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Aerospace Engineering Aerospace engineering is the area of engineering that deals with aircraft and space vehicles. The Web site contains numerous links to Internet resources for aerospace engineers: information on NASA projects and missions, news, professional tools, publications, software, aerospace companies, and more. For discussion, the Usenet group is devoted to the technology of space flight. Web:
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Audio Engineering The Audio Engineering Society is a professional society devoted to audio technology. They maintain this Web page, which is a collection of links in the area of audio technology as well as related topics. You can find timely references to papers and articles on loudspeakers, sound reinforcement, microphones, disk recording, time-delay spectrometry and digital audio. For discussion, there are a number of Usenet groups in which you can participate. I have included the ones that are the most useful for audio engineering. Web:
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Biomedical Engineering Biomedical engineering is an interdisciplinary field, combining engineering, physics and chemistry to develop instruments used to study and treat living organisms. Biomedical engineers design such devices as pacemakers, dialysis machines, medical lasers, surgical instruments, and so on. The Web is a good place to search for biomedical engineering information on the Net. You will find academic resources, publications and organizations, as well as information about jobs, grants and conferences. For discussion with other biomedical engineers, try Usenet. Web:
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CAD (Computer Aided Design) The aim of CAD (computer aided design) is to use computers for creating designs. A basic CAD system can be used to model a design, produce drawings, and keep track of a list of all the parts needed for a particular design. More advanced systems will provide sophisticated help to the engineer during the design process. Web:
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Chemical Engineering Chemical engineering is the study of the industrial applications of chemistry. In other words, chemical engineers use raw material to make stuff. Did you know that of the four main branches of engineering -- civil, mechanical, electrical and chemical -- chemical engineering has the fewest people, but they make the most money? Check the Net and see if you can find the formula. Web:
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Civil Engineering The term "civil engineering" was first used in the 18th century to describe engineering work performed by civilians for nonmilitary purposes. Today, civil engineering is a broad field, dealing with works of public utility: roads, buildings, bridges, dams, airports, tunnels, and so on (which is probably why the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers -- civil engineers to the max -- live inside the military). Here are some civil engineering sites from around the world. See what you can build with it. Web:
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Cold Region Engineering When the temperature falls below freezing (0 degrees centigrade, 32 degrees Fahrenheit), water solidifies and the natural world changes dramatically. This causes many engineering problems. For example, machinery may stop working properly, and many materials will change their properties. Nearly half our planet will, at some time during the year, experience temperatures below freezing. In fact, 20 percent of the Earth is underlaid by permafrost (permanently frozen subsoil). Thus, cold region engineering is an important discipline that draws from general engineering, earth sciences and physical sciences. Web:
Electrical Engineering Electrical engineering deals with systems and devices that use electric power and electric signals. The four main areas of this discipline are electronics, computers, communications and control, and electric power and machinery. If you are an electrical engineer (or a student), here are a lot of resources you will enjoy. Web:
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Electronics Engineering Electronics engineering is the branch of electrical engineering that deals with electrical devices and systems. Electronics engineers work in such areas as chips and computer components, digital signal processing, industrial embedded computing, microcontrollers and microprocessors, as well as real-time and embedded systems. (I wish I had an electronics engineer right now. My toaster only toasts the bread on one side.) Web:
Engineering Failures When things go wrong, the most important thing to do is to ask "Why?" Why, for example, did the space shuttle Challenger blow up in 1986? Why did the skywalk collapse in Kansas City in 1981? The answers to these questions and a lot more are to be found in the FAQ (frequently asked question list) for the sci.engr Usenet groups, as well as these other resources. (By the way, the space shuttle blew up when a failed pressure seal [O-ring] leaked combustion gases. The Kansas City skywalk collapsed because the nuts and rods that were supposed to support two levels of catwalk were inadequate because of poor communication between the designers and the contractor.) Web:
Engineering Resources Engineering covers so wide a range of activities as to almost defy definition. Still, such trifles never stopped me, so here it goes: Engineering is the profession in which a knowledge of science and mathematics is used to control the materials and forces of nature. If you have any interest in any type of engineering, paste these Web addresses into your hat. You'll find links to information on just about any type of engineering you can imagine (and several you can't imagine). Web:
Engineering Talk and General Discussion If you are a part of the engineering community, you may want to participate in an ongoing discussion of engineering topics. If so, there are plenty of places on Usenet where you can talk shop. Usenet:
Engineering Tools Are you an engineer? If so, you've probably got a few projects right now that you'd love to finish early so you can go surfing. (Well, I know I do.) When you are a technology expert, you need the best tools to do the best job. So try these tools, and maybe you'll finish work early enough to catch a few waves before sunset. (If you can't surf, at least come out and watch me.) Web:
Geotechnical Engineering Geotechnical engineering is the engineering discipline related to the technology and methods of soil mechanics. Geotechnical engineers build things that must interact with geological structures. If you ever go to a party with such people, you will hear them talk about consolidation, lateral earth pressures, bearing capacity and stability. The father of modern geotechnical engineering (soil mechanics, actually) is the Hungarian-American Karl von Terzaghi (1883-1963). Web:
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Mechanical Engineering Mechanical engineering is the broadest of the engineering sciences. In simple terms, mechanical engineering concerns itself with things that move in some way. More generally, this discipline can be divided into two main parts: machine design and working with heat. One day I'm going to find a way to combine the two, and invent an automated system to warm up my peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Web:
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Mining The goal of mining is to remove mineral resources from the ground, in particular gems (precious stones), ores (substances containing metals), and solid fuels (such as coal). Before a new mine can become fully operational, there must be an enormous amount of research, planning and development, sometimes taking years. The job of a mining engineer is to provide the expertise to help plan and oversee such operations. Some mining engineers work with geologists and metallurgical engineers to look for new ore deposits. Other mining engineers work on the design of mines, including the construction of shafts, tunnels and ore transportation systems. Still other engineers develop mining equipment and methods to extract mineral from the raw ore. The resources I have listed here pertain to both mining engineering and the mining industry. Web:
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Nuclear Engineering So you want to impress your best girl (or guy) and show your parents that you really can amount to something? Go to this Web site and learn something about nuclear engineering (applying technology based on energy absorbed or released during atomic reactions). How hard could it be? After all, it's not rocket science. Web:
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Optical Engineering Do you need to shed light on your engineering problems? Here are some resources devoted to optical engineering (applying the science of light) and to photonics (transmission of information via light, usually lasers). By the way, when I was a graduate student at the University of California at San Diego, one of my best friends was an optical engineer. I used to do my math homework with her. Web:
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Robotics Robotics is the study and creation of machines guided by automatic controls (robots). Although it is fashionable to think of robots as being humanoid, outside of science fiction, robots look a lot more like your toaster than like your Uncle Henry. Web:
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