Writing from the reader’s point of view
As a former editor, I often find myself wondering why so many writers don’t seem to consider the reader’s point of view. It’s the editor’s job to advocate for the […]
Engineering education
How engineers came to understand sulfate attack
We’ve discussed the mechanisms of sulfate attack in a previous blog. Soils in the western United States and the prairie provinces of Canada often contain high concentrations of sulfates. The […]
What can we learn from the Vasa?
In the 1620s, Sweden—at the time a regional power—had concluded its wars with Denmark and Russia, but was still at war with Poland. In 1625, King Gustav II Adolf signed […]
Technical presentations
In addition to technical writing, engineers need to be able to make good technical presentations. We’ve all experienced the proverbial death by PowerPoint, so we know what makes a bad […]
First things first
Although I’m not a devotee of business books, I reread First Things First by Steven R. Covey, A. Roger Merrill, and Rebecca R. Merrill every few years. When it came […]
How to overcome writer’s block
A few weeks ago I gave my students their first lecture on technical writing. As part of their two-semester capstone course, they produce a comprehensive report for their client. The […]
How natural experiments inform public health
Previous posts on this blog have explored learning—or failing to learn—from experience. Ultimately, survival and flourishing depend on being able to extract the right lessons from experience. Ideally, experiences would […]
Wherever you go, there you are
Who first observed that “wherever you go, there you are”? Buckaroo Banzai? Confucius? While it may sound like Eastern wisdom, it seems to have a Western origin: So, the cross […]
Supply chain ethics of electric vehicles
Engineering students must demonstrate “an ability to apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specified needs with consideration of public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, […]