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>Other low-level skills that today's engineers aren't getting, according to Carl Mikkelsen: "programming tight loops, computational graphic approximations like

>Other low-level skills that today's engineers aren't getting, according to Carl Mikkelsen: "programming tight loops, computational graphic approximations like a circle algorithm, machining cast iron, designing CPU instruction sets, meeting real-time constraints, programming in the inefficient zone - recovering some of the last 30% of potential, and analog design, such as audio amps." What, do they also expect us to cut, polish and etch our own silicon wafers as well?

mechanical_fish 15y ago
For the record: Everyone who calls themself an engineer should have tried to machine cast iron (or some kind of metal; better to start with aluminum) at least once. And everyone should know how silicon is made, hands-on if possible (which it generally isn't; fabs are expensive). Why? Because these things are awesome, and form the foundation of our culture. Now, having said that: No, having hands-on experience with these things doesn't really help with programming. ;)
- mayanksinghal 15y ago
  > engineer should have tried to machine cast iron Why?
  - jmaygarden 15y ago
    "Why? Because these things are awesome, and form the foundation of our culture." -mechanical_fish
    - mayanksinghal 15y ago
      1. These things are awesome - a very personal statement. Using it in an argument is moot. 2. Foundation of our culture - no. Foundation of our culture (the engineering culture) is about looking around, identifying problems and using rational-logical thought to find solutions. It just happened that we learnt casting before making silicon chips. I have done Mechanical Workshop as a student in my undergraduate curriculum. I learnt nothing new but the fact that most of us want to cling to already established norms. Again, it's an unnecessary exercise. I really think that in a field that is evolving as fast as this, we should rethink why and what norms and parts of relatively ancient culture should be follow and where evolving and discarding old ideas is necessary.
- Ixiaus 15y ago
  I think these things do help with programming in a manner that is probably hard to measure. Making something has an affect, I find hard to describe, on my ability to think logically and creatively (in more areas than just programming, but it so happens that I spend most of my time programming). For those interested, here's a series of books on how to build your own machine shop from scratch (by building your own foundry, casting parts, etc...): http://www.lindsaybks.com/dgjp/djgbk/series/index.html http://www.lindsaybks.com/dgjp/djgbk/series/index.html (I'm not affiliated with Lindsay Books in any way)
  - mechanical_fish 15y ago
    I don't disagree. But the problem with this argument is that it's hard to find any creative or imaginative activity that doesn't potentially help you with programming. Tinkering? Cooking? Music? Writing? Reading? Puzzles? Even sleeping? It's all potentially good.
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mechanical_fish 15y ago

For the record: Everyone who calls themself an engineer should have tried to machine cast iron (or some kind of metal; better to start with aluminum) at least once. And everyone should know how silicon is made, hands-on if possible (which it generally isn't; fabs are expensive). Why? Because these things are awesome, and form the foundation of our culture. Now, having said that: No, having hands-on experience with these things doesn't really help with programming. ;)

mayanksinghal 15y ago
> engineer should have tried to machine cast iron Why?
- jmaygarden 15y ago
  "Why? Because these things are awesome, and form the foundation of our culture." -mechanical_fish
  - mayanksinghal 15y ago
    1. These things are awesome - a very personal statement. Using it in an argument is moot. 2. Foundation of our culture - no. Foundation of our culture (the engineering culture) is about looking around, identifying problems and using rational-logical thought to find solutions. It just happened that we learnt casting before making silicon chips. I have done Mechanical Workshop as a student in my undergraduate curriculum. I learnt nothing new but the fact that most of us want to cling to already established norms. Again, it's an unnecessary exercise. I really think that in a field that is evolving as fast as this, we should rethink why and what norms and parts of relatively ancient culture should be follow and where evolving and discarding old ideas is necessary.
Ixiaus 15y ago
I think these things do help with programming in a manner that is probably hard to measure. Making something has an affect, I find hard to describe, on my ability to think logically and creatively (in more areas than just programming, but it so happens that I spend most of my time programming). For those interested, here's a series of books on how to build your own machine shop from scratch (by building your own foundry, casting parts, etc...): http://www.lindsaybks.com/dgjp/djgbk/series/index.html http://www.lindsaybks.com/dgjp/djgbk/series/index.html (I'm not affiliated with Lindsay Books in any way)
- mechanical_fish 15y ago
  I don't disagree. But the problem with this argument is that it's hard to find any creative or imaginative activity that doesn't potentially help you with programming. Tinkering? Cooking? Music? Writing? Reading? Puzzles? Even sleeping? It's all potentially good.

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