When I talk with young people about science and engineering I try to use everyday examples, but often come up with something too complicated, which leads to a lengthy, confusing explanation. This morning it came to me: Use an object young people would immediately recognize -- a bottle of water. So, how does that work in a discussion?
I start by explaining that the price of oil might require the bottle manufacturer to find ways to use less plastic or a different type of plastic. Engineers and materials scientists must examine many types of plastics appropriate as food packaging, test them, determine the proper thickness for a water bottle, and then design a new type of bottle that will withstand jostling in shipment and handling.
They also look at the plastic to ensure it does not make the water look colored. Colored bottles are fine, but a plastic that makes the water appear slightly yellow just won't sell. (Also, a bottle that uses less plastic might cost less to ship.)
Next, manufacturing engineers must decide on any modifications to the bottle-filling apparatus and make the required changes. The engineers and scientists who work with the new plastic formulations also want to ensure the type they choose can be easily recycled. No one wants the water bottles to go into landfills.
The increasing cost of plastics might also require a smaller bottle cap. Engineers must evaluate the types of plastics available and design a new cap. The new cap cannot require too much force to unscrew, or the person opening the bottle will squeeze it too hard and water will spill out. So the engineers who work on the cap must consult with the bottle designers to balance the need for a thinner bottle with the need for a sturdy but easy-to-remove -- and smaller -- cap.
Engineers must design the molds used to form the caps and ensure the packaging equipment can handle the smaller caps. If not, they must redesign some of the equipment and ensure it works properly. There's a lot of engineering, science, and math involved in all these steps.
Now, what about the water? Someone must determine how to filter the water, sterilize it if necessary, store it, and get it to the bottling equipment. Enter the chemical engineers and the biologists -- they work on this aspect of the process. Many people object to the lack of taste in pure water, so chemists formulate the proper amounts of minerals such as calcium chloride, sodium bicarbonate, and magnesium sulfate to add. The chemical engineers determine how to add these minerals in controlled amounts. Do they add them to each batch of water, or do the chemicals go into a continuous flow of water? Should they go in as solids or in a solution? How can the bottling company monitor how much of these chemicals actually go into the water?
Engineers answer these types of questions and design any needed equipment and procedures. Electrical engineers and instrumentation engineers set up the controls that move bottles through a production line.
Behind the scenes, scientists and lab technicians test bottles to make sure no plasticizers leach into the water and contaminate it. They might also file reports with local, state, and federal health bodies that monitor water quality and sanitary bottling conditions. And from time to time the lab people must test the water to determine that it meets quality requirements.
In practice, designing and filling a new type of water bottle might take less engineering work, but the descriptions above will help kids understand how science, math, and engineering influence their lives even through things that seem mundane. They probably never imagined the effort that goes into putting clean water in a bottle.
It is really neat to think about all of the jobs along the entire chain of any product. There is so much that goes into something a simple as a bottle. It boggles the mind to think about all of jobs and tasks associated with a more complex product such as a car.
I agree with the hands-on approach. I think some of the robitic competitons are a great way to encourage youngsters to choose to learn more about Math & science. I also think parents can choose different toys that also encourage problem solving. Legos, connects and toys that require thinking and solving are so much better than video games.
Jim, There is signiifcant science and engineering behind the design and filling of the bottle, and you are correct that there is a lot of engineering behind the manufacturing of the cap and the bottle. Sometimes the final produced parts are small compared to the massive machines required to produce them. Sidel PET bottle machines produce enough bottles in an hour to bury you and require months / years to design and manufacture. The machinery portion of the final product is a forgotten item that employs thousands of workers around the country.
I'm right with you. My wife is a kindergarten teacher at the same small K-12 charter school that both of my children matriculated through, so I socialize with a great many of the faculty. Kudos to you for teaching science in elementary school -- what a great time to capture some of that "gee-whiz" enthusiasm for science and math. I know that the science curriculum is taught by great teachers using curriculum that emphasizes project-based learning and collaboration in the sciences. Perhaps it is the other subjects that treat science and math as separate, for at least at our school the connectedness is most definitely emphasized.
I guess it could be a systemic problem within the education process or perhaps sometime through that magical transformative process we call puberty our young folks learn how to differentiate socially and that spills over into the classroom. I'm painting with a broad brush, but many of my incoming college freshmen truly believe there is an "App for Everything" and having a high wage allows one to purchase solutions to any problem. It really does take a while to convince them of the wide array of opportunities available to them beyond working a register. Maybe as high-school students with limited exposure to industry they think retail is just about all there is. After introducing them to the playing field, they can begin to discover their talent and passion for various positions...
William, glad to see your comments. I think your "three things" are worth posting for all incoming freshman - not just the engineers. I've been fortunate to teach science in elementary schools for a number of years and was pleased to see that at that level, the kids have not yet learned to compartmentalize their thinking quite as you've described it - but I can see that they are starting to move in that direction. It would be nice if we had a measure for our students not just on their academics, but their "social and organization functioning" as well. Thanks for sharing your experiences.
Reading your terrific summary of how so many inter-related technical disciplines are required for "everyday things" was very satisfying.Your water bottle example takes the mundane and exemplifies it into a blossoming bouquet of an entire curriculum. Bravo.And to Professor Bill Weaver'scomments about re-training the mis-informed, also I say "Amen".I have long pondered sadly, the advancement of our collective knowledge, and realized the staggering percentage of truths that are simply passed over as "givens" by so many.Jon, you expanded somewhat on the bottle-cap, but being a plastics and molding guy myself, I have to add the magic of the bottle itself.I remember being quizzed by one of my mentors about 30 years ago, as he held a solid clear plastic molded cylinder , about 1" in diameter, and about 3" long, with molded threads and a wide flange at one end, and he asked if knew what it was. He then launched into a lesson similar to what you just finished, explaining the multiple steps in producing blow-molded bottles from pre-cast slugs.Inspiring discussions like this, to eager young minds, are a natural fuel for future innovations.
Explaining science and engineering is an art in itself. I am reminded of a scene in the movie, "The China Syndrome," in which Jack Lemmon's character (a nuclear engineer) tries unsuccessfully to explain how a nuclear power plant works to a TV reporter. Sometimes, it's hard to pare all that knowledge down to a simple, coherent statement. Hat's off to you, Jon, for using such a visually understandable example.
Thanks for that fantastic example, Jon! I teach technical management to undergraduate students and when they arrive as eager high school graduates I have found they bring along three (3) primary misunderstandings. This situation was observed by 19th century humorist Henry Wheeler Shaw when he wrote, "The trouble with the world ain't ignorance, it's just that people know so much that isn't so."
(1) All of the answers exist. Teachers prevent students from searching for the answers during exams to make sure students have learned the material.
(2) Different subjects are not related. Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math are separate subjects and they are completely different from topics like Social Studies, Music, and Phys Ed.
(3) Working with others is cheating. Cooperation and teamwork are for the playing field. Academics is a solo sport and only the super-smart kids are good at every position; and I'm not one of those.
It takes several weeks to de-program the students using real-world case studies such as your Water Bottle to convince them that these three facts aren't so. Only after these impediments are removed can we get to the task of training a competent, confident team member who is eager to define current problems, design effective solutions, and work collaboratively with other systems experts with the goal of making things "better."
The kids were surprised to see the shape of the battery used in the Volt because it looks like a large "T" with a slot in the middle. I guess they thought the battery's shape would look more rectangular. We explained the battery probably had to accommodate structural parts of the vehicle and also leave enough space in the "trunk" for groceries, luggage, and so on. Thus the "different" shape. The students hadn't thought about that.
I agree. I also think teaching in a hands-on way as opposed to rote book learning is critical for fostering a curiously and a passion for STEM careers. Seeing the insides of the Volt and coupling that with a lesson in the engineering struggles around commerically-viable EV technology goes a lot further with a student that reading some dry case study online or in a text book.
The Machinist Calc Pro computes speeds and feed rates for milling, turning, and drilling: cutting speed, spindle speed, feed rate (inches/minute), cutting feed, etc.
During a recent meeting with engineering-school faculty and alumni, Contributing Technical Editor Jon Titus talked about whether colleges should educate generalists or specialists. What do you think?
From Dell / Intel® New Paradigms in Design Work Scott Hamilton, vertical market strategist for Dell Precision workstations, 5/2/2013 5
Early in my career, I worked as a draftsman and remember the days of drawing on vellum with numbered pencils and Mylar with plastic lead. This was a fun experience in the sense that I ...
I've been using workstations for more than 10 years and love finding ways to get more performance from my system. With demanding professional applications that require more power each ...
A lasting memory from my first job as an engineer in an auto assembly plant is standing on hard concrete at six in the morning, vending-machine coffee clutched in hand, listening to ...
A quick look into the merger of two powerhouse 3D printing OEMs and the new leader in rapid prototyping solutions, Stratasys. The industrial revolution is now led by 3D printing and engineers are given the opportunity to fully maximize their design capabilities, reduce their time-to-market and functionally test prototypes cheaper, faster and easier. Bruce Bradshaw, Director of Marketing in North America, will explore the large product offering and variety of materials that will help CAD designers articulate their product design with actual, physical prototypes. This broadcast will dive deep into technical information including application specific stories from real world customers and their experiences with 3D printing. 3D Printing is
To save this item to your list of favorite Design News content so you can find it later in your Profile page, click the "Save It" button next to the item.
If you found this interesting or useful, please use the links to the services below to share it with other readers. You will need a free account with each service to share an item via that service.
Tweet This
2 
