Whether you realise it, or not, engineers have changed the world we live in. This is engineering, led by the Royal Academy of Engineering, is running a campaign to show young people, like you, how wide-ranging engineering is. To demonstrate how broad the applications of engineering are, they have worked with young people to compile a list of the “Seven engineering wonders of the 21st century”.
A poll of 2,000 teenagers showed that there were major misconceptions about what engineering is – very few of the teens surveyed realised that engineering has a role in the music industry (audio, recording and live sound engineering), sports (trainers are engineered for optimal performance), app development (including social media apps such as Snapchat and Spotify), the arts, the environment, healthcare, fashion, beauty and hospitality.
The engineering wonders are representative of engineering innovations that the public may not recognise as the products of engineering.
So, here they are (drumroll please), the seven engineering wonders of the 21st century:
- Gore-Tex Fabric – the waterproof, breathable fabric designed by engineers for all-weather use that has revolutionised the outerwear industry, from coats to trainers.
- Hawk-Eye – the real-time visual tracking computer system developed by engineers to help both referees and viewers of ball sports.
- iPhone – Apple’s device that launched a communications revolution in 2007, introducing the world to apps and putting the internet in our pockets.
- YouTube – the game-changing platform that has changed the way we watch television and share video content.
- Dolby Atmos – the sound system that creates powerful, moving audio by introducing new concepts to cinema and film sound engineering.
- 3D printed bone implants – the medical engineering innovation of a custom-made ceramic structure that allows new bone to grow around it.
- Clean water – the life-saving miracle of our age, enabled by continuing engineering innovation.
Perhaps you didn’t realise that these wonders involved engineering. Perhaps you should consider a career in engineering!
Check out some engineering career ideas here:
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The Royal Academy of Engineering
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Where was the sample of 2,000 teenagers taken from?
Hi Lyndsey,
The poll was conducted by OnePoll for the Royal Academy of Engineering.