Engineer in a Box?

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Posted by michael on Wednesday September 25, 2002 @11:54AM from the i-love-the-smell-of-solder-in-the-morning dept.

Dr.Luke writes "Robert Lucky in a IEEE Spectrum Online article laments the state of today's engineering as progressively more removed from the "real" reality of tinkering and soldering "in a big musty laboratory" like Thomas Edison as engineers become more and more reliant on software tools and simulations. He fears that "math itself is slipping away into the wispy clouds of software that surround us" and that eventually engineers will be substituted by a bestselling software program Engineer-in-a-Box 2.0. What do you think?"

19 of 344 comments (clear)

What Edison would say if alive today... by DoctorHibbert · 2002-09-25 11:56 · Score: 1, Funny

"Help, let me out of this coffin I CAN'T BREATH!"

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1. Re:What Edison would say if alive today... by Hal-9001 · 2002-09-25 13:44 · Score: 2, Funny
  
  Old lady: "Tell me, Dr. Hathaway, what's Professor Einstein really like?"
  
  Dr. Hathaway: "Dead."
  
  --
  "It take 9 months to bear a child, no matter how many women you assign to the job."
ah yes, the box by writertype · 2002-09-25 11:58 · Score: 3, Funny

I think that most engineers would happily jump into a box if it said "Krispy Kreme" on the side. But that's just me. :)
Getting close... by Codex+The+Sloth · 2002-09-25 11:59 · Score: 3, Funny

I've been an engineer in a cube for at least 10 years...

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Hey man, I worked in a big musty laboratory... by JayDoggy · 2002-09-25 11:59 · Score: 2, Funny

Day after day in the sweaty, cramped confines of a remote computing lab on North Campus at U-Michigan, banging out code on an oldish HP-UX box, telnet'ing to distant friend's computers (ok, they were only across campus at the newer labs, but whatever), and ever fearful that the weird dude who'd sit in the last row of machines and look at dungeon porn would show up and I'd get uncomfortable and have to leave.
Speaking as a recently graduated electrical... by Anonymous Coward · 2002-09-25 12:00 · Score: 1, Funny

...engineer, there's nothing wrong with the math. It's as difficult as ever.
1. Re:Speaking as a recently graduated electrical... by nelsonal · 2002-09-25 12:53 · Score: 2, Funny
  
  A hearty amen, I was just one of the many who proved that lim(gpa->0)engineer->business major. After I somehow passed DifEQ II, I realized that engineering was not for me and to studied finance, I saw that on a shirt that the MEs were selling. I almost got one as a joke to wear to business classes. Almost all the finance majors had begun in engineering.
  
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What do you think?" by digitalsushi · 2002-09-25 12:00 · Score: 3, Funny

What do you think?

I dont think! I bet Engineer-in-a-Box 2.0 could tell me though!

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I can by geekoid · 2002-09-25 12:02 · Score: 3, Funny

think of a few engineers I would like to see in a box.
besides, don't they already use software to conduct trains?
*ducks, runs off.*

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As any good engineer knows... by swordboy · 2002-09-25 12:03 · Score: 4, Funny

The computer is a tool but nothing more. For the most part, you can get yourself in the "ballpark" with good tools but nothing can replace real world testing. A good engineer will come home with their sleeves rolled up and their hands dirty.

I'm not sure why the collar is necessary at that point.

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Life is the leading cause of death in America.
Since the people that become engineers by Anonymous Coward · 2002-09-25 12:04 · Score: 1, Funny

were the ones that were stuffed into lockers in high school, stuffing them into a box shouldn't be a problem...
Re:2.0? I hope not! by Ino · 2002-09-25 12:11 · Score: 0, Funny

Hey - look on the bright side - Engineer-in-a-Box 6.0 will know how to read email :)

And in one of the future versions - a dancing paperclip will be introduced.
Re:um by Anonymous Coward · 2002-09-25 12:17 · Score: 1, Funny

um, actually I think Engineer-in-a-Box 1.0 wrote Engineer-in-a-Box 2.0
Engibeer by Zakias · 2002-09-25 12:28 · Score: 2, Funny

One thing is for sure:

If the great engineers of the world were replaced by software the beer companies would suffer the most! :-)

Have one on me....

Zakias
Re:It'll take Engineer in a box 3.0 at least... by opello · 2002-09-25 12:31 · Score: 1, Funny

Not to continue the Windows analogy, but Engineer-in-a-box 2.0 is codenamed Engineer-in-a-box 1.0 RC2 SP5 ... but only if 'they' get their hands on it ... (let the paranoia begin)
Re:Engineering is more difficult now by SkOink · 2002-09-25 12:37 · Score: 2, Funny

What this article neglects to recognize is that engineering things nowadays is vastle more difficult than engineering in the time of, say, Edison. You could engineer a lightbulb on the back of an envelope. Think you engineer a CPU like that ?
Sure you can! It's easy!
1) Find a BIG envelope.
2) Take a piece of chewing gum and two paperclips, and...
3) ???
4) Pentium 4!

At least, that's how I surmise the people at Intel are doing it :)

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Re:Engineering is more difficult now by Anonymous Coward · 2002-09-25 13:23 · Score: 1, Funny

Sure sure!

3) Call MacGyver
Re:Decline of Math/Drawing skills by dgmartin98 · 2002-09-25 20:20 · Score: 2, Funny

LOL I noticed that too. The first thought that came to me was, "That's why engineers have a reputation for bad spelling and grammer."

.Dave
a fellow engineer

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FPGA, Wireless, ASIC, Verilog, VHDL, HW, 10yr exp, Team Lead, Ottawa (More? Email above. slashdotusername=dgmartin98 )
Re:What do I think? by Rogerborg · 2002-09-26 00:15 · Score: 3, Funny

And when the first caveman tied his sharp rock to the end of a long stick, there was an old guy sitting next to him saying "Huh, in my day, we had to learn how to kill wild pigs up close and personal. Sure, your way is more efficient, but I understand the fundamentals."

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