ART
OF ENGINEERING
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B
y definition, engineering is the creative application of
science, mathematical methods and empirical evidence
for innovative design. So the word ENGINEERING itself
says that engineering is an art. Most of the people who follow
engineering fail to see it because they do it only as a profession
or they do it only because they are supposed to follow it as
a course. For engineering to be an art the person should be
passionate about it, whatever the field is.
An idea can be very creative and artsy but it needs certain
means and skills to bring it into existence. When we hear
the name Leonardo da Vinci, what comes to our mind first is
Mona Lisa. But that’s not all about Da Vinci. Above all, he was
an engineer, an engineer who was passionate about what he
was doing. The self-standing bridge is the most appropriate
example to show that engineering is an art, not just a dry
technical field where you get to struggle with numbers and
equations all day.
Source: https://shop.questacon.edu.au
Engineering is a new angle to see the things in a different way.
If we look into an ant hole or a beehive, marvelous designs
and structures can be seen. Those are the most commonly
used designs and structures nowadays. People who follow
engineering as a passion are able to see the patterns in nature
itself and they know how to apply those in the real world.
That is the art, the beauty of engineering. It’s not just about
trusses and structures, it also is about the outer appearance.
If we take Akashi Kaikyo Bridge for an example, it is crystal
clear that art and engineering are inseparable.
Art is an idea and engineering is the implementation of that
idea. Therefore one is incomplete without the other. Although
many design engineers could
be considered as artists for
designing amazing entities
such as Ferrari, F-22 Raptor,
a spaceship or just the steam
engine, even when they are
not, engineering still serves
as a tool for creation. Most
of the students who follow
engineering fail to see this
aspect because they do it
just because they are asked
to do it or forced to do it or
they only see engineering as
a profession or a good source
of money. Students must be
encouraged to discover new
things in a different way.
A new invention always
begins with a spec of
creativity that occurs in
one’s mind. If someone is
brave enough to see this
creativity in each and every
field of engineering, he sees
the beauty of engineering.
Manufacturing/
designing
also plays an important role
in the field. Nanostructures
and Nanotechnology are
revolutionary inventions of
engineering. The basic idea
was inspired by a water drop
on a lotus leaf or a gecko
on a wall without falling.
Most of the war crafts and
weapons are also designed
by the inspiration of animals
showing how the creations
of nature itself are applied
GAUGE Magazine University of Peradeniya
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