Comments on "Engineer the Tools of Scientific Discovery"

Engineering new tools for scientific discovery in the biological sciences still holds great promise, as in the area of imaging of soft solids on nano-size scales and in various dimensions (ranging from 0 for point, to 4 for 'movies' in both time and space). Two examples include (1) contact-mode or dynamic indentation AFM in which the tip is not at the end of an oscillating cantilever beam but at the end of some other mechanical structure, and (2) NMR frequency and relaxation-time spectroscopy methods in which the test sample is deliberately moved uniformly to open up NMR access to (electric) polarization and thus internal endogenous electric fields of any multipole order. Both approaches, though, will require out-of-the-box thinking by young, maverick Ph.D.-level scientists and engineers who do NOT believe experts' claims that there are no new major advances now to make in these fields. However, by probing more deeply and more broadly into the underlying physics, it will become evident that there are theoretical physics frameworks upon which to rest hopes that one day prototypes of new imaging microscopes will be invented, made, used in the lab, and reported on in well-cited peer-reviewed engineering and scientific research journals.

Is there a term for an approach to scientific research that prioritizes or steers research in directions related to the things engineers would love to know in order to be able to solve problems currently just out of reach because of unanswered scientific questions? In other words, an incremental program using engineering possibilities as a reference to ask scientific questions related to the next most-doable engineering breakthrough. Or in the other direction, using engineers’ expertise to help determine what might be the next most-answerable purely scientific questions…

It seems to me that this kind of approach would tend to provide some discipline in areas where pure research may tend to wander off into unproductive directions – string theory and related concepts in theoretical physics come to mind here – where the theories produced can’t even be tested.

I’m fairly sure that the approach I’m describing here is already practiced. I’m just wondering whether or not there is some more-or-less philosophical term for it.

I recognize also that the engineering-oriented approach can’t usefully be applied in some areas of research or discovery (or when it can be applied in those, it’s in much more limited ways) – it would not have been much use to Darwin or Galileo.

I also wonder about how much of what we now recognize as solid (unlikely to be overturned) scientific knowledge was produced in an engineering environment or with an engineering motivation, either by professionals or amateur tinkerers. One sufficient proof of any scientific theory is its application in some kind of problem-solving technology.

Thanks,
Damon Minvielle

I cant find anywhere to expllore

I want to explore social search clusters. the origins of searching, trends.. and why do we all start to search the exact things???

Well my name is matthew diang and im on this very fascinating website at twelve years old and my perspective is we have to look at this at two diffrent precsice angles.I would like to be an aerospace engineer by the age of 30 .but for now we have to fix what we have devouerd swallowed and spit out called this earth.We need alternative energy's and people to discover them and people to learn to use them but im just a kid what do i know...........

I would like to develop a exchange where people that know a subject extremely well but do not know how to use it for a practical reason. There are extremely knowledgeable, extremely creative, extremely practical people in the world. The problem is they are not one person. I want to bring all this vast group of people together and solve problems. I would create a social web site where ideas interact. “The face book of science”

Hi, As an engineer, I'm excited to be a part of pursuing these challenges. I think NAE has done a great job putting together this list. Furthermore, my PhD research (under way) is in computational plasma science with a focus on fusion science. So, I'm glad to see fusion on the list. I do think, however, that fission science is conspicuously missing. Carbon sequestration would be nice. In my opinion, it has unacceptably high uncertainty when the health of the entire Earth ecosystem is at stake. (Not to mention the concern about various non-CO2 toxic emissions from coal power plants.) I think refining fission energy production technology would be higher on my list than carbon sequestration. I know you couldn't include everything on the list, but this is my two cents. Eric

Someone needs to develop a metadata standard for the engineering sciences like they have for the biological sciences. A few years ago, I searched for such a standard. None existed at that time and no one was working on any that I spoke with. Standardizing the way web documents in engineering are indexed would go a long way in helping engineers locate the information they need.

Batteries to propel electric vehicles. Did GM have a battery designed, developed, tested and accepted some time ago?

The most important challenge is to reevaluate how people move throughout the US. The US clearly needs new roads and bridges to support our existing and future populations. Now is a great time to develop a sustainable and long-term transportation model. We need to improve the health of Americans and our environment by reducing vehicular traffic, encouraging bicycling nationwide and increasing the use of new and existing (but abandoned) rail systems. By reducing vehicular traffic we will reduce our consumption of dwindling supplies of non-renewable resources, reduce pollution and set an example for other countries. Also, by encouraging Americans to get out of their cars and onto their bikes, we can help tackle that obesity issue too. China is currently emulating our unsustainable and inefficient transportation model by building thousands of miles of roads. Soon they, like us, will have everyone in a car driving to and from. Whether we like it or not, as the world leader, we set examples that others follow. If the US adopts a sustainable, long-term transportation model, our country will be cleaner, healthier and safer and other countries will likely take note.