A Mechanical Engineer is one who is involved in the the branch of engineering concerned with the design, manufacture, installation, and operation of engines and machines and with manufacturing processes. It is particularly concerned with forces and motion. This is the definition of Mechanical Engineering stolen straight off of Britanica. An answer like this however, fails to satisfy the vast majority of people. After all, this just sounds like technical jargon, and people tend to want a more personal answer. For me at least, I would say Mechanical Engineering is the intersection between economics, mathematics, natural sciences and ethics.
Modern day Trans-Atlantic Fiber Optic Cable
A lot of people describe technology, science, and machines as “magic”, if that is truly the case, then Engineers are the wizards. Engineers do have to follow the natural laws, but through the years a wide range of absolutely phenomenal achievements have occurred. What comes to mind as one of the earliest Engineering marvels was when in 1858 a telegram cable from the US to Britain was laid across the entire Atlantic Ocean. Queen Victoria was able to send a message to the US president of the time, James Buchanan (it did take 16 hours to transmit as the technology was still not nearly as advanced at the time). These days people get anxious after sending a text without a response in 10 minutes so I couldn’t imagine how the Queen was feeling! This would also be the basis for intercontinental internet as a similar, yet technically more advanced cable lies on the ocean floor today. For the time however, being able to send messages across the Atlantic Ocean would usually take weeks, an entire naval ship, and a messenger so being able to bypass that was nothing short of pure sorcery.
Edison(left) vs Tesla(right)
Engineers are also detectives, being able to hold the keys to natural mysteries rather than criminal ones. Engineers have developed a diagnostic method for being able to understand problems and develop solutions that is unceremoniously called the Engineering Design Process. With this process though, Engineers gain a deeper understanding of their problem, the constraints, the uncertainties, but most importantly, how to break past those limits. Akin to how detectives need hard evidence, deduction, field work to solve a case; Engineers need research, critical thinking, and testing to overcome a problem. Inventors needed to be able trailblaze through what was unknown in order to contribute to the world as we know it. One of the most famous examples would be the battle between Nikola Tesla and Thomas Edison over whether AC (Alternating Current) or DC (Direct Current) would be the choice for how everyone uses electricity. Both phenomena were cutting edge for the time and as such the limits needed to be tested. Tesla ultimately won as it was discovered DC would be harder to manage and would possibly fry houses, but the story of these two shows exactly how “the unknown” would eventually become “the known” through their work.
The Destruction of the Challenger Spacecraft 74 seconds after liftoff
Last and certainly not least, Engineers are human. Despite all of the wonderful things and marvels that Engineers provide, they also make some egregious mistakes. The development of the atomic weapon might be one example of a mistake engineers have made. Even though the time and situation seemed to call for it, the unforeseen consequences of the resulting Cold War and mutually assured destruction has had lasting effects that can still even be felt today. But even engineering failures that aren’t on a worldwide magnitude can still change the lives of the people affected by them. Take the case of the Space Shuttle Challenger for example, a shuttle that broke apart 73 seconds after liftoff, killing the 7 people onboard. The problem happened to be caused by the rubber O-ring being weakened by the cold air, allowing air to seep into the craft and causing the pressure difference to expand and explode the aircraft. An Engineer had warned NASA not to allow the shuttle to fly that day because of cold but this communication was ignored. This tragedy serves as a grim reminder that even though Engineers can achieve amazing things, they also have a duty to be ethical about their decisions, and to protect the people around them.
My own experiences being an Engineer have all led me to believe that the three roles an Engineer fulfills are all working in tandem together. NASA once commissioned possible solution ideas for how to superheat regolith whilst also transferring it on the moon – a feat that had never been achieved before. After pouring in countless hours into research and development we came with a solution. Admittedly it was lackluster at best and dysfunctional at worst, but it taught me what it really means to be an Engineer. That is, when you fail, you learn from it.
Ultimately, Engineers are wizards, detectives and most importantly, human. They can make miracles but they also have a responsibility to everyone around them. They trailblaze and provide the footsteps to which humanity needs to take and the decisions they make can have a rippling effect on the world around them.