still am, which is partly why I've not been tempted to take an early retirement.

John R. Baker, P.E.
Product 'Evangelist'
Product Engineering Software
Siemens PLM Software Inc.
Industry Sector
Cypress, CA
Siemens PLM:
UG/NX Museum:

To an Engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.

 

[dvd]

There are more famous artists than famous engineers, not counting those of us on this website, of course....

I like art: I would like to be an artist. I think that encouraging young people to look at destinations off of the beaten path is not a bad idea. Engineering only solves certain types of problems, and only in a certain way. There are too many people to have all of us/them go into engineering, so why not present alternatives that could keep the engineering ranks more "pure"? I believe it is a better idea than encouraging young people to blindly charge into the medical professions.

 

[KENAT]

So, if students haven't been learning STEM subjects, and haven't been learning Arts, then what have they been spending their time on?

Posting guidelines faq731-376

http://eng-tips.com/market.cfm?

(probably not aimed specifically at you)
What is Engineering anyway: faq1088-1484​

 

[Gumpmaster]

Kenat, the big ones at my local university are the liberal arts and "sports science".

I'm not sure that liberal arts are an actual art.

I know that "sports science" isn't actual science. It's a fancy name for PE teacher.