Grand Challenges for Engineering - May 24, 2013
Please tell us your ideas for how engineering can help improve the world in the next century or so. Check back to this page often to see what others are saying and to read new, exclusive essays from prominent thinkers.
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i think the most important problem is the lack of power (energy).there is easy way we can overcome this problem through producing large amount of power in small unite.we must find out how can we transform small amount of energy in to large amount of energy.
i want to improve my ideas
why dont we use genetic modification for something like making trees that can absorb more carbon dioxide. we can plant large felds of them near and around cities
they should make contacts that have a camera installed into them. so that when your on an everyday activity and something happens that you wish you had your camera you can just look at what you had seen beforehand.
i think a pair of eye glasses with a super zoom and clearifier to make thing even clearer than they would be than usual
I am student of Electrical Engineer, I think that if we use solar cell technology in the areas where sunlight is maximum . We can use wind energy in the areas where wind is maximum. From above discussion we mean that every part of world has something either wind or enough wind and some parts of world has both things like our great nation Pakistan .
Dear Sir. My Idea is on Increasing the agriculture production. In today's world land is decreasing day by day for living and cultivation.we are moving upward in tall buildings to utilize air space for living. At the same we can use this concept in agriculture also.I call this Mirror agriculture Technique. we can do vegetation on all the floors of building.and the sunlight can be provided with mirror reflection or some type of fiber optics . Waiting for your reply. Nikhil Gupta
The thoughts of engineering can be outdated before building even begins. the simple task of research and development could go on infinitly in theory on paper but it is the physicsl test that unvovers flaws in the design, materials, unforseen elements and physical limitations and components. With the information we have today this too can now be done on paper and tests can be carried out in a theoretical windtunnel based on the data collected from previous tests so the whole process of building certain mecahics no longer is required because it either already exists and the data collected could be used. This would free up nations from unnecessary labor, expenses and resources/funding if there was a global pool of...oh wait the internet... the problem now lies in choices, trends and social phases, and financial traffic if money was considered vehicles on roads and shops or expenses the destination. What is attracting the traffic, where is if blocked, flowing, lost? The world needs to find a base focus that it can work towards in any given location and once again I go back to the basic elements and food and water. any given human would appreciate a meal and a refreshment depending on the trade but in some cases it is already owed...
A NEW PRINTERS AGE IS COMING, Printer that can print without ink. A lot of different types of use, and the best of all is that you can re-use the paper. A good bet for the environment
i have an idea for boosting average fuel ecoamy and in doing so dramaticly decreacing emissions
I have an idea for the Bituminous road. My idea is to use 3 ingredients for strengthening the road. 1. Glass Wool 2. Steel Wool 3. Plastics( Polythene, Polypropylene & Polystyrene) Believe me, This is going to do wonders to the road.
i have an idea for going faster than the speed of light and creating a time warp.
my idea- to have mobile to mobile communication without service providers service (free if cost- like walkie talkie) in short range viz. campus, buildings etc. in paired devices. using blue tooth or of waves of the same waves used by mobiles
Obtain waste foods and plant materials from households and separate this from other waste. Use this biomass with the process of co-generation direct combustion. This will produce energy and heat simultaneously which can be used to power the very households they came from. Co-generation also eliminates waste material, it is a renewable source and has a high conversion efficiency.
the basic meaning of engineering is create something new but one we keep in mind i.e that must helpfull to socity
A fishing lure that plays sounds to attract fish. When a fish comes close it will notice the bait and get caught.
I'm an Electrical &Electronics engineering student ...recently i have developed an unique CSP design which can produce maximum power through generator ..which is beyond any one's imagination now.The system gradually increases the efficiency of generator which is another interesting fact of my design ...all I have to need is just some technical support as well as encouragement to reveal my own idea ...which may bring in enormous development of renewable power for our future .
Thinking first. Switch 99.9% of people from repeating the same old things to the majority thinking. Move a 1000 years in day. Break the link between a calendar and events in them. A year can carry unlimited thoughts. Unlimited developments. Humanity hasn't moved since our evolution. In the same galaxy, same solar system, same planet, same land masses, live in the same square boxes, travel up the same flat crowded roads, make up the same gods, fight the same wars, collect the same plants, eat the same food, have the same sex and die the same death. Nothing changes. We dont even live in two thirds of the planet or five feet either side of the biosphere. We're self satisfied two diemensional flatlands monkees with the added burden of organised superstitions. Electronics has not even increased its rate of improvement for forty years. No improvement in Moore's law, ever. Hopeless. Why hasn't the rate of improvement doubled every eighteen months, now that would have delivered a billion times the computing power by now. 35 hour weeks and research grants are the reason. Weeks have 168hrs. The prime directive is to think more time. To eliminate death Time second. We use this added life time to think. Think how to connect intellect. To instantly communicate. Energy third and Resources forth. The output of thought after time, is then energy. Fusion energy. Nothing else is worth a candle. Forget all the silly voodoo green sources, they are many orders of magnitude too tiny. We need energy to travel stellar distances and to mine and convert vast resources. I tire of small thinking, This planet has 40000 tons of extra resources each year. Nothing over a few tons ever leaves. Everything that ever was here, is here. All we need is energy to convert it. With energy and what we have, we can make everyting we need a billion times over, for ever. And then we can accept our real responsibility and search the universe. We need to stop burning down human libraries and stop death, now. The strange thing is, I sound like the mad person. Not the rest of the planet. Never laugh at the past, its still a flat earth. Nothing changes.
Engineering,, this was started with almighty..and when human came to existence.Engineering of this era,,its different..I can say that "Engineers make the world , Doctors save the world " we as engineers have to make this world in a manner by keeping humanity in mind,,every innovation is taking us from humanity,,
I have an idea of adding some more power to the present power developed in an I C Engine
To create fusion energy is to destroy the current hypothesis on our understanding of the universe. I certainly oppose einstein and newton including hubble. Ok you explain to me how one can fuse time and space ? certainly einstein did not give a proper scientific explanation, newton could not explain gravity yet only had an equation that is only a measurement of moving objects, it does not actually prove the existence of gravity else they would have found the graviton, as for hubble , well if the univrse is expanding due to galaxies moving away due to their redshift what then of the blue shifted galaxies ? which way is the universe expanding then ?
Someone should build a satellite with a Geiger counter in it to warn the U.S. of a nuclear attack.
i have an idea for invisable cars
Am mechanical student at Youth Ingineering Institute who want to replace wooden canoos that brings lost of lifes due clashing with wooden stamp in the rivers by itroduction metal boat and good nautical roots in the rivers and lakes.i need financial suport.
first and the most important thing is stop cutting trees for construction of roads,buildings etc.allmost everbody finds one a new tech. to save our environment but nobody focuses on the trees . i think everybody should atleast grow a small garden in there house.start pricing water at a high rate for a particular class of people with so and so income so that they will understand the value or rather opt for a water meter just like electricity. in my opinion everyone should plant atleast their birthday's and before going to build any construction they must plant.... if we do like this we can save our environment some what
I am thinking on miniaturization of nuclear energy by using nanotechnology does it possible to create nuclear fuel on nano scale to miniaturize nuclear power.
Engineer the future.
i have an idea for making a brick with use of leaves like leaf brick
i think we need a council to discuss and manage the ideas came from engineers around the world for the sake of sustainability and the quality of our life. green technology always work
eliminate the carbon footprint? better cars,more efficient, new design, lets not stick to basics but we should instead branch out on the possibilities of creation. eliiminate the toxics in the water in africa? better filtering system, for instance a capsule about an inch in size would absorb the toxics and spit out the fresh water on the other end, stick that in a glass of polluted water and bam! problem solved. this is my first time on the site so i dont know what i really have to say but thanks for reading
i have an idea of solar rays when the rays falls on the solar panel lot energy wasted by reflection and also in the morning we some intensity of solar light and in afternoon we have max amount of solar light.this reflected energy i want to be save.i have an idea take bowel containing solar panels inside and this can be connected by stepper motor in the morning we have to place the bowel in east direction and also give the pulses from time to time for 1 minute or 5 minutes and so on .the motor rotates Instantaneously from morning to night.so we get more energy.the is reflection principle is working in side the bowl. if give chance to i can make ppt for that.
I am a freshman at Carl Albert High School. I want to go to Stanford University in California, and get a degree in Aerospace Engineering. I need to find a wold problem that can be solved by Aerospace Engineering.
need a monorail system to replace the old rail system
Reverse-engineer the brain: An idea to decipher the brain’s secret communication code. The crack construct program lies within an individual who has a purpose of existence, free from greed, vanity, on the contrary has gone the heights and depth of the physical realities of life
I have read that they have made a solar-powered car, but what i was thinking was to make a magnetic hoverboard. One that would maybe react to metals to keep it floating. I think it would be a good idea, so you can ride smoother without having the cracks in the sidewalk to worry about, and you would have a smaller chance of getting hit by a car if you were able to float above it if you wanted. You would control it like a skateboard, or surfboard if you were riding it on your stomach. For smaller kids, or if you can't balance well, you could have locking, attatchable handles. I hope you liked my idea!
1) by using solar energy we can save electricity so much.we all know this.by implementing the solar energy process(usage) in every city,state,country through over the world in ever educational institutions,companies we can save lot of electricity daily.is solar energy is scarce for us? no .why cant we do this?think? 2) why cant we do RAIN WATER HARVESTING?by doing this we can save water.there will be no water scarcity.if we construct RWH in cities and urban areas wher there is water problem it will be very useful and no wastage of water .SAVE WATER.there are so many advantages 3) in every city there is a traffic.when there is a red light by stopping al the vehicles we can prevent from pollution 1% everyday.if the governmentorder this to every city why cant we do this?
The ability to act to implement a revolutionary technology to be a tool for positive change Is not in place for solo inventors wherein the solo inventor experiences the barriers of cost and resistance of large corporate structures and the influence that they exert to maintain their position and power which is threatened by disruptive solo inventors. So our current social structures need to embrace and foster themes of inventive individuals and pull their inventiveness into useful tools for all to advance society.
Rotor Root Engine2 - two combustion chamber RRE2 Power per 1 kg weight of the engine " power density" - 110 kwt/kg. None of the crankshaft, pistons, valves, camshaft. Absence of friction only rolling friction No lubrication system, clutch, gearbox. Uses compressed air, gasoline, diesel fuel, bio-fuel and gas. Working in water and underwater conditions with no atmosphere. I have developed a design of RRE2, and centrifugal compressor for air and gases. a complete set of drawings. I am looking for partners for prototyping, testing and implementation.
Stirling engine may be used as an alternate power generator as it is having maximum thermal efficiency and it is fuel efficient and also external combustion engine so that we could use any fuel to run it .May be in future it serve as best solar power plant as it may be run on solar power hence pollution free and more cost effective and efficient than conventional solar cells
i'm glad to give my own idea to the development of the project
Ill get to providing energy from fusion right after i finish preventing nuclear terror.
It is big challenge for every engineer in the world to find ways to use natural sources like solar energy,wind energy instead of searching for the unknown energy sources on other planets.
i have an idea which has the same principle just like "BERMUDA TRIANGLE". actually i have thought that to build some area which has the greater byuoancy and can get attract polluting particles with carbon particles from atmosphere
Our future growth depends on energy. Our need for energy is increasing day by day the major challenge is how do we fulfill our need. we cannot depend on oil anymore.now we have to look for the other energy resources clean energy. how do we capture the maximum sun's energy and convert it into electricity . research on eye pupil , spot on butterfly wings how do they capture the energy efficiently . current technology its not possible as by cost factor or my material factor. but all it need a breakthrough which will change the course of future as happened in past . And the extraordinary breakthroughs never come from big places, names or universities it always come from the ordinary place by ordinary person.
i believe that adding solar panels to cars would make electric powered cars run longer and charge faster.
I honestly think, instead of having to go out of our way and creating our own Carbon Dioxide to capture it, burning unnecessary fuels just to get what's already in our o-zone layer. I say we should create a netting, so small to catch Carbon Dioxide particles as they come from normal day life, people driving their car, factories burning their materials for their own benefits. Saves money, and its simple, only until you find a way to make a netting solution that would be harmless to the o-zone, or anything else up there, or even that small to even capture Co2. It also would help our o-zone with all the Co2 being burned and released. Save us a couple more years, save the earth a couple more years.
Our idea is that we could use a built-in microscope along with our normal, everyday glasses. The glasses would be very good because it will allow researchers to use the microscope for identifying bacteria and other unknown types. It is great because it would be inexpensive, and allows it to be carried around at all times.
I am trying to think of something to do for the Science and Engineering Fair at my school this year. I have usually just done whatever pops into my head and sounds relevant. This year I want to do something that could actually impact the world. I am having a creative block on ideas though. If you have any ideas that could be completed by a tenth grader, then please let me know. Preferably sooner than later. I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks.
electro magnetic car powered by a fan with electricity made from magnets
Howdy! My name is Alex Farrell and i am taking engineering class at my Vo-Tech school. Engineering affects just about every aspect of our live. We use it to drive, to sleep, to eat, even a plant outside a cafe door. We need to make the fundamentals of engineering in every school curriculum. If engineering deals with the world, why not include it. Thesy say we will use math everyday and they teach it, so why include engineering?
Hi! im alex farrell and im taking a pre-engineering class at my school. I believe that everything will come from engineering. The secret to long life, the ability to cur any disease, everything we can think of. im here trying to do my part.
slow down and stop makeing things so fast because the faster you move the faster the world is geting bader
Hi Im an inventer I have several kind of new ideas on renewable energy and agriculture. i need to a good partner s cooperation to develop my ideas. All of my ideas are great.
i have invented away to stop hurricanes & tornadoes. i need to discuss with someone who would like to help mankind and stop these deadly things. i'm in the int . inventors hall of fame & over the years i have worked with inventors and companies looking for inventions ane had inventors expos at big centers like world congress center in atlanta, ga. i also was president o in ventors associates in ga, started by one of our govenors, and worked with people in washington d. c, chief of the energy dept. contact me at 770-879-5883. i also have appeared on cnn, and others.and have been with the press and other for years. i hav e intervied prominent people from all over the world.
We need to investigate warp drive technology. The ability to leave is a vastly underrated idea and when staying becomes intolerable, it only becomes more valuable. Opening new vistas and building the technology we need to explore those places are calls that subsume many of the other topics here. Establishing bases and then stations in these new areas or along well travelled routes presents unique challenges all by themselves. Creating new civilizations that look back to us and forward to their own futures present fantastic opportunities for growth, invention and new questions we might not see otherwise. And it all starts with a new method of propulsion.
I think a great engineering challenge would be a lightning capture device using the heat created for power generation..Another one would be tugging icebergs to places where fresh water is in need,and the infrastructure needed for a place where they would be melted.Also using wings cabled to ground generators using lift as a method for power generation.Then using stall to reel it back down to be used again.They could be built in uninhabited areas in the mountains.
to make wind turbines with solar panels to have power at a constant
Biomimicry..its process and mindset provide the collaborative means towards achieving these goals between disciplines. I believe it is also an economic game changer. I suggest strategic partnership with Biomimicry 3.8, and an active role presenting these challenges at conferences such as the upcoming Biomimicry Europe Innovation and Finance Summit to spread awareness.
I've got a problem and it concerns how to provide a very cost effective method to strengthen a square tube-frame that can be folded and unfolded. The tubes are thin walled and will be about 15mm diameter. The frame is about 500mm square The first part of the frame needs to be free to hinge on all sides to go into a flat-pack and so consists of 3 tubes joined together with fixings and the 4th tube/brace needs to be fitted (after assembly into a square) to provide the bracing required and to make the square rigid by either inserting into or alongside the open end of the frame thus making up the completed frame. Any ideas?
Ever thought of designing auto vehicles with auto camera's which snaps shots of vehicles when, the car gets hit. I don't how it would be done, but the picture of the vehicle hitting your vehicle would be taken on impact. probably a surround lens hidden camera, that snaps on impact, for those hit and runners.
How can cryptography revolutionize the data security (stationary and during transfer) in Health Care Industry. I am a prospective Doctoral Student in Health Informatics and I want to see this from a panoramic lens for a safe and secure patient data globally.
Hi, am an engineering student at Coventry university Malaysia. i think not only creating technological machines will bring a great change to the world but also to regulate the prices of those machines may be by using abundant natural resources like i heard an automobile company is creating a car from volcano and also many other resources are available. There are so many people who want to be up to date with today's technology but they cant afford them. i challenge the engineers to make technology affordable to the less privileged for the sake of God and humanity. think doing this will make the world a better place for all.
I think that windmills can re-created to generate more energy per rotain
i will join automobile ingineering with elevators,apartments,ice-skating centres,shopping malls,homes,pools,hotels,offices,studios,sport centres and so much more. If this is achieved it will be a clue for the future generation and afcorse the rest of the world. The Tower's can also be joined by sky tunels and sky bridges, so if there's soemthing in the other tower that's not in this tower the people can cross to the other tower. In 2015 those megastructures will start to be built. And by 2050 there will be alot of robots that will replace humans on the construction sites,all humans will have to do is con
I've got an incredible idea for flying cars that are VTOL and electric. What makes my system superior is the efficiency factor, which is at 90%, a vast improvement over traditonal aircraft. All airplane wings and helicopter propellers produce drag to generate lift or thrust, but they waste the majority of energy put into the drag production, whereas my system uses almost all the drag produced for thrust and/or lift. This is a revolutionary idea that is based around simple drag physics that have been proven for centuries, meaning there is no chance of failure. Practical VTOL flying cars can be produced in our lifetime with this technology and this is not too good to be true, it is only physics being applied in an outside-the-box sort of way.
Engineering should create the things but the created things not to destroy other things. Example: Car is needed, but the engineer should design the car with complete combustion and hence give it zero smoke to the environment.
I disclosed how get existing or new non-accelerated vehicles and other machine that save much energy and directly or indirectly emit least emissions in the world: Creator’s idea is non-accelerated, quiet, and green vehicles and other machines are disclosed by two USA patents 8,011,274 at 09/06/2011 and 7,191,676 at 03/20/07 for making money by both manufacture and customer; prevents environment and economic collapses. There above 1,000 state-of-the-arts gearbox apparatuses designs are created by revolutionary methods. What are the main 7 differences in design (other at www.repowermachine.com)? 1. It has least numbers of gears/maybe shafts in the world without competitors in future; 2. It is not brake in the propulsion of machine, uses only one torque or speed of motor shaft and produces all needed speeds including the sufficient number of overdrive speeds that eliminates motor interior gas or magnet field acceleration system and its noise; 3. More simple shifting mechanism design opens opportunity to create three regimes as manual, semi-automatic and automatic simultaneously with operation by computer; 4. It reduces energy consumption, emissions, noise, power and cost of motor in many times; 5. It improves driver’s safety by simplification of operation; 6. It improves maneuverability: a) driver saves time in the movement by getting each speed with zero time of vehicle acceleration and many higher reverse speeds without additional gears; b) it expands the range of speeds up to 272 forward/170 reverse overdrive speeds/torques by adding only 2 shafts to existing heavy-duty truck gearbox of 18 / 2 torques; c) driver uses front on uphill and rear on downhill, or all wheels temporarily for additional saving energy; d) aircraft or watercraft have much increased turning speed if uses it instead existing operation system. 7. Its production uses the same machine tools and other items of existing manufacture. Why is much reduced motor torque or power magnitude? Well-known maximum torque of vehicle wheels is calculated so: friction coefficient (0.7) between wheels and road on stop by weight with biggest load by radius of wheel. Then it by ratio of differential gear and pinion is torque of gearbox output shaft. Highest torque of its input shaft is torque or power magnitude or size of motor. There are examples: 1) Existing transformed non-accelerated heavy-duty truck Volvo VGD has 20 forward/5 reverse torques/overdrive speeds gearbox apparatus comprising 20 gears/3shafts or 40% number of gears and four shafts less than its shift gearbox of 18/2 torques. It reduces motor power in 4 times (500 hp to 123 hp). Driver of the long haul tracking saves above $25,000 per year by diesel ($3) economy in 2 times and saves by increased speed on uphill if it is fully loaded; 2) Existing transformed non-accelerated Toyota Camry could have gearbox apparatus of 12 forward only overdrive speeds/ 4 reverse by 16 gears/ 3 shafts or one gear plus to existing gearbox of 6/1 speeds. It reduces motor power in 9 times (178 hp to 20hp); 3) Existing transformed, non-accelerated CNC Knee Mill spindle joined to automatic programmed gearbox apparatus of 64 torques and overdrive speeds by 7 shafts/32 gears. It joined to Dayton motor of 1/2 hp that replaces expensive programmed motor of 5 hp and could reduce power in 10 times that provide reduced cost in 2 times ($35,560 to $18,000) less. 4) Much lower interior temperature of motor eliminates condition of the harmful gas - nitrate oxides (NOx) creation that is main killer of life on Earth. According to Peter F. Ducker “Business has only two basic functions-Marketing and Innovation”. Expensive machine market is much more dependent to number of customer high-paying jobs and customer’s interest to save health and money than the markets of other products. The crises USA automakers have disclosed the wrong way of machine creations are based on permanent aid by taxpayer’s dollars where “In God we trust” wrote and incorrect information. Human wisdom of past ignores Creator’s Physics Laws of Lever and Inertia in the machine designs are based customer’s interest to save money and health by using more clear air. They created innovations for getting “easy” money by: a) using gas or magnet field for many thousands pounds acceleration; b) using radius of motor shaft as level by directly jointing to wheels or propeller or spindle; c) using each transmission as second brake to the acceleration system that wastes up to 80% mechanical energy in form of motor heat; d) using two clutches with name “automatic transmission of torque convertor and continuous variable transmission” that never get timely higher torque/lower speed before reaction of motor with excessive power. Those are not available any longer. Today the prices of energies, numbers of machines, technical progress, education, global communication, environment disasters and people premature deaths from lung diseases are increased in many times that require to stop ignoring the steel lever in each machine design. Maybe shift gearbox has limited little gear ratio as planetary transmission design or has competitors between existing other transmissions? No, there are incorrect. The pair of gears uses only 2% energy that is least magnitude in the world and it could reduce motor torque in up to 7 times. For example, shift gearbox of seven shafts could reduce the torque of motor in up to 7x7x7x7x7x7=117,649 times but it wastes only 2%x6=12% energy. Please contact me if you are interested in licensing the patents and desire a relationship with me to develop gearbox apparatus systems for existing vehicles, CNC machine tools, heavy-duty equipment etc
Renewable energy must become our main source of energy. Weapons and bombs must be stopped from being manufactured
We at Nan technology have design two very important items which is the microprocessor water discharger , which discharge water without any interface and no power required and it is as big as the size of a blackberry , it is easy and cheap and produces almost 1 liter o water using an internal oxygen to water using latest static technology , this gadget can be on anytime and produces enough water to feed everyone anytime , leave it on and it produces water for the needey will be launching soon and could end poverty , the second item we are designing is an unlimitted memory CPU that could store any data , all this item are avaiable starting from july 2012
Challage to all engineers, convert our stirling engine into power generator, hyporex.ca
How about focusing on engineering medical technologies to effectively catch and monitor individuals health 24/7. By the use of nanotechnology in humans, this can greatly improve and catch medical problems and help with medical research. Engineers don't just look to in creating a better environment we live in, but must also look at improving our world's health as humans!
I want to tell is that , basic of all ideas should be co-operate with the nature rather than going against the nature.Because technology doesn't meant for go against the nature .It should uplift our nature and people to a commfort level.
I have an IDEA how to STOP THE ZEBRA MUSSELS from growing inside the WATER INTAKES in the POWER PLANTS
can we make applications,browsers without any coding??????????
we have the ideas.... why are all the brilliant ideas posted as back yard inventions..... we need to pull these inventions and ideas together
i think if we really want to save the earth and want to grow rapidly,we engineers have to think that the things are made are more helpfull,without sideffect on people and on environment.things should be used for making the peaceful world and not to destroy the world like autobomb.engeneers should invent the things with positive thinking and on concentrate on point.
I WANT TO RECYCLE THE FUEL AFTER COMBUSTION
Challenge to all engineers: Save the planet and stop dependence on fossil fuels foreign and domestic . Do you dare invent an engine that not only uses renewable energy, but its waste is also renewable. Do it for mankind for your children and if you must for your glory. Create jobs , put your country on the leading edge of technology, Be Green. It's Win Win. Any Takers?
I built an aluminum soda can solar heater that functioned very well. I think that we should try to optimize designs and make them more efficient.
OCEAN THERMAL ENERGY. There are many sites which are having a temperature gradient in oceans, this can be used for generating power. The pressure at depth significantly lowers the boiling point of fluids and can be easily converted into steam to operate our power weapons(turbines). Investors will be interested only if some scientific importance is given to this issue. SUBSTITUTE PETROL AND DIESEL. Hydrogen economy, fuel cell cars, hybrid cars are having the potential to do it, but not much research work is being executed in this field. The only challenge is to store fuel(gaseous and liquid). Nanocomposites are deserving candidates. BIOMASS. One of the most simplest and easy to operate renewable energy source. Large scale awareness is needed to encourage its use. New commercial constructions should include this in the plan on compulsory basis. Basic knowledge should be given through various means of mass communication, so that the residents can also operate it. CARBON SEQUESTRATION. after absorbing carbon dioxide and instead of storing it if its of no use, we can have set up to dump it directly out of the atmosphere, at very high altitudes.
whaat do we mean by saying chemical engineering empower the world?
The water problem is not an easy one the main thing that we can do for the society is to follow a well planned cities and villages this one of the best method to reduce the problem.Reduce the use of non conventional resources then we have to go back to the nature and nature will give us the best healing. second thing we can do is reduce the population by law the third is to be strict with the laws to control the pollution there should not be any corruption all the factories should provide a water recycling plant so that the water should be recycled before leaving it to the main water bodies give more importance to the moral values of youngsters new generation with better thoughts will help in the development of the country
engineering the live good as created the perfect engineering future mean erning the good secrets of live that it the real chalange thanc you
i wiil like to make country move forward form now on till new century by reboring block engine cutting of crank shaft moding of anything and taking engineering work higher than before thanks for listen to my advice
by hard working,..conceptual ideas.
we have to use the wastages for generation of power and we have to make usage of the non-conventinal energy sources for generation of energy to a lot,the transport system has to be developed both in roadways and railways.about all the nations which are using the technology are almost our inventions and discoveries which we will clearly understood from our history,but now we wre unable to apply them
Engineers are the basic elements of this world.They can make this world happening.They are having the ability of solving problems and now a days we are full of it.
With Fusion engineering you could change the world. You could power whole cities or counties without hurting a blade of grass. With the right people and resources you could make a energy core about the size of a car power a large country, the possiblities are endless. Fussion energy powers whole stars to ,harness it would give you endless possiblities to power large countries to the whole plant with a single core. It is the the future.
Engineering can help to improve the world in next century by providing solutions to the problem of understanding how people can improve learning using technology. Engineering can help by providing better and safer technology to improve health conditions and improve life conditions. Providing better solutions for food supplies. Engineering can help by creating alternative ways to supply more environment friendly sources of energy
by improving public transport(buses,metro trains etc),by saving trees,by increasing chimney's height in the industries,by throwing indoor and outdoor wastage's in the city outskirts by digging a big pit and closing it.from these ideas we can prevent 2% pollution everyday.THINK IT?DO IT.
I have an idea to create cheaper solar cells out of aluminum cans and other materials.
hydrogen fuel cell operated automobiles with good infrastructure of h2 throughout the respective country can reload the nonconventional energy for total civilisation with maximum efficiency
The train system should be improved for the future generation with magnetized modern trains with top speed of 300km/h. The future MEGASTRUCTURES shoul'd be starting to be built becasue the population is massive and a safer way is to build in the sky. Like the Mega Sky Citties that are starting to be built it's like a massive tower with a city inside with elevators,apartments,ice-skating centres,shopping malls,homes,pools,hotels,offices,studios,sport centres and so much more. If this is achieved it will be a clue for the future generation and afcorse the rest of the world. The Tower's can also be joined by sky tunels and sky bridges, so if there's soemthing in the other tower that's not in this tower the people can cross to the other tower. In 2015 those megastructures will start to be built. And by 2050 there will be alot of robots that will replace humans on the construction sites,all humans will have to do is control the robots by computers and other futuristic technology. Thanks for,view =Dimitar,Student/
we can use water for running vehicles,machines etc .i have the idea about it.
by using solar energy we can save electricity so much.we all know this.by implementing the solar energy process(usage) in every city,state,country through over the world in ever educational institutions,companies we can save lot of electricity daily.is solar energy is scarce for us? no .why cant we do this?think?
why cant we do RAIN WATER HARVESTING?by doing this we can save water.there will be no water scarcity.if we construct RWH in cities and urban areas wher there is water problem it will be very useful and no wastage of water .SAVE WATER.there are so many advantages
in every city there is a traffic.when there is a red light by stopping al the vehicles we can prevent from pollution 1% everyday.if the governmentorder this to every city why cant we do this?
is it possible to generate electric power from moon light?
Is it possible to create a generator on your car, that takes the wind and converts it to electricity to power an electric car?
although we need all other things which are proposed in Grand Challenges i think we need energy right now and still solar energy can be used effectively
I have an idea to make a better solar cell that is more efficient.
I would like to continue on sending computer signals using light waves.
I would like to create a way to build a generator using water pressure and to store the electricity.
I HAVE AN IDEA WHICH CAN BE USED IN MAKING BUILDINGS, HOUSE OR IN SPACE PROJECTS TO SURVIVE AT ANY TEMPERATURE . THANK YOU.
I WOULD LIKE TO CREATE AN ARTIFICIAL PLASTIC HEART, USED SOURCE OF ENERGY A BATTERY IN CHARGER TO MAKE ETERNAL ENERGY, INSIDE THERE ARE 2 SMALL PUMPS AND 2 VACUUM COMPRESSORS TO MAKE TRANSFER BLOOD LIKE REGULAR HEART WITH PULSE 60/ MINUTE.
Idea: Glasses that lets you see magnetic field real time.
hi! i have an idea regarding bermuda triangle. this idea gives a 100% energy law. according to this a triangle can be used to make 100% energy. Thankyou
i have idea to make a house on a hot or a cold planet. this idea can be used in future space exploration.
enginnering can help in the growth of science without any harmful effect to nature.
Does anybody know how these challenges were chosen? What was the criteria? Are they chosen to save lives? To improve society in some unified way? Ideology driven? Clean water would go a long way to saving lives. Better tools (my choice for #1 on the list) enable solving all of the other problems plus cross over to many other problems. Reading the documents about the selection, the theme I get is "This century our unsustainable society will start to collapse without these improvements". Thoughts?
The Grand Challenges proposed by the National Academy of Engineering are fantastic! Six of the fourteen, arguably, are directed at achievement of a sustainable human society. The concept of a sustainable society is, however, not mentioned on the academy's main web page. Also, a more holistic approach to supporting programs that identify the needs of a sustainable society and the tools to get there should be provided in my view. Don't we want human society to be sustainable? We must act soon if that is to happen in a planned and organized fashion. How do we do that? What technologies are needed? What current technologies should be replaced with something better? What is the infrastructure of a sustainable society? Does our current infrastructure just need updating or, rather, a fundamental restructuring and replacement? The Grand Challenges should address those questions.
I am currently doing a science fair project on one of your topics called: " Provide access to clean water." I would very much appreciate it if you were able to provide any any feedback on some ways in which I could do my project on this topic. Thank You, Sanju
If you were moving at hypersonic speeds of (3-12) machs, would it be possible to survive, or would the g-force crush you?
A Time Machine, To virtually go throught time and space.
I am a high school graduate, but I haven't gone to college yet. However, I have the thought experiment that allows me to figure out ideas, including a wide range of details, big and small, without a physical demonstration, or taking a class for it in my life. So I have a lot of certainty, although no experience from school or college. I have skill in checking in all the choices I have, big or small, and putting them together and finding a solution. With all this, I have ideas for how the transatlantic tunnel could be much more reachable in modern science, technology, and more affordable, or profitable. How the tunneling by itself could be completed within a decade, no water/weather/temperature challenges, less dependantcy on steel mills, and less shipping. Also how the cost could be dropped by 5 times, possibly more. Also ways to charge passengers that could mean a faster rate of recovery of the cost of everything payed to build the structure. Also ways to reduce g-force effects and without cutting down passenger capasity and without additional power cost. The total cost might be dropped down by 90%. But the beginning of profit earnings might still be a long time away, but the reducing of 90% would be a good head start, considering the economy. And on their way, time will tell if the cost dropping of 90% will increase to 91% or more. There will always be time for another drop. Never too late, even though the sooner the better. Even if the economy improves. Money/profit is the goal. Never lose hope for a better future. That's how I think about it. But would they believe solving these challenges I mentioned, especially the cost, should make the Transatlantic Tunnel reachable enough that it would be no more hazardous as the Bering Strait Tunnel, considering the cost and dangers of building thousands of miles of railroad from both ends added together?
hello, i am working to implement some kind of combination of an sewage treatment plant and a microhydro power plant so that the treated water from the STP can be used to generate electricity on a small scale basis but i am not sure if it is an economically viable option!!! any ideas or solutions are welcome!!! any other innovative ideas regarding the improvement of sewage treatment plants are welcome!
The first mistake was taking a way NASA's budget. The second was assuming that it was right to do so. In the next 50 years space mining and exploration will become key fields of industry... but only if the rates of engineering innovation in this field increase. This is a valid and key field of interest partially because of the hunger for resources, partially because of the inevitable population cap, and most importantly because this is the "final" frontier,,, as engineers we are obliged to construct sustainable and cost-effective methods for prolonged space-industry. This is not science-fiction. this is reality
hi , this is veer , a mechinacal engrng student and am interesting in making new technique in our present technology and i want partners who r also have interest in technology so v share our ideas and make some different technolgy. my email id is sswarnveer@yahoo.in
making see through screens by using glas fiber/ laser / nano technology
Hey I am a high school student and I have two years of high school and I want to go to UC Berkeley in CA I want to become an engineer but I don't know which or what kind of engineering I need help?
Hi i m student of B.tech (ME) 2nd year. I m intrusted in engineering challenges but there is no source that i can do it. My aim is to become a great MECHANICAL ENGINEER so i wants help from some one. Can you help me ? If you can then send me your ideas and some knowledgeable things at my email id "gurpreetsingh8869@gmail. com". The main problem is that in our institue there is nothing technical and only few teachers are which have great knowledge.
1. Saving what is limited natural resource, inclusiv by using waste heat comming from most of actual industrial processes and speedy advancing in use of regenerable resources is the first saving the future of our children 2. Modern life means for most of us excessive consume of everything. Should we be (as a consciousness goal) limiting excesses. 3. Social relations based on social scale where the best is the rich is(most of the situations) not a mirror of those people social-professional contribution to the humankind wellfair, as minimum at a very modest leve should be. Reversed scale...
today only iknow about this thing.so i am unable to think too much .i will definitely try and helpful to you
I would really be impressed when we would use water as a potential fuel All problems solved :D
Need a solar powered, reverse osmosis water purifier for third world countries.
By using vaporized fuel in vehicles we can reduce the amount of pollution due to low cnsumption.
Provide energy from fusion the answer to this question is.... Retraining the Battery!
When will our own Computer technology speed up to help humans explore past our own galaxy?
Why not have loans just for environmental house renovations? It could be a couple thousand dollar loan with a lower interest rate.
the time demands to save energy which is the prime requirement of the time i have an idea of implementing dc generators coupled to any rotary machine in our house or industry the energy generated from this can be used to light another load such as a bulb in this way we can save quite a good amount of energy
Hi, i dont know whether its logical or not, but i am planning to make a mobile car parking shed, some thing that one can carry along with his car and install easily the moment he has to park it in open, I am talking about this because here in this part of India it gets too hot, and once you leave your car in sun even for few minutes, your a/c would might take double the time cool down the interiors. I would love to share the step forward on this idea.
Some human fundamental ideas have no history. Kopernik merely recollected Pythagorean idea from forgotten litarature, but not from astronomical studies. Similar ideas/archetypes exist in our memory.Hence, Some discoveries are just recollections. To activate our X - memory is to make discovery. This is banned Platonism. We reject it as a nonsense. There is forgotten techniques to make such sort of discoveries -as-a-recollections. I suppose that only Engineering practitioners can provide such research.
Hi, I reached here via InnoCentive. Why we only think about an economic solar electricity. We can think other way to use the solar energy efficiently. I'm not an engineer or reasercher. I have a doubt that why we are not combining the technology of Absorption refrigeration system and Solar energy. According to my knowledge, Absorbtion refrigeration system only researched or used by Japan or Korea. Why other contries (Companies) not using this technology. If we combine, Solar and absorption refrigeration system for Airconditioning at least in Day time, we can use solar heated water for heating the generator of absorption refrigeration plant and Solar electricity for pumps. That means entirely grid power free airconditioning for sunny and hot areas like Northern India. I think no need of drastic changes required for this. Already absorption plants using hot water, hot air or steam for heating the generator of the absorption refrigearation plant.
Thinking outside the box, new approach to “flushing”: What better way would it be if we “flushed“ our toilet with Air instead of using water and wasting water (which is mostly drinking water) to transport our “message” from A to B. From A, the toilet to the B, the wastewater treatment plant. By flushing with Air we save an enormous amount of water only less than 1 litre is used to flush instead of 15 litres. Imagine a boarding school with 500 students. Water to flush the toilet is normally 7500 litres per day, this is 1.875.000 litres per year. With Air this is only 125.000 ltr per year. 93% savings This way we would not need any expensive waste water treatment facilities that only consume energy. If We collect all this organic (faecal) matter ("blackwater with a minimum of water) and digest it in an Anaerobic digester with all organic kitchen waste, from preparing the food and the returns / leftovers, we can produce methane gas for heating /lighting or cooking In the Anaerobic Digester all organic material is digested by Anaerobic Bacteria and Biogas is formed (Methane and Carbon di Oxide). This Biogas can be used to burn and cook the meals or in a heating system. The amount of Biogas generated is approx. 20 litre per day per person. A boarding school or hotel with say 500 people/beds would produce ca. 10.000 l Biogas/day. ENVIERHO AQUA PROTECT ‘s intention is to market and sell vacuum systems linked to an Anaerobic Digester that will produce methane gas for heating and cooking. This concept could be easily implemented where we have a concentration of people. - Large boarding schools with canteens. - Larger cluster of apartments. - Prisons. - Large hotels with restaurant - Hospitals with kitchen. - Cruise ships. - Larger camping sites. - Holiday homes clusters. - Army Camps - Refugee camps To get this concept implemented a Pilot Scheme is required to proof its viability. Tim Vierhout BSc Chem Eng. Wastewater Treatment Systems & AD consultant ENVIERHO AQUA PROTECT Ltd waste water treatment technologies and anaerobic digester technologies Tel.: +353 56 776 9317 Mob.:+353 87 822 3643 email: timvier@O2.ie web: www.envierho.com
Hi, I followed the path from Innocentive. I was interested in healthcare and I have been working on something myself. There are certain areas where I lack experience and doing this alone will likely take a long time. Let me tell you one of my visions. I got physically sick around 3 years ago. My dad had a heart attack. My mom was already having health problems. I want to help the world learn how to eat again with the various health conditions. I believe it is possible to write a computer program with all of the nutritional data we have on food and disease. This program that I am thinking about would hopefully be able to give a patient the knowledge they would need to eat healthy with whatever ailment they are experiencing. It would also allow people to make the food banks of better utility for those in need. When I had to use a food bank I ended up giving some of it away because of my sensitivities. If we could find a way to feed the most people without the likelyhood of causing a reaction or health concern, we could utilize the information to help the food banks as well as oversea hunger problems. I suppose I am dreaming of software that would take a lot of data entry. I do not know where to find lists of premade data tables that I may be able to use. I also do not know how to write the program in computer language. But, I do know it will likely take me much longer to do this on my own. I have many ideas but I am not sure where to give them away or where I can find help in implementing them. I am also unsure of where you could go to submit for challenges.
For provide access clean water it is nessacary Water Treatment Plants correct design. A main unit of that Plants is Settling Tanks or Sedimentation Basins because there are detained about 95-96% of suspeded solids. But Settling Tanks design has a great problem at the present time. The reason of this is next: more than 100 years ago was developed traditional(conventional) theory for Settling Tanks design on the basis of the Newton gravitational law and Stokes equation. But thanks to this theory it is impossible to calculate the sizes of Settling Tanks and to create models of them and to choose effective one. It is unbelieveable, but for Settling Tanks depth calculation all manuals and books are recommending "ideal sedimentation basin" where settled spherical particle . That theory is very effective for chemists, biologists, but not for engineers. For decision above broblem 1991 the I developed Alternative Sedimentation Theory on the basis of the Newtons Second law: http://knol.google.com/k/sadyrbek-djighitekov/alternative-sedimentation-theory/1cs9gt8jgdjvm/9# Example for Rectangular Tanks design is given on the web: http://knol.google.com/k/sadyrbek-djighitekov/settling-tanks-basins-design-on-the/1cs9gt8jgdjvm/2# Everybody can visit to discussion forum too: http://www.waterandwastewater.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?num=1232599276/41 - On the basis of the Alternative Sedimentation Theory it is possible Settling Tanks Design accurately; - Thanks to above theory it is possible to create models of Settling Tanks types and to choose of effective one; - Alternative Sedimentation Theory is very effective for students of the universities for clear understanding of Settling Tanks Design; - That theory give a great opportunities for management of water and waste water treatment plant for economy chemical coagulants or improve sedimentation process in Settling Tanks. The conventional(traditional)sedimentation theory can not give above opportunities for scientists, experts, engineers, and students. Support of the new approach for Settling Tanks design by National Academy of Engineering would be great support Challenge in the field of World Water Industry. Sadyrbek Djighitekov, Ph.D Member of the Kyrgyz Republik's Engineering Academy Current address is: 3 Justin Dr., Ellington,CT, 06029
I am promoting inventions in the field of engine-building. At present there are issue international patents for two inventions. The core of know-how is a completely new conception of structure of internal combustion engine. This is not a technology, but this is a new and fairly simple principle of structure of an engine without using a crank mechanism. The inventions are at the "Idea and research" stage, but for technological implementation there are required a lot of funds. Concerning know-how advantages: The project can be considered as a social one as it has a direct relation to reduction of CO2 emission to the air. The principle allows to construct an internal combustion engine in such a way that combustion mixture can burn down almost up to 100%, thereby it helps to minimize CO2 emission. These decisions are in no case reflected on engine power, even vice-versa increase indicated power two, three, four times as much reducing fuel consumption at the expense of structure downsizing.
The quantity of biofuels can be multiplied by increasing photosynthesis efficiency from its present 1% by breeding better species.
Consumerism is the root cause of most of our climate and social issues. There are the few who can afford everything in excess and the many who can not afford even the basics. The poor destroy the Earth by trying to survive while the rich benefit from such destruction. Before we take on any challenges, we need to educate the masses to reduce consumption. All great technological innovations need to have a social understructure to function. It would be great to have new sources of energy, but we all know it comes with a price that someone sets to profit themselves.
I think gladly that do in NAE my proposal for information interchange and community. As new paradigm of modern medicine, I propose perfect solution that treats disease. I presented my proposal for a long time but was not examined. Because power of expression is insufficient and research environment is unprepared and was going to avoid that study so alone, but hard problem appears go. First of all, we should be contributed in mankind health because establishing medical treatment standardization with me. Thank you very much. Sincerely Byeungok Oh (lccobok@yahoo.co.kr) L.C.C. life environment research institute 10-9 haewhadong jongrogu Seoul 110-530 South Korea Attched: Medicine improvement by the artificial mitochondria that come true newly It does not realize between continuous time passes and energy balance equilibrium state is kept constantly. To hang in physiological function of cell overly and Purpose function of cell being not grasped, it is foreseen that fair flustered feel will go first that artificial mitochondria device is pronounced. Substance of energy is managed by some route anything really? But Question can go first. As present drug stuffs form, even if energy utilization state is microbial outgrowth unit or is used in human body by herb medicine ingredient unit customary. This very small quantity being used and Change is various kinds thousand that is accompanied here. Specially, human body sees as is reacting in always fixed form, but it is not equal feedback. As form one@ circulation, because keep feedback. Although it is difficult that present model of some form, Unit model circumstance disposal is much easier if is mixed as complex and it must to be always fixed do according to last presence at a clinical result and keep this level. System function weighs so far and although spoke that reaction for this function is important, because all situations are variable, it was not agreed easily. Energy generation that is human body main reaction, nutritive substance transport, exchange, reaction path connected with excretion create and disappeared thing is situation occasion although it is suspended if do even if full . These situation cell or the formation agency of as function originally, All components are wormed orderly. But, it must atomize here much more and examine. It must divide condition and human body formation physiological function that human body formation component is arranged with optimum function preservation. Otherwise, fall at discord if it does not adjust balance even if it is emphasized one@ side. It arrives in one@self own collapse. Alternate the formation agency of corresponded part when is such. Although it is preferring excessive method to rescue function, is not problem solution. Because controversial point of inside is indwelled. . Also, it is going to have a hasty decision to remove own collapse part, but it is temporary expedient as well as this. As see while it does, it can not equal super computer how much compensated organization and institutions are how bulky. By the way, it is great development that chases gene change recently and arrives in disease treatment. Although minuteness diagnosis and assay can be available to micro tissue overly among these trends, it is very inefficient. Also, in such a case it is thing similar to very inappropriate disposal situation in acute situation of system control command department. If one@ is spot responsible person, how does it may control? It must connect being detoured if nerve control is problem. Organization need to do construction in beam style support thing by urgency processing if it was damaged. After it handles surgical situation of these method, Energy supply of drug delivery way follows. This method is being not becoming minuteness control entirely. Still, it guides to organization which become an issue like missile and Do even if do so that effect may appear time lag like time capsule shape, it is going to minimize drug stuffs side effect, but is the station tribe. Still, improved a little, the effect preservation is limited extremely and can not escape limit situation. Also, change by special skill that is contributed by one@ expedient and is getting stabilization easily. However, mechanical heart industry falls in stagnation representatively, is staying in presence at a clinical level continuously. It is a little inconvenient in recent science level. All sides of human body are stagnated and are degenerated but It must define state that is gotten back in various disease syndromes clearly newly. It is not gotten back that get travail effect by some drug stuffs taking medicine. It is not gotten back that cut formation which function is suspended and is collapsed by radiation and remove by surgical operation. So, although party satellite of rehabilitation medicine will be formed, We must supervise responsibility why we aggravated situation in this way. Gene defect is indwelled because disease symptom is not come to the fore, time passes Or, economical reason can be. At the some moment, patients who appeal bodily languor can lift that is many. It is most workpeople, but because connected production efficiency drops rapidly. Even if severe labor condition is improved by much production facilities automations, It been going side by side business stress can not avoid and hygienic condition is worsened remarkably. As it is going to minimize life risk to various kinds economy leading composite index, weather forecast information etc. present, it must hydrate health information since and do life. If discomfort index is high, human body atomizes health index as operate air conditioner It should be forecasted commonly and should be managed. So, important health power of a number will be judged that is managed by a constant time medical examination, but it is big mistake. And method that can get health improvement from a medical examination is ephemeral as method or kinesiology experience and is not forming system. This state can announce health safety low limit critical state. This moment is overlooked mostly and is not managed. So, by suitable model system operation administration although took example. is similar to be difficult to do to recognize situation. But, if onc@e more example to be delayed constantly if exchange battery, watches the effect prove. Similarly, level should be kept as summit human body is that human body use artificial mitochondria device. Therefore, what is free energy from metabolize energy level change and essence being, what is achieved career. Important bolt is going whether is regulated in some route and is gotten back. So, it is thing which gives a name as artificial mitochondria device and proposes and does. But, medical world expects thing supplied freely cultivating trunk embryo bud cell. If speak as artificial, although it can do that is not clinical two like mechanical heart and do inquiry, To embryo bud stem cell keeps stationary state, minuteness environment should be supported. It can not overlook level is free energy that is happened in metabolize energy, can not be formed altogether. Also, human body as system is ATP energy supply and demand situation forecast can, It does not examine closely ATP energy essence continually and is grasped that is energy that is happened in conversion between ATP and ADP. Nothing is marched in this state. There may be composure yet When blow upon critical, situation can not estimate roughly by special quality half-life if pass a little. Have you to abandon still? By automation already in system control command room system safety run, In human body system any confrontation do not ready also action step ready. If see the main mitochondria function, If oxygen per alveolus, enzyme etc. that is carried in blood is supplied and is assimilated to mitochondria like sponge, expected compression heat occurrence effects are accompanied. So, energy is stored to ATP, energy supply and demand circumstance becomes very unstable as for this path. And it can say as formation agenciesf physiological function that reaction action is gone by ATP system energy supply. Energy source should be supplied and is overlooking by bigger efficiency than this. So, when explain applying by system model, agreement does not become. Therefore, energy save medium and career are defined newly and are normalized. it can help function in human body that do artificial mitochondria energy development device. Is ideological and abstract yet? Because adjustment is available onl@y energy career Indiscretion energy avoids side effect being supplied like covenant. First of all, it is energy save medium. It speak that energy was stored in fattiness quantity, but direction energy supply medium is not examined closely yet. Such series process can assume easily to system administrators and is grasped. Although reposed wall one@ is human body cell and another is never easy to fusion each other as is the inorganic matter molecule world According as career of energy supply process and common homogeneity of medium are embodied, the importance of fusionfs learning is emphasized. Although it is applied by various kinds field, Because focus and examine again, is participated together and when standardization is gone ahead Human health contribution becomes advance. Byeunok Oh(lccobok@yahoo.co.kr) L.C.C.life environment research institute 10-9 haewhadong jongrogu Seoul 110-530 South Korea
My idea is a simple one, but is useful in environment sustainability. I envision a steam engine Bobcat developed so it can use the very snow it is removing, to run the machine. This production would go a long way in fuel consumption, as well as lack of need for a snow dump site. It sounds simple but a definate challenge for the engineering community. i appreciate having this website to allow my suggestion.
Harvest solar wind from the sun and combine it with oppositely charged neutrons to produce electricity.
I think engineering can, for one, help the economy. Well, right now there only a few things that could accually HURT it, if you know what I mean. But also I beleive that it helps in four other areas: Entertainment, Experience, Saftey, and Productivity. I just saw this thing about this engineering company in Germany that created a mechanical flying penguin. They said it could be used to deliver mail, wich would be okay but more to humor them then anything, but if they began selling those on the market, that could really encourage the younger generations to go outside and run after them, because, what's a TV compared to a flying penguin? Engineering could work in the opposite way, too, though. Also, experience. There would be so much different variety in life if you technology that alowed you to do things you've never done befor. Thirdly, Saftey. What if car crashes became so strange that they happened once a year? I'm reffering to pre-existing tecnology that people use on a daily basis to be improved. I'm not saying that it would be good if they invented aa chip that goes into your head that stops a murderer from killing someone. And finally, productivity. Faster things being made, stronger things being made, stronger alloys being formed, deeper caves being dived into, faster ships bringing human life to study mars, more accurate weapons to nuetralize terrorists and not their hostages. There really aren't many ways for advances in technology to NOT help society. And, no, I really don't think that technology will be taking over. That's really just sci-fi movies and Ray Bradbury novles.
Seasteading, nuff said. If you don't know about it, look it up.
I think the scientific, corporate, and governmental communities should commit to and complete a nationwide mission develop a sustainable safe methods for fusion energy. Developing reactors which use Thorium 232 instead of Uranium 238. Thorium has some key benefits: A. there is no possibility of a meltdown due to its decay properties. B. it generates power inexpensively. C. it does not produce weapons-grade by-products. D. will burn up existing high-level waste as well as nuclear weapon stockpiles. E. It can lessen the dependence on fossil fuel and hence can contribute to the national security of the G-8. F. It is 4-5 times more abundant than all isotopes of Uranium India ha already taken the lead on Thorium based reactors and expects its first reactor will be operational this year. Yes thats 2011. For more information please see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thorium#Existing_thorium_energy_projects
Engineers and Scientists exist in harmony with one another because they are have been able to create a mutualistic relationship. Engineers design the tools Scientists need to explore the world. Scientists develop the knowledge and principles Engineers must follow when creating the world around us. Therefore, if Engineers discontinue creating tools, Scientists discontinue the ability to discover the world around us. Life in the Informative Age is based upon the ongoing ability to constantly discover. There are still questions out there in fields such as biology, astronomy, chemistry, and general exploration. With new tools comes new knowledge. With new knowledge comes evolution of the standard of life.
I feel that if we could build safer nuclear plants (we already have safe nuclear plant designs) we would be able to power the world with a lot less effort. The plants that have had problems were not well maintained. If we could get past the fear of nuclear plants we would be able to have the energy we need for a low cost.
Engineering can help improve the World in more ways than most know. There are so many kinds of Engineers who specialize in multiple fields that deal with our everyday life. Engineers can work with other specialities in order to conform to our needs and wants in order to make our lives more efficient of relaxed. Since the beginning of time Man has been a form of Engineer; the ability of make fire. Now using that technology as the Human Race progressed we manipulated the fire in order to make bigger fires, make fires to mold and bend metals, the heat our homes, and make better use of the fire.
I think that the world needs to get on track and I think that organizations like this will really help it get to where it needs to be. I think that there are a ton of great ideas that really seem possible and make a lot of sense, we just need these ideas to be put into major use so that they make an impact and show that these peoples ideas are really useful.
I think the most important is cooperation among countries. It's important to share ideas~
In my opinion, I think engineering will create the new tcchnology to help people like Machine leg or eye glasses to help people that blind or nano technology that will destroy virus cancer in humen body or something that will help global warming or technology that will help docter have more % succeed in helping people that have injured. World will be better it depend on your hands.
i think engineering can help to decrease global warming by decreasing the gasses that effect our environment .by introducing vehicles that travel through batteries or cells .
My idea for how engineering can help the world in the next century and always is that engineering holds an outstandingly important role in humanity's advancement : it can make all inventions available to the market, it builds them, it brings them to light, reality. Example: I have made an innovation but I cannot bring it to light because I don't have a team of engineers to build it with! Therefore, engineering is imperatively important and will always be as far as producing the idea/concept and bring it to the desired and so much needed form! Thank you ! Happy New Year 2011!! Respectfully, Catalina Geornoiu
I think gladly that do in NAE my proposal for information interchange and community. As new paradigm of modern medicine, I propose perfect solution that treats disease. I presented my proposal in NAE for a long time but was not examined. Because power of expression is insufficient and research environment is unprepared and was going to avoid that study so alone, but hard problem appears go. First of all, we should be contributed in mankind health because establishing medical treatment standardization with me. Thank you very much. Sincerely Byeungok Oh (lccobok@yahoo.co.kr) L.C.C. life environment research institute 10-9 haewhadong jongrogu Seoul 110-530 South Korea Attched: Medicine improvement by the artificial mitochondria that come true newly It does not realize between continuous time passes and energy balance equilibrium state is kept constantly. To hang in physiological function of cell overly and Purpose function of cell being not grasped, it is foreseen that fair flustered feel will go first that artificial mitochondria device is pronounced. Substance of energy is managed by some route anything really? But Question can go first. As present drug stuffs form, even if energy utilization state is microbial outgrowth unit or is used in human body by herb medicine ingredient unit customary. This very small quantity being used and Change is various kinds thousand that is accompanied here. Specially, human body sees as is reacting in always fixed form, but it is not equal feedback. As form one@ circulation, because keep feedback. Although it is difficult that present model of some form, Unit model circumstance disposal is much easier if is mixed as complex and it must to be always fixed do according to last presence at a clinical result and keep this level. System function weighs so far and although spoke that reaction for this function is important, because all situations are variable, it was not agreed easily. Energy generation that is human body main reaction, nutritive substance transport, exchange, reaction path connected with excretion create and disappeared thing is situation occasion although it is suspended if do even if full . These situation cell or the formation agency of as function originally, All components are wormed orderly. But, it must atomize here much more and examine. It must divide condition and human body formation physiological function that human body formation component is arranged with optimum function preservation. Otherwise, fall at discord if it does not adjust balance even if it is emphasized one@ side. It arrives in one@self own collapse. Alternate the formation agency of corresponded part when is such. Although it is preferring excessive method to rescue function, is not problem solution. Because controversial point of inside is indwelled. . Also, it is going to have a hasty decision to remove own collapse part, but it is temporary expedient as well as this. As see while it does, it can not equal super computer how much compensated organization and institutions are how bulky. By the way, it is great development that chases gene change recently and arrives in disease treatment. Although minuteness diagnosis and assay can be available to micro tissue overly among these trends, it is very inefficient. Also, in such a case it is thing similar to very inappropriate disposal situation in acute situation of system control command department. If one@ is spot responsible person, how does it may control? It must connect being detoured if nerve control is problem. Organization need to do construction in beam style support thing by urgency processing if it was damaged. After it handles surgical situation of these method, Energy supply of drug delivery way follows. This method is being not becoming minuteness control entirely. Still, it guides to organization which become an issue like missile and Do even if do so that effect may appear time lag like time capsule shape, it is going to minimize drug stuffs side effect, but is the station tribe. Still, improved a little, the effect preservation is limited extremely and can not escape limit situation. Also, change by special skill that is contributed by one@ expedient and is getting stabilization easily. However, mechanical heart industry falls in stagnation representatively, is staying in presence at a clinical level continuously. It is a little inconvenient in recent science level. All sides of human body are stagnated and are degenerated but It must define state that is gotten back in various disease syndromes clearly newly. It is not gotten back that get travail effect by some drug stuffs taking medicine. It is not gotten back that cut formation which function is suspended and is collapsed by radiation and remove by surgical operation. So, although party satellite of rehabilitation medicine will be formed, We must supervise responsibility why we aggravated situation in this way. Gene defect is indwelled because disease symptom is not come to the fore, time passes Or, economical reason can be. At the some moment, patients who appeal bodily languor can lift that is many. It is most workpeople, but because connected production efficiency drops rapidly. Even if severe labor condition is improved by much production facilities automations, It been going side by side business stress can not avoid and hygienic condition is worsened remarkably. As it is going to minimize life risk to various kinds economy leading composite index, weather forecast information etc. present, it must hydrate health information since and do life. If discomfort index is high, human body atomizes health index as operate air conditioner It should be forecasted commonly and should be managed. So, important health power of a number will be judged that is managed by a constant time medical examination, but it is big mistake. And method that can get health improvement from a medical examination is ephemeral as method or kinesiology experience and is not forming system. This state can announce health safety low limit critical state. This moment is overlooked mostly and is not managed. So, by suitable model system operation administration although took example. is similar to be difficult to do to recognize situation. But, if onc@e more example to be delayed constantly if exchange battery, watches the effect prove. Similarly, level should be kept as summit human body is that human body use artificial mitochondria device. Therefore, what is free energy from metabolize energy level change and essence being, what is achieved career. Important bolt is going whether is regulated in some route and is gotten back. So, it is thing which gives a name as artificial mitochondria device and proposes and does. But, medical world expects thing supplied freely cultivating trunk embryo bud cell. If speak as artificial, although it can do that is not clinical two like mechanical heart and do inquiry, To embryo bud stem cell keeps stationary state, minuteness environment should be supported. It can not overlook level is free energy that is happened in metabolize energy, can not be formed altogether. Also, human body as system is ATP energy supply and demand situation forecast can, It does not examine closely ATP energy essence continually and is grasped that is energy that is happened in conversion between ATP and ADP. Nothing is marched in this state. There may be composure yet When blow upon critical, situation can not estimate roughly by special quality half-life if pass a little. Have you to abandon still? By automation already in system control command room system safety run, In human body system any confrontation do not ready also action step ready. If see the main mitochondria function, If oxygen per alveolus, enzyme etc. that is carried in blood is supplied and is assimilated to mitochondria like sponge, expected compression heat occurrence effects are accompanied. So, energy is stored to ATP, energy supply and demand circumstance becomes very unstable as for this path. And it can say as formation agenciesf physiological function that reaction action is gone by ATP system energy supply. Energy source should be supplied and is overlooking by bigger efficiency than this. So, when explain applying by system model, agreement does not become. Therefore, energy save medium and career are defined newly and are normalized. it can help function in human body that do artificial mitochondria energy development device. Is ideological and abstract yet? Because adjustment is available onl@y energy career Indiscretion energy avoids side effect being supplied like covenant. First of all, it is energy save medium. It speak that energy was stored in fattiness quantity, but direction energy supply medium is not examined closely yet. Such series process can assume easily to system administrators and is grasped. Although reposed wall one@ is human body cell and another is never easy to fusion each other as is the inorganic matter molecule world According as career of energy supply process and common homogeneity of medium are embodied, the importance of fusionfs learning is emphasized. Although it is applied by various kinds field, Because focus and examine again, is participated together and when standardization is gone ahead Human health contribution becomes advance. Byeunok Oh(lccobok@yahoo.co.kr) L.C.C.life environment research institute 10-9 haewhadong jongrogu Seoul 110-530 South Korea
Everyone keeps saying " Wouldn't it be nice if only . . .but not many people actually work at the problems on their own account. Yet, there is an American and Western-Civilisation tradition for individuals to tinker with hand, brain an own resources to meet problems head-on by solving them, first in a small way, then all the way. I can quote names like Joule, Watt, Edison, and Ford, which leaves out multitudes of those who made it and of course, those who gave up before they made it I have a serious "work-in-progress" proposal for a "solar energy combine harvester", some definite details of which are already disclosed on my blog with "engineering.com". To anyone who back-tracks these disclosed details and wants to know more, I will answer with facts, figures, text and pictures from my open "Project Portfolio". My target, to be actually demonstrated at artisan scale with models I personally build, is : concentrated heat resulting from 70-times concentration of rays, at a cost of 10 US cents per kilowatt hour. The heat is then to be converted into electricity by a reciprocator directly powered on the sun-follower rig, via pneumatic or compressed air that drives the rotary electric generator. Evidently, a working- fluid is heated in a very innovative concentration target, - water-steam or hot-pressure air both suitable. A payback of investment within one year is plausible, but has to be proved. Completion target for my end of the project - midsummer 2011.
making electric cars self suficient is easy. companies making electric plug in cars are trying to make them aerodynamic. there is not much need to make them aerodynamic, if they are self suficient, and self charging.i have design a way to make them self charging as long as the car is moving.its to easy to think out of the box.
I'm presently doing a TLC loan for a tri-level freeway strip city that needs infrastructure specialists to help design the project.
I completely agree with Peter from Arizona. Living in a country when the Sun beats down throughout the year, I am appalled at the minuscule number of solar panels I have seen. I know that they are hardly efficient due to the lack of intensity per square area, and that they very costly, but, as Peter said, this is one resource, i hope, the world will NEVER run out of. You could also use solar panels on vehicles, be it on road, water or air. This can greatly reduce fuel consumption => not only does solar power have its own advantages, it also cuts down disadvantages of other power types. SOLAR POWER ftw
I think we have a great gift from the GOD and we don't use it well , we are always in a competitions with each others for having the great inventions , discoveries or technologies , but in another point of view i think all of us as a human beings have the right to benefit from the god's gifts for us that not allowed for anyone to prevent us from using it even if they were governments . Now i 'd like to talk about a great problem and a great gifted solution , The water next war and the sun respectively . No doubt , the water war will be the next war world will see ,feeling sorrow , we don't take the responsibility for solving this dangerous problem ,we now concentrating on the weapons we should have to face this war strongly , never mind .. i think if we use the solar energy coming from the sun and make a chemical efforts like chemical analysis of elements and doing chemical reactions experiments aiming to have a combination of hydrogen and oxygen as a water replacement ,i.e making the water combination . May be it's a dream , but i think it's wonderful experiment
Although water is the one of the most abundant compounds on our planet, the supply of water for human needs is very low, so engineers need to be responsible for improving the supply of drinking water. One idea that I thought deserves investigating is the low-energy production of clean water using forward osmosis, where saline water is brought into contact at a selectively permeable boundary with a more concentrated solution with certain properties. The water moves by osmosis into the more concentrated solutions, but the solution has properties such that the solute will vaporise and be given off by simple heating, producing pure water. (Or equally I thought you could use concentrated nutrients solutions, to avoid neeting to remove any solute). I agree with whoever mentioned overpopulation problems, but the only ethical policies for solving that (i.e. limitations on no. of children) require the implementation of politicians rather than the ingenuity of engineers.
dear sir i propose my zeolit product in the follow application. 1,ceramic body armored 2.filtering oil in rafinery,water in waste water management 3, absortion of heavy metal from nuclear waste management 4.producer an xigen filter,,who can dellivery,,,,,,86%,,oxigen comparately normal filter who can generate only 21%.....oxigen,,,,,,,excelentely for space colony,,,,,,moon,,or mars,,,,,,in future . i await your answer eng.florin moineagu
There will be lots more to come in future and we need inventions which can make the world best living place in the universe so if aliens come to earth in future, we can be a proud earthian.one thing that i want to see in future is change of mentality of human being.what if none of the country has to waste (waste ) money for military, none of the country keeps the nuclear weapons.i do not know how engineering can help in this matter but, if that happens, the world will be much better.also many things needs a change like transportation, energy sources, health system, medication.i want to see the world without poverty and pain.
I believe that in order to become more sustainable we will need to harness solar energy. This is the only renewable energy source that is common everywhere. If we can create more efficient solar panels then we can reduce use of fossil fuels and lessen our carbon footprint. I also believe that the introduction of switchable glazing windows, which can reflect 90% of the suns rays, into homes and businesses can reduce energy costs dramatically. Also if we can implement solar panels into windows this would allow for much more renewable energy. Creating solar panels that are able to function as windows would allow solar panels to be in glass buildings, cars and homes.
To add to what Peter Kohler from North Carolina said, I think it is very important that we try to conserve as much land as possible, even through the exponential population growth. Along with building malls and things underground, building parking structures underground would be a huge improvement. We already have the technology to do it, and usually the parking lot to a mall or Walmart takes up just as much, if not more land than the building itself.
A lot of these challenges can be solved with an emerging field called "DNA" computing. I hope everyone that has some influence in the biological, mathematical fields, and other scientific fields team up with computer scientists and engineers to not only find the best methods possible but also methods that could be immediately implemented.
Most of the "Grand Challenges" listed are ultimately the result of unsustainable population / demand growth. It is unscientific that this singular grand challenge "Overpopulation" has been conspicuously omitted from the list and it's discussion. The only listed Grand Challenge that comes close to addressing the grand challenge of "Overpopulation" is education. Which has been proven to lower population growth rates world wide. As engineers we have provided every society on earth with access to birth control only to see religion trump technology throughout the undereducated segments of the worlds population. Thus the science of psychology, sociology and anthropology are equally important to "All" of the Grand Challenges listed here and even those about which we do not speak. Prosperity to all... PanAmMan
In my opinion,hydel power projects will be cost effective,safe and consistent if we marshall the water resources and build dams compared to renewable and nuclear power projects.
I have seen a few post mentioning this, but would like to state it again, explicitly. By focusing our efforts on advancing solar energy, wind energy, hydro energy, wave energy, geothermal energy, etc, are we not building a burden to carry in a few generations' time? Considering 'localised climate change', if we harness all our energy requirements from the elements, we might be affecting a balance that we as yet are not comprehending, nor will be truly comprehending until we have significantly changed that balance. Hence as much as fusion seems the old school choice, it seems like to more sustainable choice.
God: Ten Scientific Commandments. ==. God has given to Physicists everything necessary to understand Him and His Genesis by Physical Laws and Formulas. ===. Scheme of Ten Scientific Commandments: Fundamental Theory 0f Existence. 1 The Infinite Vacuum T=0K 2 The particle: C/D = pi, R/N= k , E = Mc^2 = kc^2 , h = 0 , i^2= -1 3 The spins: h =E/ t or ( h=kb ) and h* = h/2pi 4 The photon, the inertia: c=1, h=1 5 The electron: e^2 = h*ca, E = h*f 6 The gravitation, the star, the time and space 7 The proton 8 The atom 9 The cell 10 The Laws a) The Law of conservation and transformation energy/mass b) Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle c) Pauli Exclusion Principle ===. The test . Every theory must be tested logically ( theoretical ) and practically a) Theory : Dualism of Consciousness: (consciousness / unconsciousness) b) Practice : Parapsychology. Meditation. ========. Best wishes. Israel Sadovnik. Socratus. ================..
I think that it is also possible to build up some running mechanisms for engines, by which we can have zero pollution.(not CNG) Iwan't to share a running mechanism,which can be very useful for the future centuries,in the lack of fuel digs. when the driver press the pedal,the piston&cylinder arrangement,thatwas connected to the pedal(accelerator) pushes the forging piston,that was connected the other side.there will be a elongated cylinder,in which the storaged&compressed fuel is placed upto only certain level..At the first attempt,it pushes the final piston due to air pressure..It will return back,due to the spring moment arrangement,that was fixed..while the piston due to spring force comes back,it will push the air compressor,which blow air into thestoraged fuel place thereby increasing the volume of thearea & it again pushes the piston to the spring force area,thereby which the cycular process takes place.And also,the storage area is provided with blow holes at the top,such the air ,that is blown into the storager from the bottom is escaped out at the following(next) cycle,due to the compression by thespring action. wehave to take a major precaution,such that the fuel in the storager connot escape through the blow holes of air..It can be prevented by the zigzag air blowers at the thickness of the cylinder(that is at the storage area).
To be honest I thinks its a very bad idea to tell the people were and how to make nuclear bombs, because then other countries can just start making hundreds of these bombs and sooner or later you will have a nuclear war because first of all if a countries states that they are making nuclear weapons then another country will start building nuclear weapons and so on and so and sooner or later you'll have people scared to death to even leave their house because they don't know if a bomb is coming, especially a nuclear bomb.
There are exponential growths in population in many cities around the world. Develop new ways of conserving Land, by building elsewhere. My suggestion is that we start by building subterranean cities built in many levels. You could build Malls, offices, apartments, and other things below ground, which will help conserve the decreasing free land space. This will also help benefit the natural environment by allowing some forests to grow and, basically, restoring the global environment.
i found the study of engineering to be a great benifit to africans because of thier poor quality in drinking water, engineers are looking for cheap and effective ways to clean it, and i would enjoy the line of work because your helping people and any job that helps people gets two thumbs up from me!!!!
Hi There, "The Fractal Matrix Planning System" represents a new paradigm in the field of spatial planning which could help to establish sustainable patterns of urban development on a truly global scale. System Features; - Generates economically, socially, and environmentally sustainable patterns of development at all stages of settlement growth - Applicable within any environmental, cultural or economic context - Capable of structuring settlements of any scale If you would like to find out more about the FMPS, please feel free to download further information via our Facebook page at the following link; http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fractal-Planning-Solutions-Ltd/109017094107?ref=share I hope this is of some interest, and look forward to receiving any feedback you may have. Kind Regards, Padhraic Moneley M.D. Fractal Planning Solutions Ltd.
Perhaps the great challenges should be focused on humanity's most acute problems, which can then be translated into technological objectives. In other words, perhaps the grand challenges are to build a greener/cleaner, healthier, more secure, more sustainable, more productive, more affordable, better connected, more energy-efficient, freer and safer world, with enough food, clean energy and opportunity for all.
"A grand challenge would be to find ways to reduce or even better remove the waste of fission. "
While I am a believer in the benefits of individual use for solar energy, we can not ignore the massive benefits of nuclear fission for energy. A grand challenge would be to find ways to reduce or even better remove the waste of fission.
as fossile fuels are being depleted, solar energy draw attention. from energy balance point of view, incomimg solar energy goes out from earth. at this moment area covered by solar panel is minimal compared with earth surface. if Sahara Desert is covered by solar panel, does it cuause localize climate change? who knows? butterfly effect leads to globla climate change?
"Our world has run out of significant innovations, after decades concentrating on the short-sighted application, rather than the discovery, of knowledge. "
Post-Science Research Projects The recent financial crisis exposes two major defects of our world. First, social science does not even have a solution for the basic socioeconomic problem of our chronicle financial crises. Secondly, our world has run out of significant innovations, after decades concentrating on the short-sighted application, rather than the discovery, of knowledge. Government or the public should be in charge of knowledge, which is our common heritage. Society needs knowledge leaders as well as political leaders. Immediate Research Projects (* On-going; ~ Planned): 1. Financial Reform (Dual Valuation Reform) Based On Valuation*, 2. Survey Of Predictive Valuation Methods*, 3. Mathematical Foundation Of Social Science (with Kenneth Arrow)~, 4. All People Programming Language (with Richard Stallman)~, 5. Jumpulse Mechanism~, 6. Jumpulse Practice Racket With Prolong Detection~, 7. Active Automobile Shock Absorber~, 8. Jumpulse Provisional Patent~ Other Long-Term Projects: (1) Valuation Center, (2) Global Valuation Standard Based On Infinite Spreadsheet* (3) Jumpulse Robotics Laboratory (Initial concentration: software and touch), (4) Homotopy Graphics Laboratory (with T. L. Kunii), (5) Post-Science Medicine: A Theoretical Foundation For Natural Medicines*, (6) Replacing Peer Review Process By Valuation In Determining Funding Priority Valuation Example for (6): Valuation of the Value of the Valuation System for Determining Funding Priority First to Third Year Revenue(Valuation of 1000 projects x $100): $100,000 per year Fourth to Twentieth Year Revenue Growth Rate: 100% per year Revenue Growth after Twentieth Year to Infinity: 10% per year Rate of Return for the Initial Four Years: 100% per year Rate of Return for the Fifth Year to Infinity: 40% per year No Finance Price : $2.1 Million
Complete Automation Based On Self-manufacturing General Purpose Robot Post-science provides the foundation for complete automation. Complete automation starts from the Self-manufactured General Purpose Robot with the ability of touch (coming safely into contact with an uncontrolled environment, as human, animal, and insects can do). The Self-manufactured General Purpose Robot is manufactured by itself and, with the ability of touch, can perform general duties and, thus, can replace all human physical labors, as machines have replaced animal labors in the Industrial Revolution. To finance the development of the SGPR (Self-Manufactured General Purpose Robot), the automobile industry provides an intermediate stage of application, which can justify the development cost. The main improvement will be the active shock absorber, which will give a competitive edge to the automobile. The active shock absorber will allow the car to travel on rough road and to make driving far less tiring when all the shocks have been eliminated. The active shock absorber will transfer the stress on the tire to the jumpulse mechanism, which is the key ingredient in preventing bounces. Thus, it will lengthen the useful life and reduce the manufacturing cost of the automobile tires. Most likely, the smooth ride could greatly increase the gas mileage. The feasibility of the active shock absorber has been experimentally demonstrated by mogul skiers, who can come down a bumpy hill in a straight line, while their legs go up and down executing jumpulses. Similarly, touch, collision without bouncing off, and prolonged contact in racket sports need the application of jumpulse. Post-Science Institute has solved the problem of touch, using the concept of jumpulse, an instantaneous change of force, while Isaac Newton and all the physicists since Newton have not yet fully realize touch is one of the most subtle problems in mechanics. A robot finger bounces off a surface like a ball bounces off a racket; jumpulse is needed in both touch and prolonged contact. To be completely automated, the Self-manufactured General Purpose Robot is constructed by the software programs which instruct the Robot to self-construct. In other words, the construction and modification of the Robot are done at a computer terminal. The robot software used should be completely automated, in particular, allowing completely automated updating from old to new versions with new functions. Thus, the other big innovation in complete automation is the completely automated software. Homotopy Graph Theory of T. L. Kunii will be useful in drawing the Robot. Homotopy Set Theory of Kunii provides an efficient mathematical foundation for complete automation. The solution of value of Hugh Ching will be needed to determine the value of the Robots. Richard Stallman and his army of Free Software programmers world-wide can rapidly convert the current partially automated to a completely automated software standard. Post-Science Institute would be willing to release the fundamental patent to the Free Software Foundation so that both the economic and the technical barriers to computer usage will be eliminated at the language level under the completely automated software standard. All people around the world over the age of six can start to program a completely automated All People Programming Language, which will communicate with its users in their native language or even graphics and sound. When the Self-manufactured General Purpose Robot is available for programming, everyone can have a job programming the Robot. For example, a car will be manufactured by simply push a button ordering the car to be manufactured. Today, in Japan there is already an electric fan factory, which is almost completely robot controlled. With the current financial crisis and with the automobile industry falling a victim to the economic downfall, our world has an opportunity to revamp the entire automobile industry, with public investment and, possibly, a world-wide initiative. Turning the automobile industry into a robotics industry might be the first step in the human destiny toward a completely automated technology. World political leaders should have the wisdom to see this opportunity. This huge project is blessed by the spirit of Ta-You Wu, who coined and defined the term jumpulse.
in future we should be able to power source that is seen on iron man movie
By efficient engineering we can greatly support the energy prolems that we are facing or will be facing by employing the combination of multiple non conventional energy sources together ,like we can use wind ,solar,geothermal energy sources and making a common node which will provide electricity collected from such a sources. Another simple way to make things reusable efficiently till end point .
As an engineer i,we have to think beyond presnt technolgies,wich are old...we need fresh every thing fresh..want to silently conquer the technoloy,,as SILENT TECHNOVIAS.
Use software engineering to provide for the following to come true: Capital markets are unstable. In the past there was no way to make them stable. But today we have computer power that can be used to make them stable. By using the greater computer power of today we can have a much higher turn over of capital in the capital market. This higher turnover will make the market harder to game or control and the market will no longer have the unstable run ups or declines. Who can change or control the market when say 20% of the capital is trading each day? So now that we have the compute power to provide for all these transactions that will smooth out the market how do we force people to turn over at a rate of 20% a day? Easy, put a cap gains tax of 0% (zero) on all gains of 7 days or less and put a cap gains tax of 90% of all gains of more than 7 days. The likes of Yahoo, Micosoft and/or Sun Micro Systems will give us the systems that will provide automated software agents to support turning over one's investments every 7 days (based on the specs you give the agent). A system like this will make the financial markets work as smoothly as the local fruit market.
Problem: Limited fresh clean water Solution: The transport of melted Iceberg water from the Southern Hemisphere to America. Engineering can help America by developing the simple technologies of gathering, transporting and distribution of iceberg water from Mega icebergs that have run aground in the Southern Hemisphere around the 57 latitude. Iceberg water is a renewable resources and recognized as such by academia and the UN. Melting iceberg water can add to Americas fresh water resources. Giant fresh water tankers driven by photovoltaic cells and other eco-friendly power sources can economically supply an endless need for fresh drinking water not contaminated by industrial and pharmaceutical pollutants. Recycled drinking water does not mean clean water, its just water that meets a lower standard. Iceberg water does not mean the continued wasting of water only the expanded supply and the possibility of better water management. Right now all we are doing is recycling not expanding our water supply. Technology can only do so much. We are slowly poisoning our self's with recycled water just like the Romans did with Lead pipes. Think about it!
Hi, I hope engineering will end meatindustry and end animal suffering by replacing it with brilliant cropteqniques feeding the entire world.
As we can see that we are short of our natural resouces.. we have to shift to an alternative one....for example if we take the solar energy.. we can use it i many ways.. but the major question is how can we? fro that the answer is engineering.....
"I think limiting the goals to just fusion and solar, is diminishing the impact that we will need to see from multiple sources."
I think that your engineering grand challenges are too narrow wrt energy. There are a number of alternative energy technologies that could be game changers alone, and even more likely, all together. We will likely need a number of these new and expanding technologies to get us out of our current crisis. I think limiting the goals to just fusion and solar, is diminishing the impact that we will need to see from multiple sources.
Engineers are the controller of the world, in their hands what other need i think that engineer in next century will improve the ways to get rid of pollution as well as developing new machines that can work through solar energy which can lead to zero-gas pollution
Make the built environment safer by helping developing nations establish and maintain building codes. Safety engineering is the instrumental arm of injury epidemiology.
engineers can help improve the world but they don't have many hands to do it...we need some more ideas in improving...it's not just engineering can do it...we can do it all...everyone can do it, some of us lying around being a jerk...they can help if they wanna...people change the world...its not just engineering can help,scientist cure our sickness...hahaha...this is my own opinion
I don't know how genetic engineering can help improve the world in the next century or so
With our systems of education in threat, we have another direction to handle before addressing the big challenges. The initial application of process engineering to public education in the USA is available as a free download: http://www.jessebrogan.co m/Downloads/EdImprovePlla n.pdf.
I was told Mr. Raymond Kurzweil that reverse-engineering of the brain is impossible and unnecessarily task. There I will provide some details. “The plan is to engineer the mind by reverse-engineering the brain,” says Dharmendra Modha, manager of the cognitive computing project at IBM Almaden Research Center.” Reverse-engineering of the brain is impossible task. The brain is a dynamic structure. Dynamic of the brain structure is reflecting condition of a body where the brain is seating moment after moment. That will bring requirements to model a brain as whole in time short enough to make that structure pseudo static and link that structure to history of the body. That is important restriction. Brain structure is reflecting conditions of the body and did not have links to conditions in the environment. That is enough to make reverse-engineering of the brain impossible. Why that task is unnecessarily? So far no one attempt to build the human hand like printers. The same is with a brain. We have to build the devices with functionality of a brain. That is possible to accomplish on the base of a conventional computers and I know how to do that. Be my partners. Michael
Asteroid/Comet Impact Prevention is an "insurance policy" for civilization. http://legendarypharma.co m/jdf/impact.html In our Solar System, each of the planets is hit by large, high-velocity rocks at unpredictable times. A meteorite which is 50 meters (150 feet) or more in diameter can wipe out a whole city. A larger meteorite hitting the ocean would cause tsunamis, huge waves which could wipe out all of the coastal cities on the shores of that ocean. A meteorite several kilometers in diameter (more than a mile) would cause global firestorms, trigger massive earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and tsunamis, and terminate human civilization and most "higher" species of life on Earth. If a comprehensive sky survey were in progress, a threatening asteroid could be discovered months or years in advance. If diversion planning is begun in advance, then the longer lead time could be used to send up a rocket to divert an incoming comet before it strikes the Earth. The expense of such preparations could be justified as buying DISASTER INSURANCE or implementing safety programs. We need to scan the entire sky every month. Long lead times are essential to successfully divert these objects to safely miss us. PARABOLIC COMETS (Long-period comets) are a special threat because: **They come through the Solar System only in once in human history, so we have no historical records by which to predict them. **They can come in from any direction including the north or south pole. **They come at extremely high velocities (50,000 miles per hour). **They are very large. **They could smash the Earth on their FIRST PASS through the inner Solar System, so we don't have lots of time to calculate their orbits. Hence the NEED TO SCAN THE ENTIRE SKY EVERY MONTH
Focusing on a few challenges can draw attention away from others. Any list limits knowledge of others sometimes unintentionally. My list, with clear statement that I think lists can be somewhat misleading wihout misleading being my intent, would add 1. Finding ways to stop collapse of cities into the soil or tunnels underneath in some cities 2. Finding ways so that people with disabilities do not lose rights under guardianship 3. Time travel through wormholes 4. Much further distance with space travel 5. Engineering home gardening and urban gardening when people need food without damaging farming agriculture 6. Decreasing launch costs 7. decreasing radiation exposure during space travel 8. Making space travel more affordable 9. Engineering ideas wthout making them so that ideas can be shown to eachother 10. Building bridges out of fabric so that they can be laid easily 11. more boats to more people to respond to water level rises 12. Controlling 9/11 like airplane use 13. understanding where missile technology is going and controlling the technology from harming others 14. Helping people not misuse products like I misuse or overuse caffeine sometimes through helping people understand results of overuse My list would include many more issues as well. Fun to get participation on engineering going. James T Struck BA, BS, AA, MLIS
engineering means engine earing.earing is nothing but ear getting info sec to sec.
My comment concerns the lack of engineering and technology fields being selected by our current students. If the Administration wins its battle to cancel the Constellation program then how many young engineers does that affect when it comes time for them to select a program of study? How many students will choose other degrees outside of engineering and technology? There is already a lack in Aerospace Engineering graduates in the US today. According to current NASA Science and Engineering population statistics, nearly 87% of its workforce is of the age 35 and older. Of that 87%, 45% of those individuals will be eligible for retirement within the next five years. Young engineers who were motivated by space exploration and the dream of one day becoming an astronaut have just been removed by this Administration. How does canceling American’s spaceflight program improve our current education and workface gap in engineering and technology? It doesn’t! The number of predicted jobs for commercial spaceflight is less than the number of jobs that will be lost in canceling Constellation. Where do those young professionals go? By losing them you’ve just increased the time it will take to send American’s to ISS or beyond LEO. Where do you stand????
I would really appreciate for making us know about the great challenges.I have many querry`s regarding the anti matter can anyone give me information about that in detail.
Post-Science Institute has solved the problems of completely automated software and touch, or collision without bounce. The following is an explanation of the significance and the technology of the software: Of all the advantages in software design, none is more important than the design requirement of permanence achieved through complete automation, a lifetime unfinished goal of John von Neuman, the inventor of the computer. Generally, a permanent entity will someday be infinitely more valuable than a temporary entity. In fact, permanence could be the only discipline of its own for computer science, and is the main characteristics of life science, which can be defined as the programming of DNA, the prime example of a completely automated software system. The condition of permanence is achieved through endless self-generation and automatic updating, which are necessary features of complete automation. Without auto-updating, nearly all the software budget today is allocated for software manual updating. The three main innovations in the completely automated software are (1) Universal User Interface, (2) Universal Computer Source Code, and (3) Universal Data File, the last of which has been thoroughly examined by the patent examiner for the completely automated software “Self-generating and Completely Automated Software System” Pat. No. 5, 485, 601 and only needs to be understood by technical people. Just the first two innovations should provide a convincing argument for the absolute need of the completely automated software. Universal Computer Source Code is simply integers from minus to plus infinity. The completely automatic manipulation of integers by the computer is the key to complete automation. The Integer is the natural language of the machine or the computer. DNA, represented by 1, 2, 3, and 4, is the ultimate example of Universal Computer Source Code. However, the integer representation of machine instructions is hard for the human users to remember. To minimize the technical barrier to computer usage, instructions should be explained and documented in human native languages or universal symbols. Universal User Interface is a tree-structured, numerical multiple-choice question format, which allows the human user to understand the questions expressed in human understandable expressions and the computer to handle the integer answers. Humans have been created with the ability to remember an unlimited amount of information through Universal User Interface, which groups similar items in the same branch of the tree-structured multiple-choice questions. This ability is related to the Human Associative Memory, which allows the human user to retrieve an unlimited amount of information from a computerized library catalog and gives humans the capability in their self-creation. The completely automated software will bring about a technical breakthrough of historical proportion, even exceeding the significance of that of the Industrial Revolution. In addition to bridging the gap between human technology and creational technology, the completely automated software, with the elimination of all the technical barriers in computer usage, will make the tangible contribution of full employment, one of the ultimate goals of economics.
We need to make it possible for individual inventors to work with our IP system. The present patent arrangements work well for big pharma but the costs crush the little guy. I am that little guy: http://iotd.patrickandrew s.com/
In my opinion, there are hundreds of ways that mankind can use its resources in a more efficient and eco-friendly manner. It is more an issue of general knowledge and awareness by the public, coupled with favorable economical and political policies to be implemented by governments and multinational corporations. I´m particulary interested in the supply of clean water to the population, specially those who can´t afford it or are geographically distanced from mayor cities. A lot of these technologies already exist but are not being implemented either because there is a lack of budget or action by the government. Relatively cheap forms to accomplish this if by using surfaces or devices that capture the water vapor from humid air and condensate it to liquid form. This is a simple yet effective way to obtain water from the air (a source that is present in abundance). In addition to this, there is a huge development in water filter by using ceramic filters or activated carbon. It is important to take into account that these methods are not energy demanding such as reverse osmosis or desalinization plants, and could be supplied (transported) easier to populations in need, for example in the current situation in Haití. Thank you. Chemical Engineering department, Universidad de Los Andes
I would like to enter this competition with my idea. I would like to work on the sustainable infrastructure division while designing and building a tornado proof house for urban areas in danger of tornadoes. I am a construction management engineering major at the ASU Dell Webb School of Construction. I have a sponsor that would possibly help fund a test home built from nearly 100% recycled material. Would I qualify? Thanks Mike Fischer
first and the most important thing is stop cutting trees for construction of roads,buildings etc.allmost everbody finds one a new tech. to save our environment but nobody focuses on the trees . i think everybody should atleast grow a small garden in there house.start pricing water at a high rate for a particular class of people with so and so income so that they will understand the value or rather opt for a water meter just like electricity.
COME UP WITH A PLAN TO PLACE IN SCHOOLS WORK PROGRAMS TO RESTORE TO WORK ETHIC IN OUR CHILDREN. THIS IS NOT AN EDUCATION JOB ITS GOING TO TAKE AN ENGINEER TO MAKE A PLAN TO INCLUDE WORKING FIELD TRIPS TO ALLOW FOR KIDS TO GET INVOLVED NOT SET BACK. THIS WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE NEW, NOT SURE HOW IT COULD BE DONE. SOMEBODY SMART HAS GOT TO GET INVOLVED. MAKE IT AN ENGINEER THANK YOU !!!
"The biggest problem with this is not that we do not know how to purify water or help prevent disease, but rather that we do not have efficient systems to transport our help to these areas."
I believe that the first step to answering these questions is to identify our most pressing problems. While there are many out there and many great minds to focus on them, I believe our most pressing human problems begin in the areas that cannot gain access to healthcare, clean water, and other essential needs. The biggest problem with this is not that we do not know how to purify water or help prevent disease, but rather that we do not have efficient systems to transport our help to these areas. If we can develop technologies that can be airdroped or distributed in more efficient ways, we can make all of the knowledge and resources we have more useful to all. This is one of the weakest links in the system and therefore I believe its one of the places we need to focus the most effort.
"It is vital that engineers come up with a way to mimic the Earth's magnetic field to protect Earth from solar winds, radiation, etc. "
We really need to focus on the non-renewable resources we are wasting away such as water and food. Along with this, it is vital that engineers come up with a way to mimic the Earth's magnetic field to protect Earth from solar winds, radiation, ect. It is weakening at a dramatic rate.
Real time Language Interpreter A machine that remove the barrier of languages over knowledge. If someone has to learn Engineering Knowledge, first he has to understand English Language well. He has to do more work on it. (I'm not telling that he cant learn English but waste of time in learning English to gain main knowledge of Engineering). One person is good in one of the Language (other than English) but if he cant grab knowledge of English first, he cant easily grab the soul of Engineering. "Life is short". "Engineering Researches are more time consuming". In this current situations wasting of time in learning New Language is Costly for Engineers to grab the Knowledge. He already have much Work load for Engineering Stuffs. And Also this is a time of Globalization, none wanna to stick themselves on one point. So to explore his Ideas or Knowledge he has to communicate in more languages to reach more peoples. This Idea may useful to save REGIONAL LANGUAGES too. After all, 'Knowledge Is Power, Language Is Just A Medium To Represent It. ' ABOUT ME Name : Mainak Country : India Studying : MTech (Machine Intelligence) Institute : Dhirubhai Ambani Institute of Information And Communication Technology Studied : BTech Institute : Dharmsinh Desai University
Hawk Eye Plane System A plane which can be handled by a Single person though a PC. Features : 1 Smaller in Size 2 It can be transform in other form i.e. it can be shrink or can change its shape as per users needs. 3 It has Vision too. i.e. It can capture images as per need. 4 It can have Sound recorder to record sounds for more informations. 5 It must can send signals to pilot(PC). 6 It can make explosion to destroy enemy area or self. Most Important 7 It must be resistible to water, air storms, and it can run in each conditions (i.e. Nature Resistible) 8 No limitations for its area to be covered. Use: 1 Useful in Spying. 2 Easily find the wanted person without losing army men. 3 It can be used in mainly those areas where a physical presence of a human not possible. ABOUT ME: Name : Mainak Dave Country : India Study : Mtech Student Institute : Dhirubhai Ambani Institute of Information and Communication Technology BTech : Dharmsinh Desai University Institute
Developing Engineer is enough now, Everyone is having enough mind to develop the new things, even a less brain user is also a good developer, Now this is the time to develop world with best environment for human being. Now i belive the most important topic which we need to work on is OZONE layer damaging issue. We need to think about it, which is most important now cause this is affecting all human being's life. So i suggest we need to take care of this issue . I am requesting all of you please look in to this to make the world happy and safe for all human being !!! !!!
My idea might well fit inside the pages of "Energy and Transportation: Challenges for the Chemical Sciences in the 21st Century" I propose the Glass Highway for America's transportation needs. A computerized electrical highway system that will power America's electric cars at 200-300 mph. The cars will be eco-clean & not even require a battery. The roadbed will be made of 50' sections of 2-3 foot glass (from melted sand) embeded with reinforcing, electrical conductors, a car slot, and communication wires. Massive machines will make the panels onsite and lay the 6 lane glass panels, 2 to a section, 6 lanes going, 6 lanes coming. The power will be supplied by 100 nuclear reactors built on each of our three coasts, to power America's future. Next to these will be built desaltination units, running fresh water by piping into the arid interiors of America. The nukes will also be hooked into the electrical grid to lower industrial costs, farming costs, domestic costs, and the glass highways. Overall, this project would eliminate our oil dependence, provide cheap consumer products, help us compete with the world, provide jobs, stop killing Americans due to exposure, and take our workforce to work at high speed uncongested highways. Thank you.
I am currently studying mechanical engineering at strathclyde university in Glasgow Scotland. I have always been interested to find out if it would be possible to build a transparent solar panel, which can then be used as a window. If you think of these huge skyscrapers we have now, if this technology existed they would power themselves and more. Obviously this will not be the first time someone has thought of the idea but if you could give me some information that would be great. Thanks
Title: On the quantum theory of Einstein's argument for the Analysis of 0. Introduction. The universe, in nature, natural phenomena should be similar, only the material universe, the formation of different density and structure of the different quality of performance, makes us feel amazing. 1. Nature of matter and energy. High and low quality material and the formation of high and low speed compression level of energy; promoting the synthesis of high-density material, decide the level of synthesis of high energy density material, high-density substance that is very low or lower the quality of countless particles of compression; promoted by the need to promote the same level of energy ; impact the level of decomposition of the quality of the material synthesized particles can be high-energy particles of synthetic material to lower the quality of decomposition of the small particles, and to promote particles of high-speed movement, high-speed movement of very small particles can enter the high energy density material, in collision of high-density material; arising from the accumulation of high-energy, at the same time, external high-energy to promote accumulation of material arising from the energy of movement of high-energy, high-density material and there must be space, ultra-high energy can be broken down into very low quality of the material particles, the level of energy; quality is endless. High-quality high-speed movement of material will be high-energy friction material into a large number of low-quality particles. From sub-atomic. Proton. Electronic components, neutrons from a number of electronic synthesis, the electronic energy by the atoms inside and outside the movement to promote. Pressure by the weight of the material compression; energy thrust; cold reaction; by Block, and synthesis of particles of different densities; structure to properties of atoms to the material. That is, the weight of the pressure of compressed high-density material is the weight of the material particles will be compressed in many high density, the thrust of energy that is the level of high and low quality of the material of the high and low speed movement of material particles of energy to promote compression, thermal expansion or movement of many particles of high-speed collision of the energy generated material composed of particles or the expansion to break down the material into a soft particles, condensation or low-energy composition of the material so that many static and rigid particles, the seat edge to promote material that is, when the particle energy must be blocked high-density substance. The level of quality that is composed of atomic particles to the most basic unit of material. The performance of different high and low quality of particles mixed into cells of different density and structure of the cells to the performance of different properties of plants; biological. Cell density of the material that is the quality of cell synthesis of the energy density of the material. High-density material, the more the number of particles needed to effectively break down a certain energy degradation, it is difficult or slow low-energy decomposition and degradation of high density material, low-energy decomposition of the material can be friction and low-quality particle surface. Low-energy particles that is low-quality low-speed particle movement, the collision can not be strong; friction particles of high-quality synthesis of high-density material particles and decomposition of energy to friction. Synthesis of the material structure that is formed between the material particles of the gap; gap, different high-density mixed particles, very low quality synthetic particles of different density and body-like particles of higher quality. High density of different body shape and different sizes of particles of numerous kinds, and different properties of particles of different properties of synthetic material. Light in different density and structure of the material to produce different colors, different properties of density and structure of how much the quality of the material can absorb light. Some high-density material; tough; high temperature, some soft; Some have toughness; Some are flammable, such as gunpowder; oil; iron and steel; the density and structure of plants. Crystal structure that is the gap between numerous particles, particles of low density between the meson, photon - particle easy to penetrate. Flammable material that is the synthesis of particles of lower density, low-density particles have a more low-density particles as a meson, easy to make high-energy particles flammable and low-density energy. Internal high-density material to high-quality, by the energy of the particle movement to promote the accumulation of more rapid movement of the particles can not be released outside the accumulation of high-energy, external energy to promote the accumulation of internal energy arising from higher energy movement. Such as external temperature and low temperature heating and cooling have a role. The star of the heat energy will be broken down into very low quality of the material particles, the energy limited the promotion to a certain distance, some by the energy level of the quality of the material to enter the collisions between particles have high energy, the energy accumulation of material by the external energy to promote movement and rotation magnetic field energy to other particles in order to capture higher quality, and some material with the release of the laws of celestial bodies to run to run, and some substances absorb their own magnetic field, and some other substances with a strong magnetic field to capture the stars. Particles composed of material for the production of heat and friction of the source, the weight of the pressure of compression and friction, energy and the friction of the thrust to promote (a large number of high-energy particles into the material with the friction; the formation of high-energy collisions). Stars within the field of high energy can not be effectively released by rotating the external energy to promote and stimulate the outer stellar particles that form a magnetic field, the solar system by the energy and the activities of the Milky Way, the Milky Way galaxy by the greater energy and the activities of ultra, ultra outside galaxies greater energy galaxies unclear. Galaxies in the deep air support there is for energy, the universe, there is also in deep energy for air support. Nature, ultra-high energy density; structural material performance, ultra-low energy density; the structure of the performance of the material also. The galaxy; objects should include the quality of the sphere of influence of its magnetic field. Uneven distribution of the material universe, there is the level of sub-stellar quality, high-quality energy generated galaxies - magnetic fields and the release of lower-quality energy dominated galaxies, stars and galaxies to promote the activities and operation of the energy that is released by magnetic fields and energy . Galaxies in the universe, that is, the quality of this release tiny particles of high-speed run to the far into the material by the formation of energy. The quality of the material universe, that is, the quality of tiny particles to smaller particles. 2. Conclusion language So Einstein do not think there is a certain density; structure; the quality of the particle, the particle level of quality is endless, with different densities of particles and structure of substances (particles), high and low speed of the formation of high and low quality of the material energy. On scientific cutting-edge issues, please consider this research, a lot of technological breakthroughs in natural science questions need to find answers from this article, I just love scientific principles, what is the exchange of views with me.
In my very unprofessional opinion, it seems to me that planting trees and halting deforstation of virgin forests would solve multiple problems. Not only would they greatly decrease the CO2 content in the atmosphere, but it would drastically decelerate desertification, restore the water table in deforested areas, and restore endangered ecosystems.
"I think that we should stop using money currency and switch to a network (separate from the internet) of electronic debits and credits. "
I think that we should stop using money currency and switch to a network( separate from the internet) of electronic debits and credits. This way crime can become completely preventable in a society that used this system. Fraud could not exist because of the system would be somewhat autonomous. We can have some sort of fingerprint ID which is how your account is charged and also how you are paid by your employer. We could have people who apply for business licenses to have a fingerprint ID scanner coupled with an ID card scan to ensure proper identity. When i say crime i mean illegal trades like drug trafficking. If we are not using cash it would be difficult and less economical for people to deal drugs because their business scanning system would show accounting errors or some strangely high priced items. Tax evasion would not exist either because all income is Automatically reported. It is a little bit of a fantastical idea but maybe something of the sort could help economic regulation.
We are developing a technology called Beamed energy propulsion that could make access to space finally economically viable for humanity, this technology, which has research groups in Russia, China, Brazil, Germany, Japan and the US will usher a new era for humanity,, the main benefit of which will be energy independence through solar energy beamed from solar farms in low earth orbit. We feel that the basic science work has been done and now we "only" have engineering challenges ahead of us. so it surprises me that with the renaissance in space sciences BEP is not getting its due, we hope this will change in the near future beacuse our success will be everybody's success in the end. best to everybody, Alessandro Biglioli CEO LTI (Lightcraft Technologies International)
"Engineers, more than any other profession, are educated, trained and experienced in the art and science of applying knowledge and researching new knowledge to solve new problems with soltuons that are at the same tiem safe, effectiv, efficient and sustainable."
In my humble opinion the greatest contribution that engineers should make in the next century is to provide an objective, authroitative and credible approach to all the major challenges facing the global community. There is so much information made available on every conceivable subject that the prblem has become one of analysis, explanation and problem solving rather than debate and discussion. Engineers, more than any other profession, are educated, trained and experienced in the art and science of applying knowledge and researching new knowledge to solve new problems with soltuons that are at the same tiem safe, effectiv, efficient and sustainable. No other group can claim to do this with rigour and accountability, based on professional qualifications, accreditation and governence. Engineers make things happen and take full responsibilitiy for their works
Dear Sir, During my M.Sc. in Environmental Technology, I was given a class-assignment to tackle a global environmental problem in an innovative way. I chose “Rise of CO2 in the Air” because I had something to say on this. I wrote a plan which was low tech, can easily put into practice and where the whole world can come to play. The plan opens a new dimension to carbon trade for businesses, also the World. The outline was as this- Fast-growing trees assimilate CO2 out of air fast. We need to harvest these trees for their fast growing period in selected areas around the world. The harvest (dry hard wood is >70% carbon? And very slow degrading?) will be put away into caves, empty mines and faults- thus putting away atmospheric CO2 safely and cheaply for a very long time. After all, thousands of years old similar fossilized trees we use (oil, coal and gas) cause air CO2 to rise. Why not put back some? A Chinese saying is “Catastrophe = Opportunity”. Could we not witness the CO2 rise as an opportunity to store some energized Carbon (similar to currency?) for future use? Businesses may choose to grow & bury calculated numbers of trees each year to compensate for their extra carbon emission need. This plan will help developing countries come to terms with the world’s Carbon Trade agreement where they can even keep the harvest for themselves. This act means no offense to tree-lovers, forest-lovers or nature lovers. Only newly grown, purposefully, commercially harvested trees will be used, leaving natural forests alone. Scientists will calculate the numbers of trees required each year and decide types of trees to harvest for total sustainability (go bananas! ..may start experimenting with water hyacinth!). Desperate time calls for desperate measures! I know this is not ‘The’ solution, but as an Environmental Technologist I believe it has the signature of being a substantial part of it. Sreeman Mishu Barua, MSc(UK), REHS(USA) BaruaEnviro Consultancy, Plot: X-50, Block: A, Chandgaon R/A, 4212 CTG, Bangladesh. +88 (0)31 672678 +88 (0)183 0183 777 sanitarian@inbox.com
why can't we employ hot springs bacteria in coal stacks to use the CO2 generated by burning coal to release 02 and carbohydrate (the latter can be recycled as fuel) by the process of photosynthesis?
As an Army Officer who transported material across the world, I saw what modern transportation has done to rapid movement of large items. Instead of pipelines, dams, and reservoirs that have large environmental impacts, why not use the modular technology in conjunction with trains to move water from areas that are flooded or potentially flooded. A 60 car train should transport about 4.5 million gallons of water. The technology to pump water is there and used regularly. GE has hybrid train engines and with some additional electricity (solar panels etc), the engine could run hydrogen and electricity while powering the pumps for the water. Modular tanks are already produced or current sea/land vans could be lined to carry water. Currently there at least 40,000 unused rail cars. Multiple ways to link systems but it is a way to remove water before it damages and provide water to areas that need it using excess capacity or a specific set up.
Develop an engine which burns fossil fuel or non-fossil, is further exploited as much as the heat from burning these fuels, for use in liquid. It would be a great way for new engineering to develop a sustainable system. BRAZIL the first country to flex the world!
I need to show a motor to somebody that I've design . It put out no pollution, totally revolutionary,(it uses a form of energy that everybody seams to have over look.)and yet is powerful enough to run a freight train.Who can I show it to? P.S. It would take about 10 minutes to show.
Build an ozone machine that pumps O3 from the atmosphere into the stratosphere
I would just like to inform those that might be interested that my ideas for food safety would be to tell us where exactly the food was grown, and not where it was shipped from. Remember the strawberries a few years ago sickened several grade school kids and we were told they were shipped from California---but they were grown in Mexico. I have instructed my family, "We buy nothing from Mexico, period!!". Our Vice President said in an article in the USATODAY paper yesterday, said several things about how we should operate to make our food safer but never mentioned about where the food is grown, not shipped from!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Now, on another topic. In todays issue of the same paper they show a man telling us how much he liked his little electric car, and I have an idea about this! If you have an accident and bang up a fender or another panel somewhere, we should take a page out of the Nascar book and make our frames much stronger than we do today, then cover them with plastic fenders and panels that we should be able to buy from our 5 & dime store on the corner, or our parts store who handles things of this nature, Anywhere where there is competition to hold the price down. Our owners of these Nascars should be able to inform the makers of these panels where to get the best deals!! Can you see where these things could put people back to work, both in the plastics business and the installation and the selling of the part??? I don't know why we are stalling on these subjects!!!! Al Smith
"I think the biggest engineering challenge is to have the profession recognised at its true worth to society. "
I think the biggest engineering challenge is to have the profession recognised at its true worth to society. There are a few countries, such as Germany, Japan and parts of the USA, where engineering is revered as a qualification, and the profession flourishes in spite of many headwinds. In other societies in the developed world engineering is paradoxically seen as a basic skill, not worhty of recognition in status or reward. The paradox lies in the fact that the education system in these societies has been evolved to avoid the hard subject matter that is a prerequisite to any engineering qualification. Societies that recognise the potential of engineering as a profession, and appropriately reward its achievers, will contribute most in the discovery and development of solutions to the specific problems that your website seeks to prompt. I believe that the effort in this direction over the next decades will increasingly eminate from the east, which is a logical consequence of the fact that such a high proportion of the region's Kindergarden parents understand and pass on the importance of education, especially in the mathematical and science arenas. This aspect of glabalisation is one of the most positive I can imagine.
Solar Highways: Although solar fotovoltaic cells are a still less profitable way to obtain electric energy when compared with fosil energies, there's no doubt that they are an absolute trend for next decades and that this source of energy will be key for next generations' survival. In that particular sence, I think it could be a good idea to start exploiting right now the possibility to join in the same frame the construction of highways with the construction of solar centrals. A highway can easily support at its sides (and in the middle zone sometimes) a frame of solar fotovoltaic panels elevated for example 4 or 5 meters from the soil and with the possibility to rotate according to the sun position. This already well known structures could be replicated in theory across all the highway of any sunny zone of any country in the world. The idea is to take advantage on the fact that a highway is a sunk cost with a permanent impact and this impact can be additionally used to support another sunk cost with another permanent impact. Possibily, there could also be construction savings. Furthermore, it would be easier at the begining to attract investors for a solar central if it is part of a surelly profitable toll communication way, than otherwise. Business could be made for example with a partnership between an energy company and a highway company. The main point of this idea is that this way the presence of fotovoltaic solar energy arround the globe could be boosted just because there's an intense need to built or renewal highways everywhere, specially in emerging economies.
West and South regions of our country are suffering from the lack of water (as many other parts of the World). But there is an invention (US # 5,598,661) that can solve this problem once and forever. It allows to use any brackish or seawater for agricultural irrigation (one of the major use of water) with minimum investment. It will allow to return millions of acres of fallow land back into production and free valuable drinking water for population.
Please look abstract my research A hypothesis is proposed concerning the cause of the origin of universal gravitation. This cause consists in a system of the ether vortex rotations. Physical and mathematical grounds are described and the formula for the determination of the space gravitation forces is deduced. On the basis of the vortex gravitation, the principles of creation and existence of the celestial bodies are shown. Methods of the use of the vortex gravitation properties for the space flight projection are proposed. My theory can to explane origin of gravitation, anomalies and accelerations space flight of satelites "Galileo", "Rosette", "Cassini". My theory can to make flight on Moon and other planets on 25-30% cheaply. My theory can to explaine cause of THE ELLIPSOIDAL SHAPE OF ORBITS and OF EBBS AND FLOWS. My article was published on journal http://jvr.freewebpage.or g/TableOfContents/Volume2 /Issue2/2-2.html I would like to receive your response with your opinion and your help to research its principle. Regards Sergey Orlo
"A bridge between physics and engineering in the field of nanotechnology can lead world to meet challenges like energy storage, environment purification and treatment of chronic diseases. "
A bridge between physics and engineering in the field of nanotechnology can lead world to meet challenges like energy storage, environment purification and treatment of chronic diseases. For instance nano-TiO2 is proven to have been a great soruce of gas cleaning, energy storage and treatment of diseases like cancer. Production of nano-materials on larger scale can produce a great revolution in the engineering world.
I think increasing the efficiency of biofuels, in the harvesting (or collecting, when we think of used cooking oil, for instance), processing, tax incentive, government laws and aid, and so on, is a challenge for this century.
I believe we also need to address the phosphate cycle and our realization that phosphorus fertilizers are a finite resource that must be recycled.
"Refineries for used cooking oil and other materials, that can be processed into bio diesel, could be built."
We need to find ways to produce biofuels economically on a large scale. Refineries for used cooking oil and other materials, that can be processed into bio diesel, could be built. It would solve two problems: how to dispose of used cooking oil, and how to provide cleaner, Petroleum-free fuel. Also, developing cellulosic ethanol and producing hydrogen on a large scale from water are other methods for providing renewable fuel that need to be further developed. Another Idea involves using plasma disposal units to dispose of our municipal refuse. I don't know why this technology is not used more widely
I belive that another good idea for thinking about would be the new clean coal idea would be a good thing to research, id like to know more about it.
"Efforts to create photosynthesis artificially should certainly rank with sequestration of carbon dioxide as a challenge."
1. I have serious doubts that sequestration of carbon dioxide will pass a cost-benefit test. Nature deals with it by using photo-synthesis to free the oxygen and use the carbon for building plant material. Effort to create photosynthesis artificially should certainly rank with sequestration of carbon dioxide as a challenge. It would be a lot easier to bury the resulting solid material. 2. If hydrogen is used as an energy-storage medium, the next question is whether it would more effective to ship the hydrogen to points of use, or to use it with fixed-base fuel cells at the point of creation and to transmit the resulting electricity to the points of use. I doubt that hydrogen and fuel cells in electric cars will prevail, so I bet on the second option. 3. Unspoken in the very meaningful challenge report is that population control lies at the heart of many of the problems addressed. The application of engineering to the reproductive process is certainly the equal of possible engineering actions to other biological processes. The fact that there are religious and other sociological barriers to the application of any results of such research and development should not prevent the search for better methods for dealing with this issue.
There remains humanity's unflagging acceptance of the quasi-engineering challenge, that suggests Mother Earth is incapable of satisfying each and every need of her beloved inhabitants. Dismantling this roadblock will involve a paradigmatic shift, not unlike any other technology application, requiring techniques of behavior engineering, currently in vogue. The overarching belief in scarcity undermines innovation by virtue of its unquestioned acceptance in human reasoning. There is a fantastic abundance of electrical energy pervading our Solar System in the form of electric ring currents. Our challenge is therefore, to activate, arouse and awaken the bountiful creativity long repressed in the human mind. Once that is accomplished, it will become obvious that scarcity has always been the mere figment of the imagination.
""I think accelerating research in nanotechnology will help to improve the efficiency in any other engineering field.""
I think accelerating the research in nanotechnology would help to improve the efficiency in any other engineering field, such as: industy (making it more sustanaible and competitive), electronics, construction materials, to enhance the use of natural resources, trasportation systems... And it would be also useful in medicine, scientific research and more. The uses of nanotechnology are almost endless. And after that, the solution of the challenges will have to be less difficult to achieve. Nanotechnology as a tool, not as an accomplishment.
Please consider adding another Grand Challenge focused on complex adaptive systems. A few thoughts regarding a complex adaptive system grand challenge: This framework was influenced from work underway at the Boeing Company and the book "Complex Adaptive Systems" (Miller-Page). Research questions to consider: Study Industry-Academia and Governments as complex adaptive system: What is it that enables the their system to sustain productivity aggregate patterns through technological. For example in the aerospace industry, advanced material and product lifecycle management and global business partnerships i.e., distributed global business shared risk-shared value investment model? How robust are these heterogeneous social system? What is the capacity for dynamic adaptation? What policies and procedures enable adaptation, how do they propagate through the social network? What is the effect of internal external policy decisions, technology and global pressures change? How do these decisions support the goal oriented behaviors of social agents? (Contagion phenomena) What computational models can we employ to better understand the Boeing Innovation culture, as a complex adaptive system? What are the commonalities among adaptive agents (leadership, fellowship and extended workforce)? Can we distill these behaviors into prototypical adaptive behaviors; can we leverage this insight to shift lifelong learning strategies? Can we identify the level of sophistication and enabling conditions? Social Niche Construction: the new business model fundamentally altered the internal agent behavior through exposure to global external agents and cultures. Can we model this new operational mode and understand how to leverage the combined intellectual capital generated from this diverse perspective? Social worlds: This new model presents a opportunity to shape influence global behaviors by shifting the balance of local and regional control. How is this accomplished by agents within this global environment? How does this decentralized centralized balance occur, how does this impact agent behavior i.e., heuristic business modeling for the benefit of the collective system goals? Social agents receive or acquire knowledge; the information is leveraged against a schema, processes and acted on. Within the social network, how do agents access information, what is the level of fidelity, how do they direct their acts toward optimizing the solution space?
In order to generate more ideas for the betterment of humankind,we should encourage sharing the results of current research happening around the world. AN SMALL IDEA CAN CHANGE OUR LIVE..
"Every new highway project can cheaply and easily integrate more green practices with proper research and development. "
It is vital that every engineering discipline do their part to advance the quality of the world we live in. I believe one of the most plaguing issues facing my field of engineering (Civil) is an unwillingness to accept the challenge to advance to a higher level of environmental consciousness. Every new highway project can cheaply and easily integrate more green practices with proper research and development. We need to reevaluate all of the old best management practices that some adhere to, and push engineering to a new level of environmental and social consciousness.
I believe that only engineering has potential to change the society for better world in comming decades. we should do the following Develope spritual intelligence and skills in the new generation of engineering professionals so that we exploit the nature for minimum possible and expect very less for life to live . ABET Curriculum should have included above in their frame work.
"Several of the remaining challenges can be solved if we have access to clean power. "
In my mind, the greatest challenge is the generation of cheap, plentiful power. Several of the remaining challenges can be solved if we have access to clean power. This can come from many sources but ultimately all power on earth originated with the nuclear fusion reactor we call the Sun. We should look to solar and nuclear power as the primary sources for this clean energy. Engineers and scientists should also take a larger part in developing public policy. In the US, I would go so far as to suggest the generation of a third political party - the Engineering Party. Let engineers do what they are trained to do - solve problems - in the political arena.
I find very important the need to foster wide adoption of solar energy and develop means to massively increase the availability of clean water. Empowering the 1.000.000.000 excluded people in the world with cheap energy and water would make an important step in their lives. Next challenge: engineering science figuring out how to integrate the working members of those families to productive chains with optimized state funding. Maybe even showing how they can be involved in the obtention of their energy or water.
Natural fisheries of high value tunas are on the verge of collapse, due to high world demand and ineffective international fisheries management, at the same time commercial tuna aquaculture is fast becoming a reality. Tuna is a much healthier form of protein then beef and large production of tuna could increase the world population's health and help ensure the availability of tuna well past the next century. Engineering of aquaculture systems to meet world demand for tuna can help to improve the world in the next century. To this end Hawaii Oceanic Technology, Inc has begun the engineering of large open ocean aquaculture vessels to raise tuna in large enough quantities necessary to meet world demand. Please refer to www.hioceanictech.com for more information regarding this pressing issue.
"We can try charging cell phones using solar energy."
There are nearly billions people using cell phone. And there is a great amount of electricity used by people to charge their cell phone around the world. We can try charging the cell phones using solar energy. By doing this we can charge our cell phones where ever we go.
Cereal crops that have the genetic ability to produce nitrogen in the same manner as legume crops.
"Food recommendations have been good and now with the new studies showing us that mind exercise can be good for the brain, we need to start finding other ways to help with people that have brain injuries or are aging and have Alzheimer's. "
I think we need to discover and create better ways to engage the mind and keep it youthful. Food recommendations have been good and now with the new studies showing us that mind exercise can be good for the brain, we need to start finding other ways to help with people that have brain injuries or are aging and have Alzheimer's. Crosswords, playing Jeopardy and some website (http://blog.fitbrains.co m) are great, but there has to be more...
"Could we tap into volcanic magma and create blowback steam in the casing after pumping high pressure water through ceramic high temperature pipe? "
Could we do more to turn our earth"s volcanos into geothermal furnaces? Could we tap into volcanic magma and create blowback steam in the casing after pumping high pressure water through ceramic high temperature pipe? Ceramic pipe is also used for water jet cutting? Shouldn't we be using the extra heat of global warming from as far down as possible? Turn ocean volcanic activity into hydrogen and oxygen mines via steam turbine powered remote electrolysis plants. The same ships that haul Natural Gas could haul Hydrogen. Come on people those zits to big for us or what? If the source of the heat of the magma is from a large concentration of high density and radioactive minerals "piled" up at the center, it may be at least part of the source of global warming and shouldn't we be trying to use it? Any chance some of our deep wells could turn into volcano's, if the heat from beneath is expanding?
"Mostly, to the general public, this list could represent the ideal direction in which humanity should progress. "
Hi, I am also an engineer, and I like the idea of having these grand challenges listed. It serves a source of inspiration to help student engineers choose areas of study as well as to giving senior engineers something to consider for their career. This list also hopefully servers as an inspiration to business leaders looking for market opportunity areas or directions for R&D efforts. Mostly, to the general public, this list could represent the ideal direction in which humanity should progress. With that in mind, I thought this list could do with a few emerging areas that are currently growing fast in both research and commercial interest: 1) environmental and ecological conservation 2) planetary exploration and colonization 3) bioprocess and biofabrication technology ... anyone else has a few other categories?
Engineers should find a way to harvest nitrogen from the air and transform it into energy to power vehicles. Just trying to think outside the box. I want to eliminate any use of liquid fuel of any sort to prevent anymore carbon footprints for everyone.
we are known for breaking chains...chains which run a cycle of energy...we know how the energy from the sun is flowing through every corner of this planet without any flaw or drawback...the little energy which comes from the sun in our planet is being used in a wonderfull manner without any losses...sun rises in the morning and sets in the evening but still the flow of energy continues... i am very low in knowledge about the latest technology or even about the old...wheels which rotate at 3000rpm are used for just moving...imagine using this for generating electricity...
I hold a BS and MS in Engineering and have worked in research and quality control of fuels for many years. I participated in a research team that patented a new fossil fuel called ORIMULSION in Venezuela. I have an idea that I believe would reduce the consuption of gasoline in 3 to 6%.
i dont think in terms of the importance to the world, health informatics ranks as a major engineering challenge. i mean lets look at it, health informatics may be in the frontiers of engineering with nanomedicine and those things but what does it mean to almost half of the world who live in developing countries. the same goes for virtual reality and cyber space
We need to provide tools for software and technology to learn from individual users. We should teach our technology to work how we need it to, for individual needs. If we share these patterns of behavior, we will provide the ability for others to use those same patterns and apply them to different applications. If technology is driving this type of movement, it will then be available to any technology that comes our way. We can even go as far as sharing how we live and think as an individual, giving insight into human behavior. All the while, logging this information using intelligent technologies.
In our morden science world an engineering is an very iku analysis of an system so now we need technology over atomic study of an material to analyse the scientific reaction on the space then only we conform wether life in space is possible or not.
Consider placing sol-stationary solar collectors in series between the earth and venus. The collectors would be convex mirrors (~3 ft. in diameter) teathered to reflective foil parabolic parachutes (~500 ft in diameter) with a hole in their middle. The concave side of the foil would face the sun, reflect sunlight to the convex mirror which would then focus it earthward through the hole in the foil. Dozen of these assemblies could be placed in a line so that the final beam could be dozens of megawatts of thermal energy. Each assembly would be held into place by the balancing of the solar wind force pushing the assembly spaceward against the gravitational force on the mirror. The nearer an assembly is to the sun, the lighter the mirror and or larger the foil. It is this opposing force dynamic that would allow an object that is closer to the sun to maintain the same rate of revolutioin around the sun as the farther away earth. These concentrated beams of light could be used to protect crops from occassional freezes, melt ice for fresh water, make battle zones temporarily uninhabitable, optimize climate (like evaporate sea water channeled to death valley so that Utah, Nevada have higher air humidity), run power stations on earth, and possibly disrupt hurricanes. Since the assembies could be 'sailed' by feathering the foil 'sail' they would only consist of a mirror, a small solar collector to run servos that tug on specific wires of the 'parachute'. In theory, mass produced assembly could be produced for a pitance. One last thought is the climate effect. Blocking sunlight and then channeling it for power reduces heat input to the earth as well as reducing heat retention.
I feel that engineering would help us by inventing us a system where we can tap the huge amount of enegry that is generated during lightning
"Make solar energy affordable" is inadequate; transmission and annual-scale firming storage are necessary for "solar" and other large-scale stranded renewables. Electricity transmission provides no affordable annual-scale storage. We find that gaseous hydrogen (GH2) and anhydrous ammonia (NH3), gathered and transmitted and distributed via underground pipelines as C-free fuels, firmed in solution-mined salt caverns (for GH2) and surface liquid "atmospheric" tanks, would allow us to run the world on renewables. See our papers, posters, and conference presentations at www.leightyfoundation.org /earth.php We must think energy systems, not sources. Now we need to build pilot plants to discover and demonstrate whether these GH2 and NH3 renewable-source energy systems are technically, economically, and socially attractive. Thank you.
The engineering field is very important for this world.
There are enough engineers in the world and more in the making. If every engineer takes up the task of developing one proposal to reduce environmental burden of whatever they are engineering, it will be a step closer to our environmental independance. It is a fight we ought to make collectively challenging each other and exchanging innovative as well as existing ideas. We get caught in the innovation realm, while leaving a lot of proven technologies that need breeding grounds on the table. What I say is lets bring up ideas whether innovative or not and let each of us see how relevant these ideas are in the things we do and foster the ideas that will better our purpose and environment.
The only way engineering can advance is if we focus on what is actually possible within the realm of what we already know, I have read alot of the previous comments and reading some of them I actually lost a little bit of hope for humanity. Just a couple that stood out in my mind, Transmitting energy wirelessly is physically possible, but you cannot control it's direction, it is well known that electricity follows the path of least resistance, in an atmosphere resistance is homogenous, this means that the energy goes in all directions losing more and more energy to both the fact that it is spreading in a spherical manner, and the extremely high resistance of air. basically what I am saying is that you can transmit electricity through air, but it would be amazingly inefficient and would probably kill everyone in the room. the other proposition that I remember is the idea that we could make bacteria that consume CO2 and produce water, I would recommend a basic chemistry class to this idea's author, Carbon and oxygen do not make water. Hydrogen and oxygen do, so in order for these bacteria to produce water they would need to be supplied with hydrogen and probably produce pure carbon as a byproduct, not a terrible idea altogether until you consider the energy that has to go into the production of hydrogen it ends up being a wash, with today's energy costs its just not economical to use hydrogen fed bacteria for capturing carbon. but at least these two authors gave an honest effort, albeit a very idealistic attempt, they are still far superior to the single sentence of one "d.venkateswarlu" from india, this kind of pessimism is not constructive in any way, and if you want to continue making statements like that I suggest you change fields, literature perhaps. Overall i like the comments that are on this site, it shows that people, especially young people still have ideas, and still want to change the world for the better. With just a little bit of guidance these ideas could be pointed in the right direction and actually do some real good, for example, if you want to transmit energy efficiently, look into high temperature superconductors, if you want to work with bacteria to improve the world, look into genetics to make bacteria that produce new pharmaceuticals, I hope that my remarks on the two previous ideas did not discourage their authors, I only want to provide some of my previously mentioned guidance. and thats the end of my rant :P
Engineering is not always necessary to solve the perils created by human kind itself. A general approach may bring a drastic change. I, being a student of chemical engineering, strongly believe that, small changes like avoiding packaged drinking water(to prevent exposure of plastics to environment) may be considered one of the step. Figure this out, a used plastic pouch has an approximate area of 0.005 sq.m only. Imagine that a small location of population around 100000 causes an exposure of around 5000 used bags per day. The area for heat transfer with atmosphere available is thus 25sq.m. Summing up for a city of population around 500000 and considering the average consumption of 200000, the area is 10000 sq. m. WOW! almost equal to 2 football grounds. These statistics are for a single day and a single location. Now consider usage in whole world, and u get 1000s of football ground exposed to amosphere directly to exchange heat. a temperature difference of 5 degrees celcius and avg conductivity of 2 will give 100000 watts of heat per day. Now u can imagine the HUGE effect of a small change.
by making instruments which help us to remove nuclear power
I might be young to have a respected opinion, but it's one that I believe will change how we engineer the world. We need a new form of transferring energy. A world without wires would help our environment, resources, discoveries, and how much energy we could access. Transferring energy in large quanities could lie in our information technology. Just like we can transmit images and sounds wirelessly, we could engineer a way to do the same with energy.
Being the student of nanotechnology i can surely say that , mainly in area of Energy & Health , we can really really realise our dreams, Regarding solar energy i think by developing flexible cells and production of cell we have passed a big mountain in implementation of the solar cells (as before there were panels only , hard to put up and also they required the big place,), Multi-junction solar cells will be soon in all new role, Also i can say we are progressing fine area or Hydrogen fuel cells. also Carbon nanotubes are playing very very good role in these areas
GREATEST DANGER OF UNIVERSE Space stations can be used to save life on earth- AS they create a weak gravitational effect their positions can be adjusted SO they can divert the forth coming danger from space IF they are placed at appropriate position. NEW TECH like LASERBEAMS,MASS DEVIATION,SPACE LAVITATION can also be used
One important way that Engineering can improve the world, is to have an epistemological sense of itself, i.e. to know the bounds of problems it is equipped to potentially solve. Some problems are better addressed through social science, focusing on innovative applications of existing technology. For instance, virtual reality is listed as one of the 14 challenges, however online social networking applications such as Facebook, which are certainly some of the most compelling forms of "virtual reality" existing today, are not mentioned. Technology is a partial solution. When Engineers work in tandem with social scientists and social innovators, better solutions emerge.
If food habits can be changed there is enough water for providing safe drinking water to all the population in the world. For instance one kg. of paddy consumes about 4000 litres of water. This coupled with minimizing transmission losses would help meet water needs of the world. Then the issue to be discussed would be equitable distribution of water. Politics enters here. We need statesman here not the run of the mill politicians whose agenda most of the times is for 3-5 year time span. Therefore the solution is not in finding engineering solution to the current problems(these will be replaced by new ones once they are solved) but engineering the emergence of statesman to lead the nation states and the world. Is this a tall order?
People are always talking about two thing: global Warming and provide clean water to the world. The two don't really have any thing in common but I recently came up with an idea which will kill both birds with one stone. humans around the world have been creating carbon collectors a lot recently which store carbon underground for all eternity, well I thinking maybe humans could Bio-engineer a form of bacteria that breaths or eats carbon dioxide and the creatures waste product is water. we could create billions of these creatures in carbon collectors and when they've eaten all the carbon, fresh H2o awaits to be filtered, then drunked. It sounds a little crazy I bet but for every ton of CO2, there's 250 gallons of water, and given the billions of ton of CO2 we have created would mean hundreds of billions of gallons of new water would be available for mankind.
This century will witness extinction of man from the earth.
I propose that further involvement is taken into the consideration of materials science in environments not that of earth. One subject that has recently captured my attention is the rust on Mars. Now, think that for rust to occur, the process of oxidation and reduction needs to occur. Well, if one looks at the chemical composition of basic iron (III) oxide, you can see there is H2O included. Back to Mars: if there was ever found a reliable method of seperating this water from the hydrated iron oxide (a de-oxidation, if you will), then we could very well be producing water and oxygen on Mars -- a very good proposition for Space exploration/colonization in years to come.
"...governments of first-world countries should start making new desalination plants and distribute the water to third world countries..."
I was thinking to give access to clean water throughout the world is this: governments of first-world countries should start making new desalination plants and distribute the water to third world countries and use the water to replenish reservoirs with the water [the reason why I think it would be best to replenish reservoirs rather than just give people the water is because the reservoirs are where the water evaporates into the atmosphere and begins the water cycle which would be better because it would feed crops better, gives nature some of the water for plants and animals, and distribute the water much better.] I'd also a have people make sure that theres only a certain amount of water each person or farm would get; making it much more sustainable. last but certainly not least, I start making a wide range of water plants that recycle the sewage water, filter and clean it, and redistrubute the water [they already do have a plant located in orange county, California that recycles sewage water but It would be good if we started making lots of these plants.] if we did all these things, we would save millions [if not billions because a third of our world lacks clean water.] of life's, and stop world hunger.
Engineering, reviewing current trends, will lead to more efficient technologies. These technologies will not be enitirely new ones, but improved versions of the ones we use today. I conducted a research lately on the future of aeronautics. I designed a plane for the aviation needs of 2058. During the research I noticed that current technical efforts were directed on improving current technologies rather than making new ones. For example, the research on the propulsion systems is meant not to come up with an engine with an entirely new mechanism, but instead to understand the operating principles better through computational engineering and then only to 'modify' current designs. By studying new concepts like the Boundary Layer Ingestion (BLI), engineers are working to change the current propulsion sytems by varing nozzle/intake geometry, engine placement, and bypass ratios, so that the utilize BLI efficiently. The results are better engine configurations which can be validated without largescale design revisions. This means that technology can be improved significantly to meet changing demands with minimum wastage of effort and, most importantly, money. Engineering in the coming years will improve existing technologies with moderate capital investments, benefiting the developing economies in particular.
USA Energy / Usage / Imports https://www.cia.gov/libra ry/publications/the-world -factbook/print/us.html Natural gas - proved reserves: 5.551 trillion cu m (1 January 2006 est.) Natural gas - production: 490.8 billion cu m (2005 est.) Reserves = 5551/491 = 11.3 yrs (AT CURRENT USAGE RATES). Oil - proved reserves: 21.76 billion bbl (1 January 2006 est.) Oil - consumption: 20.8 million bbl/day (2005 est.) Oil - production: 8.322 million bbl/day (2005 est.) Reserves = 21760/(8.3*365) = 7.2 yrs (AT CURRENT USAGE RATES). Electricity - production: 4.062 trillion kWh (2005) Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 71.4% hydro: 5.6% nuclear: 20.7% other: 2.3% (2001) Electricity - consumption: 3.816 trillion kWh (2005) ======================== Did-u-know The average American drives ALONE ~50 mi to/fm work in a car made for 5+ pasangers! Approx 70% of oil is used for transportation! If everyone were to CARPOOLwith one other person: --- Gas usage for work transportaton would: --- Reduce polution 50% --- Reduce driving costs 50% --- Reduce gas usage 50% --- Reduce USA oil imports ~20% --- Reduce national debt by a significant % --- Prolong usage of fuel reserves WHY NOT REDUCE YOUR COSTS AND CARBON FOOTPRINT? CARPOOL
We all are mostly discussing about nuclear energy but are not developing new ideas for space related queries like taking our space shuttles to other solar systems.
Food supply is a crisis now. Global warming is taking a heavy toll on Earth and everyone and everything on it. Finding an alternative for petroleum is also nearing a deadline. Well, these are the world's top priority for now to bring civilisation back to peace and harmony for all beings on Earth. Space ventures will help in finding the BEST alternative fuel. Genetic engineering on food should be given more advantage than trying to extend the average human life span or cure the common diseases. And I think every engineer, from electrical engineers to environmental engineers to civil engineers and also acedemics in this field MUST play a role in solving the global warming phenomena through practising integrity and spreading awareness. All the best my fellow mankind.
"We must develop engineers capable of optimizing Amory Lovin's "whole systems." Implicit is the need to develop life cycle designers, not product designers."
Rethinking Engineering Education: The 100+ year old paradigm of engineering education has led to the "grand challenges." We cannot continue to develop engineers who are trained to perpetuate the practice which has led to these grand challenges. We must stop educating engineers capable of developing optimal designs fo single components only. We must develop engineers capable of optimizing Amory Lovin's "whole systems." Implicit is the need to develop life cycle designers, not product designers. Implicit is the need to RAPIDLY change the educational paradigm to inspire creativity and entrepreneurial spirits. The grand challenges if not addressed immediately and holistically by ALL engineers, not just a small subset, will lead to grand disaster. Engineers: Let's change the paradigm!
The food on earth are soon runing out. So why don't combine the gene for the bamboos fast growing speed thed some kindes of groups and maybe even the gene for the great redwoods tree. On it you can gove potatos and many other things.
i'm not an social worker not and politician thus instead of ideas which exists beyond there existence i've suggestion which can be turned into realities and definately they can change the world so my list is 1. a low cost water purifier which can convert even sewage water to a potable one. it will be very helpfull in poor countries. 2. ultra low cost projector because with the help of it we can teach a large number of student at a time and can connect them to the world class via satellite (such as edusat) thus enabling high quality education to every part of the world at a very low cost.and i personally feel it will be of more help when we compare it to $100 laptop and i feel the cost of this lcd projector should be less than this 3. low cost all weather high energy food 4. modular hospitals which can be set up any where in any case such as flood or drought they should be highly mobile and should boast all modern facilities so as they can be used in poor countries.
EDUCATION!!! At all levels; our children, our politicians, the public. Without education, children cannot become engineers (particularly in developing countries). Engineers must educate our politicians so they can make wise decisions. And the public must be educated about how their actions affect the world around them. Effective education at all levels is the only way of creating a sustainable future for the human race.
"Before any of these can take major flight, they need the support of our leaders."
Everyone has opinions and I'm sure you continue to receive new ones everyday. I believe in ideas, hope and research, however our major concern is not even listed in your top 14! Before any of these can take major flight, they need the support of our leaders. We were raised to believe our for fathers got it right and today our leaders are making a mockery of these beliefs. We the people, all the people, need an engineering assignment. One that will outline the do's and don'ts for our leaders. Two parties or 10 parties, the winner should lead and the losers should become supporters making things better not fighting like kids who can't win. As an engineer I want one thing before all else, a leader that will unite all Americans when they take office, one leader, one america for one term of office, called America the America, then all 14 ideas will be funded properly because they are all for the people!
What about sde-mechanising some construction activities so as to provide employment for the unemployed - particulary in the third world
Saving the planet from the effects of global climate change should be the first goal of world-wide engineering. Before worrying about things that can be put on hold -- like going to Mars. The clear water goal should be expanded to include providing an adequate world-wide food supply, and the solar energy task should be expanded to include wind energy generation. The infrastructure task should be expanded to handle distrabution of energy from huge solar and wind farms -- why not use the interstate highway rights-of-way.
Space-Based Solar Power Satellites are a huge engineering challenge worthy of this generation: http://www.nss.org/settle ment/ssp/library/index.htm And it greatly enables another huge enginneering challenge, protecting the planet from impacting Asteroids and Comets.
"What would we DO with this free and abundant energy, if we were to have it NOW?"
Assume, for a moment, that we found the perfect, everlasting, abundant, and totally non-polluting source of energy. Assume also that this energy was freely available, compact, portable, very cheap, and simple enough for anyone to harness with simple/cheap off-the-shelf equipment. Also assume this energy would be available to all, from the poorest-of-poor to the richest-of-rich, as it is neither patentable nor could anyone own it's source, as it is everywhere. Assume also that this energy would be capable of energizing all of our current machines of the world many times over into the future, ad infintum...
Now, this hypothetical 'perfect energy' may one day become a reality. But the pertinent questions we must ask ourselves are these.... What would we DO with this free and abundant energy, if we were to have it NOW? Likewise, what would 'they' do with it? What are we doing NOW with our CURRENT cheap energy? (Oil is about a dime per cup, and a couple gallons of oil does the work of one man-year of labor.) Again, what are 'they' doing with it? Extrapolate, if you will, from our current energy needs and wants, on into our future needs and wants....Include our children's needs and wants, and their children, and on and on. Include all the nations of the world. Include 'them'... Would we not overpopulate, overpollute, and overextract everything of value within this once precious Earth? If one were inclined to say "No", then consider how one could prevent someone else from saying "Hmmm...Yes, why not? (We'll just lobby!)". Are we/they not destroying our planet now with cheap oil? Also consider the 'darker-side' uses of this perfect energy, as in the utilization of this cheap, compact, and portable energy as a 'not-so-friendly' gesture of general disagreement. Again, would any Earth-Life survive? Do we really need what we so desparately want? Is it for the good of FUTURE Mankind, i.e, the child, and his Earth-home, that we find this energy? Judging by our current uses of energy, some would think not.
"Our society today demands more accurate modeling of our world..."
Throughout civilization's advancement, modeling of what is 'to be' has allowed engineers through simulation to experiment and optimize solutions that have advanced modern society. Our society today demands more accurate modeling of our world so that better decisions on how things are to be and how these things will behave can be explored. Advances in modeling of electrical infrastructure in particular are critically important, as is the lean management approach to the data and information required to make better decision on this decaying infrastructure. The application of Machine Learning in making better decisions on predicting potential issues with underground infrastructure is one such example of better math to enable better decisions. Models of infrastructure using version 31 of old Fortran computer software models will not allow us to make the advancements we need to migrate to the electric economy that can enable the significant use of renewables and demand side management.
I read somewhere that the possibility of immortality was actually possible....really? I guess I wouldn't be too surprised, with all of this new and amazing technology, however, when and how would you go about this? I've heard about transfering brains into computers (kind of like the matrix...seriously!), cryonics (or something like that), and a way to manipulate genes in order to stop aging in the body, or at least prolong youth untiil some kind of replacement or transfer can occur. I also understand that this process could probably take place within the year of 2050 -2080.....interesting stuff to ponder on :)
A large volume of water is used for power plants as a heat exchange medium. Some experimental designs for a new generation of nuclear power plants use Helium as a heat exchange medium. I was thinking that water could be saved for drinking and agriculture by switching power plants to use helium gas as a heat exchange medium. It has a much lower boiling point than water so I was questioning if it would be even better at generating electricity.
i do not know a lot about carbon capture , but why would we pump it into ground. could we not use this co2 in produces we use every day. Perpare mix it in with concrete or make building materials from it ,Is it not carbon the building block of world.
With respect to some the comments on this page, it's easy to jump to solutions instead of identifying the challenges. A lot of the challenges that were mentioned by the committee are really a subset of a larger challenge: an abundant and sustainable energy source. A solution to that challenge would change everything.
I recently read an article about ozone pollution. There were so many discussions about environmental limits. If I remember my basic chemistry, ozone is 3 oxygen atoms bonded. It occurred to me to develop a [catalytic converter] of sorts for smoke stacks. My theory was to have a device to break up the ozone molecule and let it recombine as oxygen. I thought that an electrically charged plate (solar powered, wind backup) would satisfy the valence shell electron and break up the ozone, then send it through a gradient to allow the oxygen ions to recombine.
THE new era of CYBER SPACE is has to meet the challenge of extreme mathematical hacking to literally gather data with out detection. By utilizing the most extremist levels of mathematics and the numeral and zero system the ultimate challenge to CYBER SPACE security is born.
Engineering community, The article "Introduction for grand challenges for Engineering" was well written. Onother couple of topics left out. Harnising the hydrodgen fuel cell cheaply. Some company's have claimed they can cheaply crack water (into hydrodgen and oxygen) by using nanotechnology. The most important one left out is an American issue all to itself. The U.S. is failing to produce large number's of engineer's which will leave a major talent drain in the U.S. For the U.S. to reclaim/maintain it's technology and innovation, bringing Engineering back to the forefront in the U.S. must happen or we will lose (our losing) our hold on being a technology leader. This change must occur fast. China is pumping out 650,000 engineers per/year form college and the U.S. is only bringing 75,000. Accoring to world ranking, the U.S. colleges are rated 17th in the world, wheras, a half a century ago, we were 1, or 2 in getting a quality education. How do we convince our Government/kids/parents, that engineering and science are the needed fields to be in. The field that will allow the country to pull out of the slippery slope the U.S.is currently on? History, has told us time and time again, that technology will always be a major layer as to how well a country prospers or suffers. How do we (as U.S. citizen's) make the change of the failing system and get innovation and engineering back to the forefront? Sincerely, Mark Webster Kokomo, IN
I have two suggestions for the scientists and engineers: #1 - If you can simply design wings for the human being so that we can fly like birds. If it can be done, we don't need to worry about building million miles of road networks, we don't need to live in congested cities and no need to worry about CO2. Most of todays problems will be solved. This idea might be little too far but hope this can be done in the near future. #2 - If we can design human body through genetic engineering (by inserting plant genes) to have chloropyll in the body which can perform photosynthesis in presence of sun light like any plants do. People won't suffer from hunger, malnutrition, food safety, etc. I hope these two are not that difficult achieve in the near future. Best,
"the only relation left BETWEEN the MANKIND AND the FUTURE is GLOBAL WARMING- WE HAVE TO BELIEVE THAT GEOTHERMAL ENERGY WILL BE THE ONLY WAY OUT AS A MAIN SOURCE OF ENERGY, till THE WORLD ENDS..." after all no politics is involved in global warming..... it's the power of mother nature BELIEVE global warming cannot be stoped, but it can be controlled and used
Engineering has to improve statistic methods. Most decisions are made based on statistics that do not represent opinions or characteristics of man or any other research subjects reliable. From this it follows that we have to improve the engineering of statistics. The (especially in Germany) popular idiom "I only believe in statistics that I doctored myself." demonstrates the current situation. decisions are like steps upstairs, it's dangerous when the bottom of these stairs is not firm and reliable. The improvement of engineering of the statistic methods has to go along with all the other challenges.
Do you support out side the box research that is not institutional ? Schools support only a percentage of our best thinkers. The discovery of a high gain rainfall enhancement mechanism that could reduce drought on a continental scale and could have a significant impact on global warming. 100 years ago weather prediction was considered impossible, today weather modification is so viewed. I think I know how.
I have gone through the Grand challenges. I belive before creating a new era or innovation better to look backwards and bridge these new challenges where it can fullfill the earlier engineering developments. In addition every invention has two sides such as Bad and Good, the magnitude of the direction is decided by the mob/decesion maker. So this is the time for challengeing the past innovations rather than finding new challenges. I also belive the challenges posted are shortlisted from human evidencing disasters earlier times. I belive the biggest challenge is to the engineer life cycle of a citizen.
I believe the most benefit will be found in working out practical economies and closed cycle production for resources of all kinds. Toward this end advances in energy production, energy usage, renewable materials and their uses and clean fusion will all make great strides. I also believe that finding out how the human mind works to better model it for artificial intelligence usage may one day lead to faster, more efficient solutions in all areas of scientific investigation and engineering application.
Ideas must be beneficial to somebody--either in suffering or ethically helpful to people in power willing to help the masses in suffering. I feel that if someone in power who cannot remove suffering of his people should ask those who can show the way Ideas should improve a process so that it uses less time resources, or have the cost of the remedy drasticlly reduced or avoid recurence totally. The ideas person should select problem which are very serious and not trivial things... as sufferers can't wait!
GRAND CHALLENGES What are the grand challenges for engineers? Engineers, today and in the future, need to fully examine our design & construction processes to determine the impacts (both positive and negative on all life forms) for the next 7 generations as a guiding principle (source: the Iroquois Confederation). Principle Declarations I. We must reclaim our humanity through creatively imagining the future with everyone (every being on this planet is a stakeholder -- not only our clients, employers, and local ecosystems and local human communities). II. We must change our engineering foundations from Newtonian/Cartesian thinking (mechanical-based, disconnected, separate, reductionist analytical theories and laws) to integrative and complementary, fluid, circular, holistic living systems-based, connected, conceptual theories and laws. We can not change the world for the better until we change the way that we view the world. III. We must choose peace and not war. We must decide to use our intelligence to create a peaceful, fair, just, and humane world. We have participated way too long in Wars where we systematically kill ourselves, therefore we must begin the process of healing and saving ourselves. We must support and engage in research efforts that enhance everyone's humanity, imagination, creativity, and overall well-being. IV. We must support ethics by not condoning corruption and other unethical behaviors in our business dealings, pursuits, research, etc. V. We must examine our design and construction processes through life cycle ecological & temporal synthesis (geologic time constraints, internal and external costs, ecosystem health impact, human health impact, overall global impacts - biogeophysicochemical cycles, etc.) rather than life cycle analysis. VI. We must develop frameworks similar to the Cradle to Cradle framework created by the MBDC. VII. We must develop energy effective rather than energy efficient products (source: MBDC). VIII. We must work with the general public better because solving the world's problems and avoiding creating future problems requires working in true interdisciplinary teams. IX. We must continue research efforts in the field of biomimicry. X. We must uphold ecological health systems [ecosystem health & human health (biological, economic, emotional, social, spiritual) in our top lines rather than our bottom lines (source for triple top lines: MBDC).
Engineering has a great opportunity to not only advance the cutting edge of advanced technology, but more importantly to find ways to ecenomically bridge the divide between the richest of nations and the poorest. The great divide is certainly an engine for conflict which will continue to drain rich nation's wealth on national defense. An investment in the future will find ways to reduce the wealth gap through the building of infrastructure in the poorest of nations. Through technology improvements that can reduce the cost of current technology and a forward thinking policy to fight the root conflict the world can be made much better via engieering and technology.
Engineers need to participate in carving the future of society. They should take steps to grab political power and spend on hour a day with non engineers. Solar power and Bio mass gasification projects need to be pursued with zeal. Our concentration should be on children. Engineers always work in a planned manner, they should teach children to work in a team and planned manner and improve their vision.
It is very good that you give a step to those who don't have the ability to go to conferences. I'm 15 years old, and I want to became an aerospace engineer. I am taking part in a NASA competition. For me the biggest point for us, the engineers, to achieve is to send the first space crew to Mars. Thank you, Dimitris T.
"There are lots of solutions but, unfortunately, the political power is held by petrol owners, so for this reason we can't improve any solution: we must first change the economic power. Ty"
THERE ARE A LOTS OF SOLUTION ,BUT UNFORTUNATELY THE POLITIC POWER IS HOLD BY PETROL OWNERS , SO THIS REASON WE CAN'T IMPROVE ANY SOLUTION : WE MUST CHANGE FIRST THE ECONOMIC POWER .TY
First and foremost I'd like to express my thanks for at least having such a forum available where people can express themselves in regards to these issue. now I'd like to take this opportunity to say a few things about the issues brought to the table here. What is the purpose of this site? to inform the public about what could be done in the future? what about today. The time is now!! and it's all the time we get. no matter how much planning or debating or wishing is done, we are still wasting the only time we will ever have to do the things we're not doing right now. stop the crying over spilt milk and let's get off our butts and do something. I am so tired of hearing about the next big breakthrough in whatever field we're talking about. I am 100% positive that if we wanted solar energy to be the main source of electricity for our urban centers it can be done with nothing more than will power, which costs the taxpayers nothing. efficency is the tag line for solar energy. we need more effiiciency. how efficient is the destruction of the ozone layer? let's just start using it and worry about efficiency as we grow with the technology. sound evolutionary to you. natural maybe. The promise of making a killing in the fiels of solar energy is the only thing holding it back from benefitting all of us right now. money is the greatest excuse those who have it and control it can use to deter those who don't have it from achieving their goals. What it takes to get things done isn't monetary in nature. human beings survived for a long time without money and seemed to get things done in ways we will never truly know or understand. I'm not saying anything about getting rid of money or using a barter system, but human beings make money from paper made from trees. the importance comes from that which we put on it and it has gotten to a point where we have fooled ourselves into thinking money controls us, therefore those who control the money control us. well I for one am not sacrificing my life so people can have gold toilets, SUV's and flatscreen tv's. Food and water maybe! the basics. this is where we need to go. we need to supply the need not the demand. If I demand 40 virgins and all the beer I can drink. do I have to go bomb a building to get it in my next life? or do I just sell you oil to burn and call it a "prophet"-able day. educating the young is a problem only because the young will conquer the old and create a new system of thier own which the older generation will resent them for having when they did not and could not create themselves. the jealous side of human nature. so until the old school thinkers can benefit equally from any new system (monetarily as this is the only thing woth having to them) more war and strife are looming to stop any new system from emerging. I am also 100% positive that on the day I was born, when mankind was sending it's first explorers to set foot on another body in the universe (the Moon, JULY 16, 1969) the money spent to do so was alot more than it would cost today. but of course inflation / greed has increased substantially since then, so the costs of even repeating tasks that have already been accomplished would cost more. this is not how nature works but this is how society as we have allowed it to become works. nature is our only teacher but again the experts know more and know better. not just in the field of space exploration but in every walk of life? The mindset of the people in charge is that they deserve to be in charge and make decisions for the rest of us who can't make decisions for ourselves. well if asked I'm pretty sure I can make any decision I need to make given the proper information. this is the next point i'd like to make. information is the root of evil not money. those with the information always use it to better themselves which naturally makes it worse for others somewhere. simple math to illustrate. if you have 50 apples in your bag, that means 50 people can't have 1 apple each. is that simple enough, can george bushites understand that kind of simple and true logic? there will be no true democracy until the commmon man can have his own voice heard instead of an elected official whose voice is bought and paid for. this is the future of the communication network evolving out of the internet. a forum where true democracy can actually raise it's head and proudly proclaim to be the voice of the people by the people themselves. No small closed off groups to manipulate us anymore. voting will be real and meaningful as it has never been in the past. We need to change our ways of thinking about life, about society/civilization and about the future. we leave a splintered and corrupt legasy of abuse to the planet that spawned us all. We have already condemned our future generations to a life of slavery just to undo the damage we've done. yet all we can do is praise ourselves for the technology we have and the lifestyles we lead. we are the most useless and worthless society yet to emerge due to our lack of connection to the real world we live in and what's worse is we're destroying it. when was the last time you said no to buying gas which you know causes wars and pollutes the atmosphere? yeah I thought so. I don't own a car and won't until they come fully electric. you think this is a long way off but it's actually a long time gone by because electric cars have been around since before the combustion engine. those in control felt it was better for you to have gas guzzling cars instead. for an answer to the question why, just look at the "president" a dumb as a stump cowboy who thinks because he has money and power (gained from your consumption of gas) that it is somehow his right to make decisions for the rest of us. this guy wasn't even elected to the office and you're still allowing him to rule you like julius ceaser. is this guys word the best that you can offer the world? if so the US is headed for a major fall on the order of the Egyptians, romans, and especially the Neanderthals. Economies can't survive being based on commodities which come, go and run out. ecomonies need to be based on those who are affected by them meaning people. nothing can run without people. people buy and sell. people consume goods and services. people are the most underrated and under used commodity out there. we all need to eat, we all need to drink, we all need a roof over our heads. and we all will do whatever we have to do to get these things whether it's work 9-5, rob, cheat, steal, or kill. I say base the ecomony of the world on the simple principles of feed and house, and let the rest sort itself out. We have people better suited to run the free world than george bush and the like. or do we just want to let the wild west riegn forever and have things sorted out in a manner man can only acheive with a handful of bullets. If that's the future we're going to allow, I'd rather go back to my birthday 38 years ago when man had at least a hope of better things to come. in not so short, ACTION NOW is what we need to focus on, not questions like "What are the engineering challenges we need to focus on?" don't put off until tomoorow what you can do today because tomorrow isn't guarrenteed to any of us. and I mean that literally. we will always be able to ask questions of what to do but let's get something done now that we engineer to be "UPGRADABLE" in the future. We've been asking the wrong questions for far too long already and these questions are not going to go away even after we find the answers, a whole new set of questions must arise. this is change, and it rules the universe not your local goverment no matter what they try to tell you. this is where your fight is, not fighting change itself but fight for the changes you know to be right, are you up to that challenge?
Dear Fellow Engineers, We have seen so may revolutions including Industrial, Automobiles,Information Technology ,Space and what not. We have missed to solve the problem of shortage of safe & good water. It applies to Drinking as well as for Agriculture . We have forgotten that Nature [ or say GOD ] has given us on this earth more of WATER only. That too with a safe pollutant resistant as Common Salt .Even if it is salty it is only water which can be desalinated. The question is how to economically desalinate this? When the whole focus is on it, solutions can be easily found. We can find ways to get Good Water and Hydrogen from sea water to feed all the populations right from Plants , Animals and Humans. May be ,hydrogen as a bye product will be the best replacement for the Petroleum. The whole world is facing inflation due to the so called 'PETRO - GOLD ' pricing . Let the best of our Engineering Brains spend their energy with the support of the International Donors / Sponsors to break new grounds There is a famous quote from an Indian Swamiji as follows: 'THE PROBLEM IS YOU THE SOLUTION IS YOU ONLY' Let us jointly solve this problem. .The problem is only SALT. Desalination at an economical process. I am confident that the Engineers and Scientists who made Mr Neel Armstrong to land on the Moon and return safely will be able to solve it - given the right direction and resources. True to his words 'LET US GET A GREAT LEAP FOR MANKIND BY TAKING THE ABOVE SMALL STEPS' Social Medicine Scientists and Agricultural Scientists will agree that better drinking water will bring in better healthy individuals and better plants/crops. And environmentalists should take care of the GREEN OCEAN in this endeavour. WISHING THE BEST WE ENGINEERS MAKE THE WORLD
Airborne wind turbines like: http://www.kitegen.com/
One challenge not mentioned in the list is that of finding a way to reduce the human population of the planet, and maintain it at a low, sustainable level, preferably without resorting to nuclear war or a global fatal disease epidemic. Our other scientific and engineering challenges can ultimately be traced back to the fact that there are simply too many people trying to thrive on a limitted amount of resources. Global education of people about science and the consequences of over population seems the most effective method of achieving this goal. If huge amounts of money and diplomatic effort could be spent on the education of the world's population about basic biology, chemistry, ecology, geology, and all aspects of how our planet and its inhabitants funciton, then people would be in a better position to make political and lifestyle decisions.
The greatest problem we face is the ongoing human population explosion. This core problem is a major contributing factor to many other serious problems, such as running out of water, deforestation, desertification, collapse of fishery populations, running out of oil, pollution in many forms, climate change, etc. There are simply too many of us humans for this planet to support. Therefore, the most serious challenge we face, in my opinion, is to find humane ways to regulate, control, and reduce the human population.
"I believe that among all the renewable energy, gravitational energy is the only energy which is available 24/7 at any place in any condition. "
I believe that we can stabilise the world status only if we concentrate on all the 14 challenges. Here they have considered solar energy alone which is the drawback I feel. We sould concentrate on all the renewable energy. I don't know why scientists have not extracting energy from gravitational energy which is available 24/7. I believe that among all the renewable energy, gravitational energy is the only energy which is available 24/7 at any place in any condition. This is one of the area I have talked on and there are many areas which are yet to discovered
Achieving the goal of sustainable development is indeed one of the greatest challenges of the 21st century. If industrialization and economic development is not based on the premise of sustainable development that is in harmony with nature’s carrying capacity (supportive and assimilative capacity), human civilization cannot realize the goal of eradicating poverty and improving the living standards of the majority of its population. The present open ended economy which is driven by unsustainable pattern of consumtion must be replaced with ecological economy wherein the use of natural resources must not exceed the rate of their regeneration. Ecological economy would help to preserve the ecological integrity of the earth system and produce waste only at the rate at which it could be assimilated by the nature. All our present and future developmental goals are to be set on the premise of symbiotic relationship between consumer human race and producer natural systems so that dynamic equilibrium is always maintained between them. The very goal of sustainable development offer multitude of great challenges and opportunities for engineers and scientists, those challenges may be broadly categorized as follows. Materials Materials we formulate and design must have closed loop, either they should be recyclable or be safely assimilated by nature at the end of their life cycle. Production and Process Engineering Zero waste and zero emission Energy I vote for the combination of wind, solar, tidal and bio-waste energy. Until problem of nuclear waste is solved, or nuclear energy is based on closed loop cycle with zero waste it is not a viable solution for energy problem Engineers must design affordable and viable energy generating systems (wind, solar and bio-waste) which can be installed and maintained by individuals at house-hold level. Water and Sanitation Desalination plants driven by tidal and wind energy Affordable biological wastewater treatment plants which can be installed and maintained by individuals at house-hold level Aero-toilets, can natural air be harnessed for flushing instead of water, a great challenge for engineers. Sanitary engineers and compressed air technologists may have to work together Food and Agriculture Genetically engineered crops which use atmospheric moisture for their growth Can we design plants which make use hydrogen and oxygen available in atmosphere and produce water for themselves Can we design a single crop which can deliver all nutritional requirements? Shelter A simple shelter kit which is affordable by masses, can be bought across the counter and be assembled by individuals. Such shelter kits should fulfill the basic functional requirement such as protection from natural forces and man made hazards, privacy and durability. Health Replacing and/or repairing defective parts of brain If any disease is traced to particular genes, doctors simply should be able to replace the defective gene and cure the patient. Indeed a great challenge to genetic engineers and doctors. Elimination of all known inherited or genetic diseases would be a wonderful gift to humanity. Drugs with zero-side effect Build virtual hospital which works round the clock ( 24x7x365 ) and can reach the masses. A patient from any geographical corner of the world simply should be able to reach this hospital through local machine and interact with doctor. Hardware and software required to measure basic health parameters (like blood pressure, pulse rate, temperature etc.) should be part of the local personal computer. This basic data should be delivered real-time to the virtual hospital. At least regional virtual hospitals which can be connected to all villages in the region would have revolutionary impact on rural health system in developing countries. It is great opportunity and challenge for computer and information technology engineers Transportation Transport sector is the enemy of climate scientists. Again a big challenge and opportunity for all those concerned engineers in this sector. Carbon footprint of a typical car is about 250 grams /km, whereas it is 3 grams/km for walking and cycling, so walking is almost 80 percent more efficient in terms of carbon footprint. Human beings are akin to bio-reactors and produce energy very efficiently. Comparative analysis of IC engines and these bio-reactors make very interesting study. We need to understand in grater detail the principles behind the energy production and energy management system of this organic automobile (human beings), and explore the possibility of adopting them in cars and other automobiles. We climb, jump, jog, swim , think etc., I am sure energy requirement is different for these different activities, energy management system of human beings (even some animals) must be very sophisticated and efficient to manage these multi-tasks. If we include energy as constraint, then all these so called state-of-the-art automobiles, aircrafts, trains, ships and even many more gadgets suddenly looks primitive!!! Transport sector should be powered by air, water and sun; it is indeed a great challenge and a pre-requisite for SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT.
Idea For Personalised Learning. In the information age everything is going to become digital or computerised. reading printed material should not be encouraged. yet there is tremendous use of computer printing as the information is always printed on paper for reading. the reason is habbit & less burdon on eyes. the purpose of digitisation i.e paperless office will never achieved. If we see the problem in different approach find that the person is reading means he is reading in his own voice which no one is hearing . so if the information he get in textual format if get in his own voice in audible format it would be very helpfull . so there should be development in technolgy which converts textual data in the persons own voice data. simce every person has different accent & pronounsation differ from country to country this technolgy will be very helpful.the student do not need to starin his eyes on comuter or thick books. his laptop or media player will be enough to carry the task. he would have feeling as if he is listening his own recorded voice. the tecnology sould be developed to break the recorded sound amplitudes with a program & would develop a code which will standardise it so that every sentance will be converted into the persons voice.
This is an excellent time for one to think if it would be possible to improve human bodies in order to be able to sustain a trip to a planet far away from Earth. It would be helpful to discuss the ethical parameters of generating humans that could travel many years in deep space and be able to function in space for many years without gravity etc. Is there a way? Stavros Valsamidis Thessaloniki Greece
One of the important thing in urban infrastructure is mass transit.It reduces the polution cosiderably.The stress on mass transit is always high & it became the most usafe & unpleasent mode of travel. the infrastructure for mass transit should be improved to make it more attractive & enjoyable experience for the commuters. one of the method i would suggest is use of natural force- Gravity for mass transit. A sloping track can be built on the existing rail track like roller coster. the slope will cause the acceleration & speed up the car at the destination the slope will not maintain resulting stopping of the car. the bottom of a car has an air bag whose botton will mach with the slope resulting keeping the commuters of the car in horizaontal position. when the car approaches towards the destination the air bag will release the air resulting to make it horizontal agin near the destination.If the car wish to travel again next station it has to travel a negative slope. for this there should be two approchase eithe a vertical lift or using travelling belt which is moving continuously. the structure required for this arrangement will be high in air cosidering 20 meter high with slope of 1 degree.so for every 1 km there would be requirement of lift station of 20m high. the car used for this type of transport will be similer for roller coster with 4 occupants. this method should be studied in engineering asspect with improvements in design.
A Space Elevator is a mandatory requirement for human advancement. Regarding matters of objective environmental research, simple scientific methodology implies that we should be collecting regular environmental data on non-terrestrial bodies, so that a reliable set of base data can be arrived at for analysing the environmental data of Earth. Humanity must explore our solar system, and especially our near neighbours like the Moon, Venus and Mars. This will not be economically viable, via contemporary rocketry, and the carbon load will be prohibitive. Although in it's first iteration a Space Elevator will be a serious scientific an financial undertaking, following versions will be much more accessible. The first 'proof of concept' of a Space Elevator must be built on the moon, where the one sixth gravity will make it immediately doable with contemporary materials and technology. Valuable experience will be collated and inexpensive access to the lunar surface will be made available. Once built a Space Elevator makes Low Earth Orbit launches trivially inexpensive, and real non-terrestrial scientific research in the grasp of even Post-Graduate students. http://en.wikipedia.org/w iki/Space_elevator
it sounds stupid, but get word out about how cheap solar energy is. The world always tries to save a couple bucks, let alone the bulk of their electricity bills! Also, i heard of this material that acts just like solar panels, but is flexible like rubber. Maybe use these as curtains? Or blinds? Heck, even as shingles!
Sustainable living, also called a "full-world" mindset, is necessary as all the accessible places in the world either support life directly or indirectly. A reasonable and balanced approach to fulfiling life's necessities need be determined, established and maintained. I've offered a few ideas to folks for reducing the demands people make on the planet, without much sacrifice. For instance: 1. If all the appropriate roof tops in the USA, and wherever it is affordable , were to be used either for solar power generation, solar water heating or small wind power plants the need for new, large, centralized power generating plants (and the requisite distribution infrastructure) could be vastly reduced. Carbon Dioxide would also be reduced and folks would have the power needed for a modern, efficient-utilization, lifestyle without induced suffering or sacrifice. 2. If large scale electrolysis and fuel cells (possibly on a closed, or near-closed, cycle loop) were placed near water sources, along the routes of power distribution grids, then the fluctuations of solar and wind based electrical power generation might be smoothed out efficiently and effectively. 3. I've proposed to a few organizations that we team up to take on the American X Prize challenge of the 100 mpg auto. I believe that there are reasonable and relatively simple steps to that end that, for reasons that (I hope) have escaped me (because the ones I can imagine are seriously unflattering), have not been sufficiently pursued; if at all. There is much talk, in this election year, of energy independence. I feel that unless people are willing to make tremendous sacrifice that that goal is unattainable. However, sustainable energy utilization is possible with moderation and comparatively small changes in our way of living on planet Earth.
Develop carbon sequestration methods: This one is a dual use strategy, make bio fuel, and sequester CO2. http://www.youtube.com/wa tch?v=8hioZ7C6HLs It is the Vertigro System developed by Valcent fuels that uses certain high oil yield algae to turn sewer waste into bio fuel, and the remaining material can be used as fertilizer or sequestered underground possibly even in dry oil wells. The best part is the land used to grow the Algae can be desert, and thus not disrupt land used to grow food. One of the best places to get a virtual unlimited supply of high phosphate water is the Salton sea in the Sonora desert as discussed by Michael Briggs of UNH. http://www.unh.edu/p2/bio diesel/article_alge.html The vast majority of land in the Sonora Desert is unused. http://en.wikipedia.org/w iki/Sonora_desert
Providing access to clean water: This one is easy: http://en.wikipedia.org/w iki/Slow_sand_filter done... Slow sand filters are recognized by the World Health Organization [1], Oxfam, United Nations [2] and the United States Environmental Protection Agency [3] as being superior technology for the treatment of surface water sources. According to the World Health Organization, "Under suitable circumstances, slow sand filtration may be not only the cheapest and simplest but also the most efficient method of water treatment."
Ideas in regards to Fusion: On the hot fusion side Google is very familiar with the late Mr. Bussard's work: http://en.wikipedia.org/w iki/Bussard On the alternate fusion side : Bubble fusion shows the signature background effects and it works now, and costs much less than any other approach. http://en.wikipedia.org/w iki/Bubble_fusion Thou it gets a lot of grief from the big hot fusion people, Cold Fusion has produced excess heat, and background elements indicative of fusion. It has been independently replicated around the world dozens of times, thou it is not 100% reproducible as some minor variables can have a large impact towards success. http://en.wikipedia.org/w iki/Cold_fusion A full in detail explanation of this black sheep of the fusion world can be seen in the online video "Heavy Watergate: The War on Cold Fusion" http://video.google.com/v ideoplay?docid=6562030534 380820378 Also the experiments by the US navy have had positive results: http://www.dailytech.com/ article.aspx?newsid=7168
There are so many things that need to be done. People need to start working together again like they used to in small communities, but now on a larger scale. There are too many people 'in power' that only look out for themselves. I'm sure many would agree that more and more we perceive the world as getting more greedy and more selfish. One of the most important things we need to work on is a world standardized education. An intelligent world is a better world. A lot of problems are caused by ignorance. Then we can focus on everything else: alternative energy, better infrastructure, etc.
Cars roof could be installed with inexpensive solar cells on top to charge a battery. When charged, this battery could be replaced in the gas station for a discharged new one and a tax payment discount would be obtained in the fuel . The batteries from the gas station could be used to charged a bigger one or a more efficient electricity supply mechanism. This process would hold forever in a quite cheap way if the batteries and solar cells were provided when buying a new car.
This post is just for the solar issue: The SEGs system in California works well now for large scale solar power. 354 Mega Watts out in the Mojave Desert. http://en.wikipedia.org/w iki/SEGS Solar Power Tower: From the article they need cheaper Heliostat methods and I think this could be achieved with one central sun tracker, and the panels controlled with cheap servos akin to those used on model RC cars. A cheaper tracker can be made via using 4 photo diodes split N-S-E-W by semi transparent vertical grid walls point up to the sky, and have the 4 photo diodes seek equalization, ie. track til they get equal light on all 4 diodes that separated by the 4 way vertical divider grid. photo diodes are very cheap and are on top of all the street lights in every major US city. http://en.wikipedia.org/w iki/Solar_power_tower For small scale solar for the mass nanosolar has very promising approach and just needs further research in its current area. Printable solar cells for $1 a watt, Google is already involved with this company. http://en.wikipedia.org/w iki/Nanosolar
How can you have too many people? Too many mosquitos, cokroaches or rats yes, but too many people? That we are thriving as a species is a cause for celebration surely. Human beings are wonderful. We compose symphonies, write literature, design buildings and fly through space. Poverty is a consequence of failed and outdated politcal and economic systems and this obsession with numbers is misanthropic.
The grand challenges addressed are very realastic. To reduce global warming by means of reducing carbon di oxide, it needs to improve the quality of vehicle as well as the fuel. Public should use common public carrier instead of personal car. Conditions of the road in India are to be improved to reduce the co/co2 emmission. So let us educate public to reduce great burden on the Engineers in the 21st Century and so on.
Too many people. Too many people. Did I mention that there are too many people?
I think I'd have voted with the majority to make solar power cheaper but I'm pretty sure this is already happening. REC is putting in a 1.5 GW manufacturing plant in Singapore and this should have the scale needed to make solar power cheaper than coal. The US is falling behind in solar power manufacturing and should try to do something about this but costs are going to go down dramatically if we do or if we don't. So, I voted for sequestration. But, I don't support sequestration of carbon dioxide. I think we need much better engineering than that. We need to sequester carbon in elemental form or as carbonate minerals. And, we need to do it from the atmosphere, not power plants. This, I think, is going to be the greatest engineering challenge of the next fifty years. We need to bring the concentation of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere down below 320 ppm from its current value of 385 ppm. So, we need to retrieve about half of the carbon we have put into the atmosphere since about 1965. The biosphere has soaked up the other half already. Revisioning engineering to be planetary and cooperative with the ecosystem seems to me to be about the only way a challenge of this magnitude can be met. Managing the nitrogen cycle is probably only an beginning for this.
Small Ideas first... One Step to the time. First, Translate this page with all post to Spanish, Chinesse, French, Italian, Greek, etc... Second, Show this in more Nations by all the comunications systems. Third, Selections locals (Citys) or by country. Cuarto, Hacer un catastro por ciudad y país a gente no relacionada a las respectivas ingenierías, pero que también tienen ideas innovadoras, en las que podrían ser propuestas y aunque talves imposible de concretar, pero que quizás sirva para iluminar a otro u otros Ingenieros o Científicos que tengan conocimientos específicos en la o las materias de la Idea planteada en la que pueda a yudar a mejorar nuestras vidas, la del medio ambiente, o salvar nuestro hogar, el planeta entero. Yo tengo algunas, que no se si son realizables con las tecnologías actuales. Quizás sean sueños o solo una visión del futuro. Cuando esta pagina esté en español, la propondré... avisenme si pueden. Felicitaciones por la preocupación, deberían haber entidades privadas o gubernamentales en cada país para fomentar esta iniciativa.
Ocean algae is reportedly the major mechanism for removing CO2 from the atmosphere. Why not genetically engineer a salt water algae that increases its growth rates as the atmospheric CO2 concentration increases? Then, find an edible fish that eats this algae. Solves two problems: Global warming from high CO2 concentrations & food shortages.
Make "standing trees" more valuable than harvested trees by delinking the environment from the economic cost models. No life can be sustained without a liveable and healthy environment .
Submit that until corruption of our rulers and barriers against social reality is dealt with, any further technological progress just adds weapons to the arsenals of tyrants and further enslaves people who must react. I am no Luddite, I am an engineer and innovator. The way engineers can help is by fighting the forces of ignorance and manipulation. The "rule of law" is a precisely defined law. It is the highest law of mankind, stated below: the suppression of forceful and fraudulent methods of goal seeking all are treated equally by the law. This means ALL, including king and judges absolute property rights This in turn is based on the fact that human behavior (the topic of law) is about goal seeking. In the seeking of any goal, there are only three possible methods: force, fraud and honest trade. Any transaction that is not an honest, mutually agreed trade will cause a self-defensive response (conflict) from the victim whose survival has been affected. "The Rule of Law" is the glue that keeps all of mankind acting together in common interest, tied together by mutual dependence of trade, on an evolutionary path to excellence. Force and fraud creates conflict and destroys civilizations. Mankind is now on a devolutionary path to extinction because the co-operation once forced by "the rule of law" has been replaced by legitimizing force and fraud for those who incorrectly believe they wield power.
In the near future, the major menace for world's population would be global warming and air pollution. The degree of the pollution has become so high that surving in this extaordinary planet called as EARTH has become unfit. So as a chemical enginner working on this would bring us a pollution free environment.
The world needs a central protected databank that can be accessed from terminals around the world all the information we currently possess. Add to this a seed and embryo database of all the species of plants and animals that we can find before we destroy their habitat kind of like a noahs ark before the flood. Last we need somebody probably a biotch guru to turn methane gas that is leaking into the atmosphere in Siberia to be collected and turned into useful products such as electricity.
Micro-desalination plants
Nanotechnology in medicine especially. Fundamental particles-hadron colliders, etc., this may help uncover the cosmos, sometimes knowlege and truth with little practical applicication is quite valueable to keep the momemtum going. Transportation of matter.
Another challenge is to find a way to recycle all the waste (organic and solid) that the humans produce. Our planet will face a excedent of material that cannot be recycled effectivelly without burning (Co2). Biogas is one alternative to solar power, more down-the-earth and constitutes a field to work at present.
The biggest challenge and first priority must be towards de creation of one or more solutions for clean and cheap energy. After solving this problem, Humanity will have the means to reduce other problems of the society like pollution, waste management and access to cleaner water. Logic would suggest that the sun, wind and tides should be the correct sources to use for energy harnessing. In parallel with that, investment should be made in order to abandon the centralized production of electricity, since it's transport over long distances is so inefficient. The generalized use of solar panels and wind generators in buildings should be promoted so that electricity could be produced near the consumer, thus avoiding waste in it's transportation. This would also allow for the usage of lower voltages avoiding health problems associated with very high voltages (leuchemia and others).
I was really impressed from the idea(that i also have thought) for communication with virtual reality.It means that you will speak to other persons through its digital character.Its a tremendous idea. SUGGESTION: One suggestion,that extends this idea is a robot that will actual react the same as an another person.with this way,one will talk and move and react through its robot character,from miles away. It would make the feeling that the person you want to meet is actualy in the room,although it would be only a robot and the real person is many miles away from you. Finally i think that this gadget or project would revolutianize the communication of people.For me it is the most difficult challenge of Communications Science.
I do indeed have an idea, more than one in fact, but first things first. Hydrogen power seems to be the way we are turning these days and I for one like the notion. I know the problem is a power source to actually make hydrogen resulting in possibly more consumption of resources. I say what is the feasability of a small plant that is owned by the power company (so they won't be left out of the loop and still make money) that hooks up to the water that already comes into the house, and is powered while you are away by both a small wind turbine and solar cells? Surely this can account for enough to store and use for most of our population. ( I'm just talking vehicles for now here. ) When it comes to bigger buildings or other business why not simply use the same idea to a larger degree? Based on traffic, a scale could be used to determine how much they should generate for the community, or of course, themselves. Things don't happen unless people see profit of some sort in the venture, be it either of a material or a moral/spiritual nature. This solution could provide a lot in both directions without taking away anything from anyone. Start up costs would be a lot, but they always are. I know the idea of a hydrogen generator on every structure soulds like overkill, but I feel it is more practical than central stations doing the same thing since wind and sunlight hit everywhere eventually. The only downside might be in drought stricken areas where water needs to be squandered. Solution- recycling the grey water generated from the house or business. Once it's processed leftover sewage simply gets washed down the drain with enough fluid to make it flow.
I am most interested in using incredible economies of scale to boost access to global communications and information infrastructures for both developing countries and underdeveloped populations in more advanced economies. For example, the concept of utility computing, where the applications and information you required for any purpose would be readily available over a global network (aka the "Internet"), is changing the mindset of a generation of technologists about where and how computing should take place. If you reduce the need of the global citizenry to own electronic infrastructure--through public access points, super cheap wireless smart phones, etc--then computing becomes increasingly ubiquitous, which in turn increases the economic power of successive generations. Of course, all of this computing requires power, so I voted for solar power as the most important engineering challenge.
The only problem the world faces is over population. this is pretty much the route cause of most of the worlds concerns.
Ironically, the safest and most abundant source of continuous, carbon-free, renewable power on Earth is right under our feet in the the heat of the crust of the Earth itself. And the technology to access it is called Hot Dry Rock (HDR) Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS). I call it Earth Power. And you and I already invested $100 million of our taxes dollars over 24 years in the R&D at Los Alamos National Laboratory to prove that it works! So why not use it now to solve our major problem? It's time to scale-up this brilliant long-term solution to our fundamental energy insecurity and invest in a PERMANENT Earth Power utility system that benefits everyone. Because --- buried in the Jan '07 MIT (DOE-funded) report, "the Future of Geothermal Energy", drafted by world experts in geothermal development, is the astounding estimate that, using existing technology, in the Earth's crust just in the Western US is enough accessible, convertible heat to produce SEVERAL THOUSAND TIMES all the electricity generated in the US in 2006 for SEVERAL THOUSAND YEARS! That's more than 1,000,000 years of safe, carbon-free power! Not peak oil that will end in this century. Not coal that we've still got 100-200 years to choke on! Not nuclear power with meltdown and waste problems for millions of years. Several million years of reliable, clean power -- without destroying ourselves or the world ecosystem! And Earth Power's accessability is spread over huge regions of the Earth that can be accessed almost anywhere with a tiny foot print (avoiding obvious fault lines) allowing universal decentralization for maximum energy security and optimal economic equity. And this astounding estimate only assumes the use of EXISTING technology. The HDR/EGS power-generation aspect is relatively simple and low cost. The big upfront capital cost is in drilling miles into the crust (ironically using advanced oil-drilling technology) to create the artifcial geothermal fields that generate the steam that power the turbines to produce the power. The Western US has lots of hot dry rock areas that are closer to the surface and easier to get to. That's why the experts focus on developing it first. We need the power and we've already publically paid for the technology to generate it for eons. So let's use it. Here's the really Grand Engineering Challenge for the 21st century: having the wisdom to realize the Grand Energy Opportunity of the ages. And just like the US Interstate Highway System, the apparently daunting upfront costs very soon will be dwarfed by the far greater benefits of the newly installed super-system. Our recent technological history clearly tells us that the positive R&D re-investment 'snowball effect' quickly lowers the cost of new capacity expansion. Focused, competitive R&D multiplies technical breakthroughs that lower costs and increase efficiencies, often suddenly and dramatically. It's happened before with the Silicon Revolution and it will happen with Earth Power. And consider that unlike all other renewables, such as wind and solar, Earth Power runs continuously 24/7/365 for literally eons! These artificially created geothermal fields do have their operating life, but these are proportional design and economies of scale issues, not fundamental obstacles to making it work, not only here but everywhere on Earth. Think of the large upfront investment it would take to set it up as a million-year mortgage on PERMANENT human civilization. Whatever you're paying on this initally enormous million-year mortgage, its obviously going to be an immensely positive trade-off to maintain the mortgage while we devoted thousands of years to our social and ecological as well as our technological and economic development. Because with Earth Power, we now will have secure, continuous, safe power getting cheaper and cheaper, which will help fundamentally and permanently solve a vast web of related problems (urban design, desalination, electric transport, distorted power politics, the economic roots of war, global development injustice, allowing the smarter use of limited fossil fuels for higher value-added purposes, etc.) And one of the experts who actually demonstrated Earth Power at Los Alamos tells me that after you pay for the set-up costs, the cost of the power drops 80-90% to less that $0.01 per kWh! Earthy Power is perhaps THE single best alternative for solving the post-oil global base load problem (running power day and night all year round without having to store it). It can effectively replace coal and nuclear - without their pollution and political risks. Again, with the base load covered the coal can be used for essential hydrocarbon products, not wasted by being burned for crude heat! It's like burning the library to stay warm while you try to read by the fading fire light! However, the most astounding thing about the MIT study besides its estimated mind-boggling upside, was the utterly myopic, timid proposals made by these paid experts to further investigate and develop Earth Power - surely disappointing considering its obvious, enormous potential advantages and our urgent need for them! I guess experts have to be careful not to upset the bureaucracy, jeopardizing their next research grant with unbridle optimism, even if its objectively warranted. But I don't have to be timid. Neither do you or the rest of the American taxpayers who've already paid for this breakthrough. This is the time for bold wisdom, grounded in practical reality, not timid caution. Earth Power deserves courageous leadership with the vision and political power to make this an essential part of a foundation of permanent solutions -- while we still have the resources and imagination to make them a reality. As an earthling, a US citizen, and a concerned grandfather, I got excited enough about Earth Power to immediately contact two of the key people who did the research at Los Alamos on my own and I went down there to meet them. Don Brown is a retired nuclear engineer who is the inventor of some of the primary patents on HDR and Dave Duchane was the former project manager for the Los Alamos HDR project for many years. These two smart, dedicated gentlemen graciously hosted me, and took their valuable time to explain the history and prospects for Earth Power to a complete stranger with no qualification. I was amazed by what they showed me. Don very kindly took me out to the Fenton Hill site up in the mountains near Los Alamos where they drilled and ran the first HDR EGS power system in the 1980's and 1990's. It's still there, with a small weed-covered plaque com-memorating the place where human beings created artificial, clean geothermal power for the first time in history. I was deeply moved, thinking that this modest spot might some day be considered more important in human history than the blasted, desolate Trinity Site where the first atomic bomb was detonated. This little pipe end in a beautiful mountain meadow was where human beings discovered how to permanently assess the safe, clean, non-military power of the natural heat of the Earth on which they finally established a permanent, sustainable human civilization that would be compatible with the survival of ALL life on Earth. These two retired pioneers and the network of other top people who worked there are a collective national treasure that needs to be recognized and honored by being listened to, by being supported to pass on their vital knowledge to future generations, so that we can make full use of the amazing breakthrough they demonstrated. Only a handful of projects demonstrating the commercial scale of Earth Power are underway in Europe and Australia. Just recently, a new venture, called Altarock, backed by the visionary venture capitalist, Vinod Khosla, is starting to build the first commercial Earth Power systems in the United States, using some of the technological innovations of pioneers like Don Brown. But its still a relatively modest start - compared to the gigantic potential of Earth Power. We need hundreds of these ventures, now. And Don Brown rightly points out that the most important place to start yesterday is in China, to prevent the eco-catastrophe of coal there from eventually choking our children into our living rooms. I am trying to help him do this, but it is well beyond my limited contacts and talents. We share a common threat and an open oppotunity to do something about now. I encourage anyone seriously interested with access to the resources to help make Earth Power happen to directly contact Don Brown and/or Dave Duchane. These two, delightful, intelligent guys just want their life's work to be used for the good of all earthlings. I trust that we will eventually show ourselves to be wise enough to do this. It may be part of the ultimate Darwinian test of whether or not human beings are fit to continue to be earthlings. Somehow, I know that we WILL build a permanent eco-healthy human civilization, based - in part at least - on Earth Power. After all, we've taken millions of years to evolve brains capable of eventually understanding that we are standing on the answer to our greatest problem. Maybe Louis Armstrong will be proven right after all, and future generations will sing our praises with him: "what a wonderful , wonderful world it will be!"
Along with making solar energy more affordable, and upscaling Fusion power. I believe that creating a cost effective way to produce hydroden at a massive level, and a way to convert the current infrastructure to be at the top of those. Maybe using solar and fusion to extract it? Hydrogen is beyond our future of fuel needs, lets find a way to get to that point were it makes fossil fuels and the oil tycoons obsolete.
Long term we better get a handle on population growth else the world ecosystem that supports us will collapse. That also means dealing with belief systems that actually want to force some kind of "End of The World" scenario perhaps with the very technologies we are trying to save it with. The next great technology that can change the world is 3D printing, or fabrication, not of just prototypes, but of finished, ready to use objects. Soon every home could own a home printer that will produce any plastic utensil or toy you can think of. Not to long after that fully functioning plastic and electronic devices will be printed. Ultimately the cost of innovation and building of ideas may become much easier and cheaper once 3D printers bring down costs of prototypes to the level of mass production.
-What would happen if Oceans were pumped into warm places like Death Valley? -What would happen if Glacier ice/Icebergs that were on course to melt in oceans were transported (chunuk helicopters to refrigerated truck/rail) to drying lakes and rivers to melt? -What if food was dispersed to animals who'll become extinct like Polar Bears, in the same sort-of way that starving people around the world are dropped food for survival?
We need a would wide effort to accelerate development in the lessor developed countries. We have some great examples of rapid development such as Korea and Singapore. Money flows and inport and export were closly regulated. Big global courporations were kept from hollowing out the economy, and and a a benighn form of authoratarian government kept the internal development on track . The WTO and the World Bank have slowed down development to help large corporations loot the human capitol of many African countries. Some of Yunus' (Grameen Bank) ideas are the place we should start, like a mega port at Cox's Bazaar in southern Bengledesh. This would serve this whole area.
A remaining Challenge is to teach the Computer how to understand. Great progress has been made in NLP and Semantic web. A short concentration on bringing this capability to fruition will impact all our future activities. Reverse brain engineering while related has a different focus and will not have such a large impact.
I don't feel it would be a great benefit to society to worry too much about the scourges of the aging. We all expect to die and that should remain an inevitable part of life. Instead, greater emphasis should be focused on being far less wasteful and destructive to those who will folow in our steps. We should find lower energy methods of manufacturing the products we have come to except as necessary, such as organic resin and composites to replace fossil driven industries. We are far too dependent on oil. Give us some viable alternatives that don't only affect transportaion but more fully affect all aspects of our existance. How do we get people, including myself to make the adjustments and resist the easy path in front of our narrow views. We need to learn by our mistakes much faster than we do.
Manned space exploration is essential to the continued survival of the human race, and part of a program to leave our planetary cradle should be the creation of a relatively inexpensive means of achieving Earth orbit. All, or at least the large majority of, national and international space program activity should immediately be focused on the goal of sustainably settling outer space, the moon, and other planets. The geologic record is replete with instances of massive comet and/or meteoric impacts, some of which affected the entire planet. Supervolcanoes, which we can do nothing about, have erupted repeatedly in the past, wiping out massive numbers of species. We know from DNA records that the human race was significantly reduced in numbers around 70,000 years ago. We know from ice core drillings that world-wide, major climate changes can take place during the course of a single human life-span. As we build space habitats and planet or moon based habitats, our experience and knowledge on how to build such habitats will grow until they are eventually able to become self-supporting by extracting raw materials from the asteroids or the satellite/planet they are based on. Keeping our heads in the sand by thinking that it is impossible for a major, human-race-extinction-cau sing event or events to occur while we inhabit just this one planet is the height of foolishness. Part of a program to leave our planetary cradle should be the creation of a relatively inexpensive means of achieving Earth orbit. All, or at least the large majority of, national and international space program activity should immediately be focused on the goal of sustainably settling outer space, the moon, and other planets.
One innovation that seems quite neglected, despite being, I think, within a decade or so from commercial use, is use of "smart vehicles" to increase the capacity of highways without additional lane expansion. Here in the rapidly growing Research Triangle of North Carolina, there is much talk of new toll roads and intercity light rail systems. It could easily take more than 10 years, and billions of dollars to add these investments. In the same time frame, we could probably develop cars and buses that (for starters) could go into dedicated lanes on existing highways, be put under auto pilot while in the lane, then speed along at a constant speed with much less space between vehicles than on current roads. The constant speed alone would save fuel, and the increased number of vehicles per lane would increase capacity. At the end of the high speed lane, control would be returned to the driver. I would think that drivers might be willing to bear the cost of the in-vehicle equipment, just as they are starting to do with more primitive accident avoidance and self parking equipment.
Development of SEGs (or SEGITs) is a grand engineering challenge. See segits DOT com
It initiative is awesome, I hope that can be fully spreaded in the world. Besides the challenges that you proposes, I think that other major problem in the future is garbage (trash). We need improved methods to recycling, doing low cost treatment plants around the planet.
Getting rid of bit organized software is future of software engineering. This can be accomplished by using simple border theroy of absolute small and absolute unlimited values. So any infinite value can be placed in unlimited small portion of analog system.
Sharing as in wealth as in innovation as in time as in caring as in eating as in security as in dreams as in collaboration as in giving as in overcoming engineering allow us to share our lives
I believe there is tremendous potential to be found in harnessing the kinetic motion of cars. When I was a boy, my bike could power its own headlight simply by touching a servo to the front wheel. I find it puzzling that we cannot eek a single watt of useful power from the huge rivers of traffic that flow through our population centers.
"...how to create connections between man and machine, neurons and transistors."
Of all of these "Grand Challenges" I believe the most critical one, and therefore the one that should be addressed first in a massive Manhattan Project type of assault is reverse-engineer the brain. The potential applications described in the write up on this challenge described just the tip of the iceberg of what will be the most powerful benefits of this technology. Curing neurological disease will certainly help many of thousands of people, but the benefit that will effect every soul on Earth will be the knowledge of how to create connections between man and machine, neurons and transistors. An example of this would be a question that originates in the mind of a scientist, this thought radiates throughout his brain crosses over to a microprocessor which in turn searches the whole human knowledge via the internet and when the answer is located it is returned directly to the brain of of the scientist all in the blink of an eye. No monitor, no keyboard, no mouse, no operating system, just thought and result. Notes, databases, calculators, other minds all available just a thought away. This would mean never forgetting anything, organization, and intense productivity. This technology will push the development of everything allowing these other challenges to addressed and resolved in fraction of the time.
We are always looking for alternatives to energy. We may be close to new sources but for now we need a quick alternative to a growing problem of pollution and global warming. I feel there is a way for people everywhere to help contribute to producing clean energy. It may be far fetched due to the problems with implications, science and safety but I think it may be worth the research. We are a world who wants to be healthy but may never find the time or motivation to put ourselves to work when becoming physically fit. Maybe the money is an issue because health clubs are becoming increasingly expensive to use. My idea is building health clubs everywhere in a city or town with equipment that produces power through people. Like those giant wind farms you see in fields out in the middle of nowhere that produce power though wind moving a turbine; Bikes and ellipticals by hundreds or thousands could produce energy in the same way by people getting their daily workout. Maybe it's not just bikes and ellipticals but some other weird contraption that would bring many people together to produce power through exercise. The best part about this "Power House Gym", is that it's free because of the contribution you make. People everywhere might become motivated to do two things, help the environment and them self.
will there be a possibility to harness sound (mainly the day to day sounds of motor vehicles, and other noises) and convert it to a useful mode of energy that could be used for day to day activity? If the sound waves of different frequencies can be converted and transmitted through a radio as music/ voice why can not a receiver collect various sounds (which has many different wave lengths) and convert it to a useful mode of energy? can not a device be made to store the sound energy like music is stored in a CD. At least can a sound sensitive device activate a form of energy that can be used to run machines fuel!
Using "Crowd Farm" on the streets so the weight of the cars power the urban lighting systems, and placing solar panels under the street pavement, and covering them with Glass-Fiber Reinforced Concrete so the sun-light can go through, this would work on buildings too.
there are many areas of science that are developing still...perhaps the most fascinating one, that seems to involve the overlap of severals areas as it slowly develops is nanotechnology. From making stain resistant pants to high quality protective personal armor of low weight to other aspects, nanotech has the ability to influence our lives in ways small like above to major, as in medical treatment...
There is an extremely ambitious "mega" project, just beginning to go public (after numerous years of working discretely), which, for the most part, has already come up with solutions to all 14 challenges, and a whole lot more. . . A clean-slate solution for reinventing civilization, fully integrating advanced new SUSTAINABLE systems for transportation, food production, housing, communications, health care, entertainment, etc. - designed as a complete end-to-end system for maximum efficiency and minimal cost. A solution involving HUNDREDS of (never before revealed) innovations, breakthroughs and inventions, which results in a brand new POST-SCARCITY society. A solution that is apparently capable of bringing EXTREME PROSPERITY, not to a lucky 5% of the population, but to everyone on the planet - in a fully SUSTAINABLE way, free of exploitation, but rich in advanced techology, automation, efficiency and clever design. The key is setting the right goal ("creating abundant prosperity and opportunity for everyone, without harming anything" as opposed to "lets make a quick buck"). It is quite exciting to contemplate the possibilities of a future that bright. Actually creating it is the next step. . . Check out LoveTopia.org for the beginnings...
Evolution of intelligent life is our primary goal; reverse engineering the mind is the most important, although not immediate goal. It is the key for technological acceleration and human evolution. The immediate goal is cheap energy, because without energy work cannot be done, and humanity will quickly engage in worldwide no quarters warfare. Solar, Fusion, and Solar Power Satellites, are the Holy Grail for energy technology, and are needed to expand and sustain world economies. Humanity's evolution with Brain Machine Interfaces, Artificial General Intelligences and Gene sequencing will survive almost any possible future scenario, including a likely post nuclear apocalypse. If achieved, our second manifest destiny will be assured.
There seems to be an interesting omission in this great line-up of challenge: Create software engineering tools that allow the collaborative modelling of complex realities such as the human body from the molecular level on upward, the history of the universe from the Big Bang onward (or even before), the detailed cultural history of the middle east, the planetary climate or thousands of complex situations like these. Without the reconstruction of such realitiesw we will not be able to solve the biggest problems facing this planet, because onl this way these complex realities become comprehensible as well as the subjects of human experience and therefore interaction. A new software paradigm - one that gives software a brain - might be necessary to accomplish this. Today's software is too dumm. Jan Amkreutz, Author "Digital Spirit; Minding the Future"; www.digeality.com To do this successf
A fundamental underlying issue here is that most of humanity does not comprehend engineering and science itself. People worldwide take for granted what only a very talented few (smarter than me) have developed. The engineering community is the only community capable of solving these technological challenges. Most non-engineers don't actually know how the wings of an airplane develop lift, or how cell phones transmit calls. They don't understand how fusion works, or how solar energy can be converted to electricity. They are great at leveraging these technologies once they exist, but most can't see their way to the solutions beforehand. Thus our collective human shortsightedness keeps us from directing adequate resources to solving outstanding issues. The problem as I see it is not to rank these very solvable challenges, but to obtain funding and staffing to complete all of them. Then, once the solutions are developed, to motivate countries around the world to deploy them. That makes this, in many ways, more a challenge of leadership than of engineering. Luckily we at least know that the engineering portion can be done.
Well this could be a book. This grid scientist who consistently insists we are listened to so that engineers can task in the proper direction and not be led down the path to enhance the boys with your purse strings attached. Engineering a proper train system in the USA will be where we eventually go. My design for that new system after being tasked to do just that has been held up by very powerful interests,but they can only hold us back for just so long. The ned to reduce the amount of carbon in the atmosphere and reduce the use of all of our resources at once and plan for the future has many proponents,and hopefully many,many more when we install our plan. The highways are beat to death by heavy truck traffic and the repairs keep the system drained of resources. The trucks in my system run down the rails to the closest siding(With many sub-sidings also built) The semi trailers are modified to be a spread axle setup with train wheels ahead of the front and rear rubber tires with an air deployed system. A dolly with train wheels is attached to the king pin and at least 10 trailers can be pulled by one modified tractor,(All weather) up and down the routes to drop and pick trailers for local trucks and switchers to place at their destination. The main north/south-east west long routes could have 50 or more trailers pulled down them to be put on the short lines along the way or taken full route. Trucking companies contract wit the system trains to task their trailers to the point closest to their final destination.and so are still in business,their revenue will not drop,but their expenses and liability will and the roads last 10 years longer and we use 50 percent less fuel.We have much less accidents and weather and driver problems. There is also a completely designed passenger system that takes no additional right of way that I have designed to co exist with the freight system also,but is far more than the brief I just released. But it completely relieves the congestion in all cities. There is also alot more that my committe has on its shelves to enhance all of the major problems we have on this planet. We are earth scientists,we are grid scientists,we are also engineers when need to be.Our group designed the earths and the universe long ago and has responsibility for our grid system today. We are an organization called "Earth Service" Usually very private,but find the need to task public until repairs are made to earths systems.
Energy - Please don't limit this challenge to solar or fusion. Just state the challenge as energy independence. Examples A. one orphan concept are exothermic hygroscopic materials which can store thermal energy indefinitely and most certainly between for the period between summer and winter. Such materials can release heat hot enough to cook on. Energy density is good (visualize 3 or 4 250 gal oil tank sized units to cover your upper eastern USA 2000 sq ft home). This technology would require roof top solar panels to harvest the summer’s heat. No technical hurdles, just basic mass-produciton related issues. B. metal hydride hydrogen storage coupled with desert solar. Charged tanks would be shipped to those that need the power (think of propane tanks). C. re-chargeable hybrids – come on Detroit, we are the verge of this, I can taste it. Make us a car that can go at least 1.25 hour on a charge. Tell big oil to stop secretly thwarting this and be good patriots and get behind it (put your billions into electrical generating plants – don’t die, adapt) Education – Needs a big overhaul, way beyond internet instruction. For example, make the alumni association like software maintenance – you sign up and your school sends you scholarly updates including software. Increase cross fertilizations – The math department needs to share the wealth. It is like the Marines and Navy and army all having their own airplanes. Stop all lectures that are memory exercises, analytical thinking from art to architecture! Insurance (yes insurance too boring for you?) – Here’s a simple idea – share accident location data with all insurance companies. If a certain intersection routinely has accidents of over X per unit time (which cost insurance companies big bucks), then the insurance companies could pay for a traffic light and get a rapid pay back. The Ins. Cos. win, the towns win, the people win. After all, the statistic that 30,000 die per year in car accidents is a massive outrage, makes Iraq look like small potatoes and we are doing this to ourselves! Health – Repeat after me – Poor people end up on the doorsteps of emergency rooms with horrendous problems that could have been stopped weeks earlier by small practical measures, lets get basic coverage to every one, don’t get all balled up over if this is going to be a government or private solution, lets come together on this one. Let’s also elevate fees for participation in dangerous stuff. Yes Johnny can pay football, but society might have to deal with his brain injuries for decades, repair his blown out knee, etc. We need to go from a system that is poised to handle all of the dumb things citizens do, to a pre-insurance system where participants pay much stiffer insurance fees up front to advertise the risk they are taking (and no more free rescues of bumbling outdoorsmen off of public mountains, oceans, etc – make them pay full freight for their rescues). Doctors have massive statistics on risk (how many toys kids choke on, how many ski injuries, etc) – public must be better warned (like cigarette labels).
Complete elimination of cash money having only cards and electronical transactions. It would probably eliminate tax evasion, drug commerce, illegal prostitution, kidnappings, robbery and all other illegal activities....
Only one challenge - IDEA'S then Only two objectives TIME and ENERGY. IDEAS - Generating ideas - At Will - can transform everything now. Humans can leap forward as far as you like, as fast as you like, just by designing the basis of idea generation. We already know the answer - ANALOGY. Ideas are generated to meet any challenge by analogy. But we don't know the mechanism and have been stuck with the brain, a fine parallel processor with a hopeless 8 bit serial input and output and don't share in neuron real time. The objective of Ideas is to extend Time for humans until its unlimited and to provide Energy until its unlimited. Everything else is free. With time and energy you have everything. There are no resource limits whatsoever in the environment. With energy I can make anything, travel anywhere, do anything. Setting any target other than idea generation mechanisms, shows the problem is not appreciated. People are stuck in the technology era. Grand challenges are neither grand or the right challenge. Humans cannot fix them in the time available. Designing Idea generation is not difficult, but does require one final and last co-ordination effort for humans. It will happen anyway and soon but not as fast as needed or possible, especially while the best people are working on TACTICAL stuff like the challenges. "Design the the Designer" not the stuff.
after seeing the show'',the dimming of the earth'' i would suspect that carbon from jet planes is a huge factor in less sunlight reaching the earth.this became apparent in the days after 9-11 when all airplanes were grounded.the big thing is how to lessen this impact on us. don
An Engineer + MBA with over five decades of Industrial Experience in the field of Chemical, Power and Steel sectors; I feel we require a sustainable & balanced approach to current challenges faced by the Humanity. Briefly they are: Growing Population Indiscreet & Imbalanced consumption of Natural Resources Acute Water Shortage in many areas Terrorism Global Warming One thing or the other activity of ours promotes problems after problems. Excessive use of Gasoline has made us very dependent such that more we buy more financial surplus is generated and a part funds Terrorism. Further excessive emmisions promote "Global Warming". The solution lies in cutting down aggressively use of Gasoline. MY COMPREHENSIVE PRACTICAL PLAN COULD HELP IN: Global Warming, Terrorism, Water Shortage and Motivate most of us to limit the size of our families - thus population control.
Extraction of Hydrogen from water using solar energy would be an essential goal.
Notable omissions seem to be; 1. Develop technologies to promote a clean environment. eg. waste disposal & minimization 2. Develop affordable technologies to help eradicate hunger. 3. Develop affordable technologies that help employ people in the developing world to develop their own economies and infrastructure. Nitrogen cycle, global warming, virtual reality, personalized training, reverse engineering the brain??? C'mon folks, let's get down to Earth.
Green kyoto is ready with dcarbon+ www.dcarbon.com English and French version
The concept in the formation of engineeringchallenges.org is superb. BTW, I voted for "Solar Energy". The world has long been wanting for the guidance of an international panel of experts on civilization. Notice I said civilization and did not say engineering. Civilizationchallenges .org would have been more to the point. That point being that all governmental systems yet tried by mankind have proven themselves to be unarguably inadequate to respond appropriately to the challenges people face. In the past, the consequence of this inadequacy was simply more human suffering. Now however, the fate the earth hangs in the balance. I do understand that a declaration on your home page that "All governments have proven themselves to be incompetent." is probably not a wise course of action. Nevertheless that does not preclude you from, in fact it is your responsibility as members of an international panel of experts to benefit mankind to, list as one of the chosen pressing challenges "Research into the development of more effective political/economic systems". Surely this can replace "Advancements in Virtual Reality". ?? OK, I've come this far. Here goes. I've often thought that I would like to have James Burke, the creator of the "Connections" series, drafted to be Czar of the planet Earth. He would never do it willingly. He would have to be forced. OK, so we can't achieve that (yet). Here's a rough outline for a political system of government to be recommended as a replacement system of government for all sovereign states. All members of the advanced Academic Community (read professors) vote upon who is the most outstanding leader of their field of expertise. The "winners" are obligated by law to agree to convene a "Convention" at which they will nominate and vote upon a candidates to be the "Chosen Leader" of the sovereign state. The person who is chosen may not refuse to serve, under penalty of life imprisonment. The "Chosen Leader" will have a term of office of 15 years. All of his/her decrees will have the full force of law. The "Chosen Leader" may at anytime be impeached by a 60% vote of the general populace. There will be daily impeachment plebiscites held on the internet. The convention of Academics is responsible for setting up the administration of these plebiscites. The only preclusion to the power of the "Chosen Leader" is any alteration to the established administration of the Impeachment Plebiscites. At the end of the term of office for the "Chosen Leader" or in the event of impeachment, the entire process begins again from scratch.
We Need GravTrains and Hydrogen Power Plants and Vehicals that run on Water. But of course we need people who will make it happen and that means a cultural wind of change. We need to go from a User population mind set to an Ecofriendly Population Mind set very easy to say very hard to do. Engineer that.
Sustainable self sufficiency is the most important goal for science and engineering. Otherwise we will not be able to continue.
How about doing research on a super computer with artificial intelligence, such that it can answer questions like "how engineering can help improve the world". Also this computer can track all the packets going around through internet and kill the viruses at first sight. Now this may take a load of bandwidth. If there is any money left after super computer project, this money can be allocated for research on increasing the bandwidth.
The Pyramids of Egypt are among the wonders of the world. Their construction was one of the greatest feats of mankind. I think personally that they could not have been built without somehow manipulating the force of gravity. So, one of the greatest challenges of the 21st century would be understanding and conquering the use of gravity. So, for me, 21st century would be the century of gravity manipulation just as the 20th century was the nuclear century or computer century. So boil your brains over gravity dear scientists!
The problem isn't resources or ability. The problem is man. Until there is a way to stop self destruction through personal and nationalist greed, political goals will remain just that, politics of the self.
Without a doubt, the biggest issue of our time is the issue of clean and efficient energy production. All other aspects of modern life, both the problems- clean water, global warming, poverty- and other concerns, e.g., space travel, economy, and social issues are recognized because basic human needs are met, in much of the world, with the production of energy for electricity. However, in order to continue and increase the prosperity of all people, more complete sources of energy are needed. I was very happy to see nuclear fusion included on this list, as it is most certainly the most complete source of energy that will, hopefully, be availabe in the not-too-distant future. Although I support renewable energy, no form of that energy is available that can compete with either type of nuclear energy, whether fission or fusion.
I believe we've come to a point (perhaps we've been there for a while now), where we need to prioritze our ideas for improving the world. I believe they need to be prioritized according to the largest and most prominent present needs and also according to the most essential needs for a livable and better future. At present the most pressing would be global safety and health issues. Making our world a safer and healthier environment for humans and other life is our starting point for a better future. As for a better future, much needs to be done in educating people around the world. I believe that if people are educated right (to think intelligently, live practically and become more virtuous), people themselves will begin to take a more active and beneficial part in making our world a better place. So I see two main priorities - 1. making our globe a safer and healthier home and 2. improving education around the globe.
I was searching for Education for all to be one of the major engineering challenges for mankind that is still not addressed. Due to lack of it all the other challenges proposed by the committee will actually not be useful. First challenge is to reach each and everyone of the 100 billion people in this earth. The vastness of the whole exercise itself suggests that this is not a job that can be done manually, it needs proper engineering and planning to proceed that far.
I believe that geothermal energy is presently a highly affordable green option. Even though it is a form of solar energy (since the earth is one big solar collector sponge), I believe it it far less understood, encouraged and supported by Federal and state programs as it should be. Apparently, it has been overlooked by this esteemed group. The geothermal energy is consistently available 365 days a year around the clock. Many systems have been installed by the military as well as private residences and yet it is not given appropriate recognition and support in the form of taxation, new home HVAC PLUS WATER HEATING AS WELL AS FOR OLDER HOMES. I believe the return on investment meets the criteria if most financial tests. Why wait?
Population control and reduction of the existing population to a more sustainable level should also be one of the top Engineering challenges. If the worlds population doubles every decade, no conceivable amount of agiculture, energy, or health advances will be able to prevent large scale disasters.
Mission to colonize mars by 2020 should be the focus. This would bring about unification of engineering teams from leading nations. The research effort on going to mars will result in problem of facilitating life on barren land (benefit will be to use this learning back on earth ie solve water generation and distribution). Another great problem that will be solved would be advanced fuels needed for speedy transportation (inter planetary).
We need better societal modeling that doesn't pander to childlike & inefficient notions of everyone being absolutely equal. A society that is completely flat has virtually no structure & imo is unworkable. It tends to chaos which only favors selfish liars & cheats who create vast destruction in their monomaniacal paths. Form & structure are somewhat arbitrary, but without using them we can not sculpt society to perform even the basic tasks of its own survival & hopefully preserving some good portion of undamaged biosphere. To arbitrarily reject cruelty & harshness from our tool kit we disarm ourselves, leaving ourselves exposed to all things that do not make those arbitrary distinctions. The universe is oft brutal, & we will likely need some brutality to make our way/place in it, but we should not do so stupidly or without some greater purpose. We must have the conviction of & commitment to, the power of our own intellects. Ever cross checking, but ever onward.
One of the ways the world's water shortage in less developed countries might be eased is thru the use of the sun's energy..Obtain drinkable water from the ocean using trenches covered with plastic to condense the evaporated water and route it to storage tanks. The trenches could have tiltable shutes on the sides that spill into storage tanks when the shutes are water filled or when the sun no longer is producing sufficient evaporation of the sea water. Less developed countries may have the low cost manpower which may be required for this to be cost effective. Piping might be arranged to move this water inland either thru gravity or solar-powered pumps!
More fuel efficient hybrid automobiles using a combination of efficient diesel engines, electric power and even roof mounted solar cells and lithium batteries.
I believe that hot, or room-temperature superconductivity would change the world as we know it. This technology impacts almost every other technology and would enable technologies that border on the miraculous.
Obesity and its related health issues are going to be the worlds biggest problems.
Stricter laws about recycling might be the way to go to enforce people to act responsibly.
Engineer a political system based on the basic needs of all of humanity. Scrap all previous antiquated political systems and engineer one that would benifit all men and spieces on the planet. Other problems that science faces would fall into place, many solutions would be close at hand after we solve the global problems of political and economic imbalances.
no limits to growth with zero impact Marchetti, C., 1979 Ten to the twelfth: A Check on the Earth-Carrying Capacity for Man, Energy , 4 :1107--1117 [Abstract],[Full text, scan PDF 353 Kb] by choosing simple and appropriate iechnologies CM
I think changing ocean water to clean drinking water would help everyone in the world.
As others have alluded to here, I believe that the challenge lies not in finding any particular engineering solution but in creating systems of government and commerce that do not, of necessity, drive unsustainable practices. Since China and Russia have embraced forms of market economy it is universal amongst the world's large economies that people's everyday needs of food, clothing, housing and, to a lesser extent, education and healthcare are all met via a system that demands constant economic growth in order to function. This is also true in the macro economic world that, through the funding of business, research and even aid and defence budgets ultimately decides which of the engineering challenges you posit will be met. Until we can create a system that does not require constant growth to meet our needs for wealth distribution then our battles against pollution, overpopulation, and the overuse of scarce resources can never be won.
I would like to see engineers work on this idea: A plan to send all dirty industries to the space. 1. Benefits: 1. 1. Leaves the Earth biological, as it was, for all creatures including humans. 1.2. Brings the space resources in the scope of industry. Big profitable businesses can be developed for this transfer. This new market will redirect mass production as a tool of profit competition, from endless harm to environment towards some good end. 1.3. Industrial advances will flourish free from the limitations of the Earth. 1.4. It can open new ways and places of living to humans. 2. Is it feasible? Scientifically yes and Engineerable in an ascending proportion, if 2. 1. We develop ways of reusing whatever we send to the space. Like giving space shuttles a Lego like design, to takes loads there, then its body parts to be used for expanding a space station. 2.2. Use engineering material advances in high tensile strength materials to develop cables for a space lift connected to a stationary massive space station. Please advise where can I elaborate more on the practicality of this idea. Best regards Fazu
I think Strong AI Problems could solved by Software not Hardware, and I think the base of technology for Strong AI exsit but proper algorithms and software should design and discover to make real strong AI that have all Human features and charectristic properties like awareness, emtions etc. Please read this short essay that I wrote about this idea: http://foundry.ai-depot.c om/Foundry/1128.html Best Regards N Samangouei MSc AI, Physics and EEng
I am acommon villager but ihave some dreams.i think tomorrow it would the age of hydrogen if it could be isolated very easily from water .but how and when it is uncertain.may i suggest that some thirty five years ago i noticed that certain bubbles are forming from water if it evacuated under water. my suspision is that whether it could be either hydrogen or oxygen. i have told that i have no means to test all these things and if it would be helpful to the mankind iam greatful to god. it happened quite unexpectedly when a small bottle with a neck equql to the size of my finger filled with water and put under water,i just moved my finger back ,there were bubbles formed which i could see well. will you please reply what is formed there?
How about something relatively simple like an efficient, inexpensive, and practical alternative to the internal combustion engine -- surely it's time for a change.
I voted for fusion energy, as did most people. It's clear that on a large scale, fusion unrestrained by gravity is extremely difficult to control. And current experiments with pellets exploded by lasers seem difficult for basically the same reasons. What about multiple microscale fusions running simultaneously? Would it be possible to miniaturize, in effect, a magnetic bottle using something like very high frequency (x-ray) resonance phenomena, as in an x-ray laser? Given stable resonance areas, small enough, perhaps fusion could occur in parallel that way?
Nuclear powered generation plants co-located with desalination plants could solve two of the worlds most pressing problems in one fell swope: clean water and electricity. We have the engineering know-how and technical capability to build safe, reliable nuclear power plants that leave very little nuclear waste. We also know how to build reliable desalination plants. Co-locating these plants would allow us to use the nuclear fuel most efficiently. Pipelines and transmission lines can deliver the water and electricity inland where necessary. If there is any concern for disposing of nuclear waste, the sun is a perfect repository. We have vehicles that can reach the sun now.
fusion or electric cars, please.
Carbon sequestration also occurs in living things. Trees are towers of sequestered carbon. Sequestered carbon also is measured in board feet that, used as a building material and covered with paint or varnish, can prevent the release of its cargo of carbon indefinitely. Switch grass, kudzu, honeysuckle, hydrilla, henbit and nutgrass are also perennial reservoirs of carbon sequestration that also increase atmospheric oxygenation. If we were making ethanol/ methanol from these and other undesirable but prolific flora, instead of food crops that require fertilization, perhaps our reliance on fossil fuel could be mitigated. Our foudries, factories and fossil fuel power plants emit tons of CO2. Would it be possible to deliver this as gas to area cropland where it could be slowly released to fuel photosynthesis during the growing season? Alternatively, could not the factory be surrounded by greenhouses growing crops to sequester the carbon and in turn provide feedstock for the factory boiler or the ethanol/ methanol industry? The common practices of clearing woodland by slash and burn, by burning off managed forest and grassland, and by bulldozing massive piles of trees and brush for burning all increase CO2 emission. Could not portable power mills be placed on site to process undesirable vegetation, either into electricity or into fuel? Could not any CO2 produced in the process be captured and transferred to cropland? Could not the woody vegetation be processed in a chip mill to produce waferboard or OSB, common building materials? As your discussion of the historic carbon balance noted, the carbonate was a repository for excess carbon. So, too was Pennsylvanian and Missisippean vegetation, coal mined today to produce electricity for our people. That carbon was sequestered in massive quantities for millions of years. The process continues today in our forests and fields.
Physics - that everything is forms of energy - that the soup of the universe is one mass of energy - that non dimensional points within this soup form strings - that the natural law of vibrating energy points cause entanglement (knots) and these fade in and out of perceived reality - that man like to categories things makes the understanding of the above difficult. Master this and we can create from this pure energy everything that we can think of. At best god is the thought portion of this thing called energy and we are just a segregated part of this.
" Only extensive research could covert ideas to reality. "
Only extensive research could covert ideas to reality. Does the National Academy of Engineering allocated a sufficient budget to support such research? Would it support such research on an international scale?
We are facing major problemes in auto mobile engineering making light vehicle speed car. as well as quickly control and hold on car.
We can Investigate the super-natural power of human beings systematically. This help us understand our limit and investigate the unknown area of our body.
"... there is a major SYSTEMS ENGINEERING problem of identifying what is the best environmental, scientific and economic path forward."
Actually, I find your list of engineering challenges quite narrow. You list a group of specific items, such as "solar energy" or "fusion", yet, there is a major SYSTEMS ENGINEERING problem of identifying what is the best environmental, scientific and economic path forward. Solar energy and fusion may just be a small part. Urban sustainability, localization, improved energy transmission and improved energy production, across the board, could all be players. For example, biofuels, which were so highly touted by our country as the solution (primarily so that folks could get wealthy from ethanol) has been discounted as maybe causing more harm than good. Systems engineering could compliment the scientific work, which is also typically quite narrowly focused. How can you provide a solution when you don't know what the correct solution is?
My choice in your poll is for reverse-engineering the brain however, I think that ALL challenges you listed in the poll MUST have a research about Energy, I've suggested to build the CHEAPER and more ENERGY-DENSE "Wind Energy Skyscrapers Power Plants" in this article: http://www.gaetanomarano. it/articles/028energy.html .
"Learning to fly as the UFO's do would be for me the greatest engineering discovery of man for all time. "
Have you seen videos of UFO's and ever wondered how they could fly vertically, horizontally and at great speeds without the use of our conventional combustion technology? Clearly they have contol of a force that remains unused by us. We remain primitive with our efforts to fly while the answers to how they fly I think is just beneath us. Newton has opened our eyes, it is up to us to understand further what he has started. Until now little research has been done with Gravitons. I theorize that harnessing or recreating this force would bring us to a new age of flight. Learning to fly as the UFO's do would be for me the greatest engineering discovery of man for all time.
Achieve a Zero poulation growth rate.
"It is clear that at some point the Earth will no longer be able to sustain human life."
It seems to me that Engineering Challenges missed the biggest and most important challenge of all - the establishment of self sufficient space colonies. It is clear that at some point the Earth will no longer be able to sustain human life. Is that within the next hundred, thousand, million or several million years? Does it occur because of climate change, asteroid impact or solar event? We don't know, but clearly man must learn to live and eventually thrive in space. The alternative is extinction. How could there possibly be a more important engineering project? The projects you identified will make our lives better, or prevent death and illness, but they won't ensure human survival.
Engineer virtual worlds where people and societies can try out social, political and economic strategies and to fight wars so that they won't need to be done in the real world.
We need cheaper access to space--probably by space elevator. Space has resources we need--metallic asteroids, helium-3 on the Moon, and other things we haven't thought of yet. It also has constant sunshine that solar power satellites can use. Space is also big, empty, and isolated. A perfect place to put nuclear power reactors (beam the power down to Earth and shoot the radioactive waste into the sun), and high risk/high reward biological and genetic engineering laboratories.
What if every house in every city could add power to the power grid? Wind power on a miniture scale per house hold, but on a grand scale in the over all big picture. Seemingly small wind turbines on every house that could backfeed into the power grid. What is the feasability and cost? How much wind is needed to make the turbine cost effective? Are there only limited applications?
I think that the most important of all of the 14 challenges is the clean water challenge! here is a small idea for a way to make clean water, .... i don't know if its possible or not, because i haven't studied the chemistry behind it or anything hehehehe, try to make a water purification system that is small, portable and affordable, and make it to draw hydrogen and oxygen from the air and combine them, and start distributing them in the countries with the poorest quality of water first, then eventually the rest of the world as production reaches demand ... like i said, i dont know what would be needed to filter out the hydrogen and oxygen or to combine them. or instead of drawing it from the air, make an affordable, portable desalination and purification system that can be used by people with access to oceans. just some thoughts not sure how close tech is to achieving these or if they are possible, but there they are.
Technological change must precede economic growth, we are proceeding with globalization as if economic growth must precede technological change - this is the unsustainable influence. "Money and finance" travels at the speed of light whereas "innovation" travels at the speed of the patent system. Knowledge must become tangible on a sub-patent level and I believe that Web 2.0 and associate social networks will demonstrate this - knowledge will become tangible outside the legal and financial structure of the corporation. Web 3.0 will be predictive. Future Prediction: All markets must have certain elements.
The Innovation Economy (that which follows the current knowledge economy) will have the following components: 1. A machine readable knowledge inventory based on the Universal Decimal Classification System will replace the resume system. 2. Communities of practice will become localized accrediting mechanisms that assign "title" to knowledge assets. People have ownership of their knowledge - and behave as entrepreneurs. 3. A percentile Search engine will predict the probability that various combinations of knowledge assets can execute a business objective. If it can be predicted, then it can be financed and insured. Innovation risk approaches zero. 4. Innovation risk can be diversified away and innovation cash flows can be predicted. As such they can be amalgamated into large cash flows then divided into innovation bonds. 5. Innovation Bonds can be sold to public at competitive market rates - everyone becomes a venture capitalist. 6. Innovation equals the rate of change of knowledge with respect to time. Knowledge equals the rate of change of information with respect to time. 7. Wall street quants can invent derivatives representing proxies of innovation, knowledge, and information flows which correspond to predictable cash flows. 8. Global technological priorities will naturally reallocate by fair market forces to those projects that have the highest impact on long term human productivity. 9. All NAE projects noted in this website are simultaneously funded by trillions of dollars of cash simply looking for the highest return and lowest risk. 9. The rest is history.
Hello. I think you should include the following as one of your main areas of research: There is a real possibility that global warming will not be stopped, and that one of the outcomes will be a significant rise in sea level. This, in turn, will cause hundreds of millions of people to be displaced and cause immense damage. Engineering needs to develop an international project to deal with this. (Methods of storing food, medicines, and materials; how to relocate people in a controllable way, etc.). In addition to sea level rise, there may be long-term changes in the climate that will change rainfall patterns, making vast areas of farmland into dust bowls. Engineering should address issues of how to divert and store large quantities of water for irrigation and public use.
An excellent and worthwhile program. I consider competitive solar power as one of the prime objectives for a better world, but this should also include other alternative energy sources in areas that do not have abundant sunshine, i.e. Scandinavia, Russia etc. With cheaper, and more abundant power, this will also immensely help with the clean water initiative, less political strife, and an overall improvement in the human condition. As part of your program, I would also recommend updates on what average people can contribute to the process, whether political 'pressure', general ideas or support, or as a tracking median on progress. As a full time RV'er with over 30 years experience in the international arena, there are many early retirees and others that would be more than willing to participate if information is available on how.
Advancing personalized learning is imperative to say the least if we as an intelligent society are to claim a roll in survival. Do's & don'ts in accordance of what's right and wrong today is based on popularity and tradition thus putting the blame for the destruction of life in a Pandora's box which when opened for discussion brings out more destruction through what's more popular by way of another standard tradition! Advancing personalized learning should equal the understanding of words that promote all life without exception. All things rather good or evil are made of words which were truly discovered by the electron microscope and that lesson wasn't learned due to the personalized advancements of selfish goals which destroyed many other words of life that makes up the life the science world now sees as a threat as an over industrialization of toxins. Where do we go from here? The debate has been open from the beginning of time and humans seem to be putting an end to it P.S. The positive energy of words that balances the right to live obviously is being used for self goals there- by for the magnetic properties that holds it all together is vanishing. My studies has gone way beyond the Advanced personalized learning of the science world of earth if that should make any difference to the group that seeks recognition. Good luck with this idea! If you want help let me know... David Loomis
We have the technology and the intelligence to transition into a world in harmony with nature. I believe the biggest challenge will be with getting people to change. People in general seem to have an aversion to change and also a sense of invulnerability or denial that bad things will happen to them until it's too late. Personally, I have made all the changes I can without the means to go further. I try to convince others to even make small changes in their own lives. The ones I cannot convince that way, I try to show the potential profitability of investing in alternative energy stocks. This way, everyone does some small part to initiate our transition into the future.
"Cheap electricity, water, and keeping pollution at bay are my main concerns. "
The challenges addressed here are of vast importance. I personally feel that the most important tasks ahead of us are those that involve the environment. Cheap electricity, water, and keeping pollution at bay are my main concerns. Considering myself as one who's moderately knowledgable to knowledgable about technology and global environmental problems, I believe it's in our best interest not only to come together to find the best solutions to our great problems but to communicate to the general public the problems and possible solutions. If anyone has noticed the same trend that I have, it's that people simply don't know or don't understand the problems the world faces today. At the top of the list of the engineers challenges should absolutely be to find a way to communicate the severity and need for quick actions when it comes to the most pressing problems. Without the majority of the public actively participating in the solution, there's a greater chance that the proposed solutions either won't work, or they'll be heavily delayed. What the world needs before it's problems are solved, is to inform the "average Joe" why and when, before the how.
How are you Changing the Conversation? Visit the NAE's Changing the Conversation website to learn more about how to talk to young people in ways that will inspire them to pursue engineering and to take on the Grand Challenges. The site includes good examples of engineering outreach, messaging and taglines that were focus group-tested, and a community of users who share ideas.
A New Biology for the 21st Century The National Academies recently released a report titled "A New Biology for the 21st Century: Ensuring the United States Leads the Coming Biology Revolution." Modeled in part on the Grand Challenges for Engineering project, the report recommends that a "New Biology" approach--one that depends on greater integration within biology, and closer collaboration with physical, computational, and earth scientists, mathematicians and engineers--be used to find solutions to four key societal needs: sustainable food production, ecosystem restoration, optimized biofuel production, and improvement in human health.
Great Engineering Achievements of the 20th Century In the century just ended, engineering recorded its grandest accomplishments. The widespread development and distribution of electricity and clean water, automobiles and airplanes, radio and television, spacecraft and lasers, antibiotics and medical imaging, and computers and the Internet are just some of the highlights from a century in which engineering revolutionized and improved virtually every aspect of human life.