As an undergraduate student, I had always wanted to study Engineering but i was forced to studied Physics. My colleagues then always mock me that i'm an Engineer without title, while the counterpart colleagues would say the scientists are more intelligent. Are scientists and engineers friends or rivals?
Friends and rivals, perhaps?
To me, the engineer-to-scientist spectrum is a continuous spectrum. You can't be a good engineer if you don't have some scientist in you, and you will have a really tough time designing experiments, and conducting experiments, if you don't have some engineer in you.
I'm almost afraid to ask why one would be forced to study physics, rather than engineering? As an undergraduate, I found that in fact physics, EE, and optics, were very, very similar. One reason for that was that engineering in college, unlike what most laymen think, hardly ever involves use of a soldering iron. A lab course or two, at best, might require this. That's it. Most of the course work is math and physics. The emphasis or the ultimate goal might be different, but those are almost details!
Hi Fasir,
this is a very nice question. I expect an exciting dicussion here on this subject.
From my point of yiew (being scientist) I think, if we will being successful then we have to be friends.
As soon as theory enters the test phase by simulations and experiments engineers are needed in order to upport the scientist in the proof of theory. The time is over for lonly 'fighters'. Most things are now a days very complex.
And we need intelligent engineers to perform these tests doing this in a team and respecting one another.
Friends and rivals, perhaps?
To me, the engineer-to-scientist spectrum is a continuous spectrum. You can't be a good engineer if you don't have some scientist in you, and you will have a really tough time designing experiments, and conducting experiments, if you don't have some engineer in you.
I'm almost afraid to ask why one would be forced to study physics, rather than engineering? As an undergraduate, I found that in fact physics, EE, and optics, were very, very similar. One reason for that was that engineering in college, unlike what most laymen think, hardly ever involves use of a soldering iron. A lab course or two, at best, might require this. That's it. Most of the course work is math and physics. The emphasis or the ultimate goal might be different, but those are almost details!
They must be friends.
And even better:
every engineer must be a bit of a scientist and vice versa :-))
As an engineer you are able to "move" the world, you are a tremendously useful person in society, you build reliable things like bridges according to rules. No one else can. You are the one with the title.
A scientist maybe good in one aspect of science (Physics), but can only help society in the narrow part of physics.
My father, a civil engineer designed the first anti-seismic houses back in the 1920's. There came an earthquake and his building (a bank) and the church were the only ones standing in a certain city. The bank president did not believe that the bank was still standing, he travelled to see for himself. Engineers make miracles!
In the middle of Canada engineers are rare. When they built a new bridge on the Trans-Canada highway the only engineer around was expecting a baby. The bridge was almost ready and traffic was tremendous and was making a detour around gravel roads for months. A huge headache for all drivers. It was required that the engineer inspect the bridge before the traffic can go over it. The whole operation was delayed 2 weeks or so until the engineer (and baby) were able to visit the site and approve the construction.
There is a shortage of engineers here. You could be very useful, but don't bring your physics friend, we have many here.
@Michael Issigonis ·
Hahaha do you mean the number of scientist are sufficient enough?
Hello Nasir,
The shortage of engineers is most notable, usually new graduates get many job offers.
Scientists can find work as well as new immigrant scientists.
In my career I saw engineers and scientists as rivals (perhaps Pakistani mentality)
@Mushtaq, this is exactly what is happening. Could it be it's peculiar to developing countries?
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