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I don't think that creating machines out of metal is inherently "more real engineering" than creating them out of plastic - both are more-or-less irrelevant to

I don't think that creating machines out of metal is inherently "more real engineering" than creating them out of plastic - both are more-or-less irrelevant to engineering as a discipline, and it seems that people can build things of rather incredible complexity in Lego. Perhaps early familiarity with screws and whatnot might make building shelves a bit easier, but... frankly speaking, if you can't figure out how to use a basic set of tools just by looking at them and figuring out which parts fit in which holes - or figuring out that there might be a video on youtube to explain how to do whatever you're doing - there's bigger issues than which set of toys you grew up with. If that's the case, your entire learning environment from ages 2 to 25 has failed to provide you with the tools to understand how to gain knowledge, and whether you were provided with Lego or Meccano isn't going to help you cope with life.

skookumchuck 8y ago
> whether you were provided with Lego or Meccano isn't going to help you cope with life. That sure escalated quickly :-)
DanBC 8y ago
My reply isn't connected to benefits and disadvantages of Lego vs other construction toys. > if you can't figure out how to use a basic set of tools just by looking at them Reading the thread[1] about types of screw heads shows that many people don't in fact understand much about screws. I'm pretty sure that most (not all!) HN users don't know how to correctly use different types of screw driver. And we haven't got to "advanced" stuff like choice of types of washers and locking mechanisms. [1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17011388 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17011388
- skookumchuck 8y ago
  It turns out for young hands to be surprisingly difficult to use a screwdriver. The blade has to be held in the slot without slipping out, a normal force applied along with a twisting one. After a while one learns to spin the screwdriver with the fingers while keeping it in the slot. Not to mention the feel of getting the tiny nut threaded on to begin with. It takes the kids a while, and they get frustrated. Legos have the appeal that such skills are not necessary.

skookumchuck 8y ago

> whether you were provided with Lego or Meccano isn't going to help you cope with life. That sure escalated quickly :-)

DanBC 8y ago

My reply isn't connected to benefits and disadvantages of Lego vs other construction toys. > if you can't figure out how to use a basic set of tools just by looking at them Reading the thread[1] about types of screw heads shows that many people don't in fact understand much about screws. I'm pretty sure that most (not all!) HN users don't know how to correctly use different types of screw driver. And we haven't got to "advanced" stuff like choice of types of washers and locking mechanisms. [1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17011388 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17011388

skookumchuck 8y ago
It turns out for young hands to be surprisingly difficult to use a screwdriver. The blade has to be held in the slot without slipping out, a normal force applied along with a twisting one. After a while one learns to spin the screwdriver with the fingers while keeping it in the slot. Not to mention the feel of getting the tiny nut threaded on to begin with. It takes the kids a while, and they get frustrated. Legos have the appeal that such skills are not necessary.