Accessory dwelling units in Minnesota
Accessory dwelling units provide additional living space separate from the main house. You could use the unit as additional housing for extended family members to give them both privacy and […]
Insights
Auld Lang Syne
When we sing Robert Burns’ “Auld Lang Syne” on New Year’s Eve, do we really understand what it’s about? The Scots language tends to obscure the meaning, and most of […]
ASTM C31 and C39: the cost of bad testing
Previously we discussed acceptance testing of concrete according to ASTM C31, Standard Practice for Making and Curing Concrete Test Specimens in the Field and ASTM C39, Standard Test Method for Compressive […]
ASTM C31 and C39: what could go wrong?
For quality assurance in concrete construction, the most common acceptance criterion is the compressive strength of the concrete. A field technician makes specimens according to ASTM C31, Standard Practice for […]
How fish overcame the tragedy of the commons
The tragedy of the commons occurs when individuals acting in their own interest cause widespread harm. It can take the form of overuse of common resources, or of air- or […]
Indigenous fire management
Growing up in California, I remember summer as fire season. Every year the vegetation in the hills around us would dry out. Then it would take just one careless camper […]
Sustainability is good engineering
Engineering has always been about the wise use of resources. Traditionally, the profession focused on resources in the microeconomic sense. That is, the economic interests of the owner, employer, or […]
Yellow dirt: the environmental legacy of the Manhattan Project
Through my work on several National Academy of Sciences committees I’ve come to appreciate the lasting effects on tribal lands—and the peoples who lived there. Several sites around the United […]
Science and advocacy
Previous blogs have cautioned against crossing the line between science and advocacy. But what does that mean in practice, and why is it a problem? For one thing, it’s contrary […]
The National Academies
The National Academies are a private, nongovernmental organization advising the federal government on science, engineering, and medicine. Abraham Lincoln authorized the creation of the National Academy of Sciences in 1863. […]