• Question: what is the most interesting thing you have learned as an engineer

    Asked by o mister to Yasmin, Tadhg, Liz, Lee, Hilly on 16 Jun 2015.
    • Photo: Yasmin Ali

      Yasmin Ali answered on 16 Jun 2015:

      Today, because of a question someone on here asked me, I learned that under certain conditions, hot water freezes quicker than cold water!!

      Over the last 5 years, I’ve learned how electricity is generated and distributed. It’s so fascinating and something that I used to just take for granted! I think it’s really cool how National Grid balance electricity supply with demand, they make sure that there is enough electricity in the system at times when it’s needed. Like when you get home from school today, everyone else will be getting home and putting the TV, kettle, lights on so there’s a massive surge in electricity demand. National Grid make sure there are enough power stations working so there isn’t a blackout!!

    • Photo: Tadhg O'Donovan

      Tadhg O'Donovan answered on 17 Jun 2015:

      I think it must be about nature – evolution has been the most amazing engineer – we often try to copy nature in our design; it’s call biomicry. Velco is a good example; it was inspired by burrs that stuck to the inventor’s dog’s hair.

    • Photo: Lee Margetts

      Lee Margetts answered on 18 Jun 2015:

      I once saw a famous professor give an amazing talk on using supercomputers to reduce the amount of water needed to flush away the “contents” of a toilet bowl. Sophisticated equations drove the computer model and a highly efficient swirling action did the job with the tiniest amount of water. The crowd loudly and enthusiastically applauded the professor’s ingenious efforts to save water, a precious and scarce resource in many parts of the world.

      When the audience was invited to ask questions, I quickly put up my hand. I asked him if he knew that the volume of water in a flush was optimized to push those “contents” through the pipes under the ground, away from the house and into the sewage main running under the street. Without enough water, the “contents” would collect in the pipes under his garden, block the pipe and cause an awful pong!

      So, the most interesting thing I have learned as an engineer is that you have to think about the whole system, its operation, maintenance and safety, as well as its “apparent” function. That requires imagination!

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