9 Reasons Engineering Is Rad All Winter Long
From ski lifts to snowplows, winter wouldn’t be the same without the innovation of engineers who help make winter a lot more fun and much, much warmer…
1. Hit The Slopes
Next time you go skiing, take a moment to appreciate the fact that you aren’t grabbing hold of an ore bucket tied to a rope and pulley system. Chair lifts made their debut at the Sun Valley ski resort in Idaho in 1936 and became the standard in just a few decades.
2. Let it - or make it - snow!
Of course nature doesn’t always provide enough snow, but thanks to engineers and the invention of artificial snow, skiing, sledding, tubing and snowboarding are still possible.
3. Have an Ice Day
And if you really want to go old-school, head out to the frozen pond or the rink and put on some skates. People have been engineering those since 3000 BC.
4. Epic Fail
Part of the fun of engineering is finding thousands of ways NOT to do something, just ask the brains behind tandems skis and ski brakes.
5. Get off my lawn! Or at least my street!
When the occasion calls for less ice and snow, not more, we call in the snowplows, which have been clearing a path since 1862; though back then, the horsepower came from actual horses.
6. Toasty Toes
Of course, one invention we all may be grateful for during the winter is indoor heat...
7. When in Rome...
and for that, we can thank the Romans -- radiators are mentioned in texts from 15 AD
8. So rad
and a handful of inventors who are credited with creating versions of the heating radiator in the 1800s.
9.
Engineering may not be your first thought when you think fun and warmth, but without it, we'd all be spending the winter months cold and looking for something to do with all that snow. Happy Holidays.
Engineers are the innovators and problem solvers, and we need more of them. The National Engineering Forum is a solution-oriented group of engineers gathering together to create an action plan to address the three challenges - 3C's - facing the engineering community. The 3C's are: capacity, capability and competitiveness. America needs to replace the ranks of retiring engineers with skilled, innovative thinkers who will ensure the nation's security and prosperity for years to come. Learn more here: http://nationalengineeringforum.com. And find out about NEF Gen for students and young professionals here: http://nationalengineeringforum.com/nefgen.