If there’s one thing we can learn from past scientists, it’s that learning all the complexities of modern science can be seen as a necessary ordeal to understanding the universe simply. And that’s not to say that knowing esoteric scientific principles isn’t important, but that just that those principles aren’t the essence of engineering.
Part of coming up with a good solution is to keep the most important thing the most important thing. Focus on that and that only, and consider every complexity secondary—keep an open mind, in case the solution you start with isn’t the best one.
Check out this video from TED Education, by Mythbusters’ Adam Savage, talking about simple ideas leading to big things.
Having the capacity to be a good engineer just takes curiosity.
But even the world’s best mechanic needs tools.
Science education is your toolbox.
We’ve moved from learning that the world is round to studying the possibility of time travel and subatomic particles. We’ve moved from designing telescopes that can see the moon to telescopes that can see galaxies unfathomably far away. From discovering simple chemical reactions to discovering new states of matter. From designing internal-combustion-engine-cars to designing hydrogen-powered cars.
You can’t fight the fact that things might be more complex than they were in the past, but you can count on the fact that these complex designs probably started with something like, “I wonder if there’s a better way…”
