As engineers, we are often forced to act on assumptions. We possibly don’t revisit those assumptions often enough. Electric vehicles are better for the environment, right? Isn’t the best move for the bottom line a low-priced purchase? Plants can’t teach us about motion, can they? Warning people about carnage on the roads couldn’t make it worse, could it? Happy reading.
What Engineers Can Learn From the Ways Plants Move
Engineers are often inspired by nature, but mechanical inspiration coming from stationary plants? “Plants are minimal energy machines.” They operate using hydraulics. “Maple and sycamore seeds are sophisticated autogyros, and the seeds of the dandelion are sophisticated balloonists.”
IMechE News, May 2022
Manufacturing Job Creation Lacks a Common-Sense Approach
Look past the jargon and US-centricity and this article shows why focusing on price is short-sighted when selecting a supplier. Flexibility, responsiveness and speed of delivery have solid financial benefits but they are outside of what is seen on a purchase order.
Industry Week, July 2022
Greenwashed: Electric Pickup Trucks Are Dirtier Than You Think
The resource-intensive manufacturing and shear mass of electric pickup trucks means that they are less environmentally sound than small gasoline cars. “There's still an environmental price to pay even if the costs have been pushed upstream and out of sight.”
The Drive, June 2022
Roadside Safety Messages Increase Crashes by Distracting Drivers
It seems that getting a bad driver’s attention can sidetrack the driver from other cognitive loads, like avoiding car accidents. Shockingly, it gets worse if the distraction is at a difficult stretch of road! It’s a government initiative so maybe the motorists are crashing just to stick it to the man.
The Conversation, May 2022