• Question: Are you inspired by the engineering systems of the Romans? Or by the way they strategically worked around problems to find beneficial solutions and help build incredible civilisations?

    Asked by freyaisawesome to Ashwanth, Jeni, Mark, Natalie, Stephen on 14 Jun 2016.
    • Photo: Jeni Spragg

      Jeni Spragg answered on 14 Jun 2016:

      Yes, definitely! Someone else asked what inspired me, and I said I was inspired by history. We are so lucky to have access to so many great things, all thanks to developments over thousands of years. When you look at history, you realise how much engineering shapes our world. Like you say, the inventions of the Romans are a big part of what made them successful.

      Even today, engineering will be a big part of helping us to continue developing more, and especially helping to lift people out of poverty. Who knows what engineering inventions might change our own lives in the future?

    • Photo: Mark Gowan

      Mark Gowan answered on 14 Jun 2016:

      Freyaisawesome
      I am really inspired by the Romans, I love visiting Roman Villas here in the UK, I grew up near to a roman fort and bath house in Cumbria. I have to say most great civilisations have produced some fantastic engineering feats. I love the way the Greeks built and understood engineering, the Mayans in South and Central America and you have to remember the Egyptians who built such massive structures as the Pyramids over 4000 years ago.

    • Photo: Natalie Wride

      Natalie Wride answered on 15 Jun 2016:

      Hi freyaisawesome 🙂

      Yes definitely! The Romans were amazing Civil Engineers – all the Roman walls, roads, bridges and things like viaducts and the Roman baths show how great they were, especially when they’re still standing today. They were great problem solvers! In fact, my research looking at vibrations was first looked at by the Romans – did you know they used to ‘break step’ when they marched over bridges to make sure the bridge didn’t collapse? If they all marched at the same time the vibrations they caused would weaken the bridge and maybe cause it to collapse. You might have heard of the London Millennium Footbridge that opened in 2000 where a similar thing happened? It became known as the wobbly bridge because the vibrations caused by people walking over it made the whole bridge vibrate!!

    • Photo: Stephen Richardson

      Stephen Richardson answered on 15 Jun 2016:

      It seems like we’re all in agreement about how inspiring the Romans were!
      Did you know that they were using concrete to build buildings over 2000 years ago which are still standing today!
      Can you imagine if the Shard or the Gherkin will still be around in 2000 years? I somehow doubt it!
      So yes, the Romans did some amzingly inspiring stuff. They were also ruthless killers who murdered their way across the world and persecuted people who opposed them or had different beliefs than them – so not all good. But hey, who is?

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