From health to technology, transport to the environment, engineering impacts every aspect of our daily lives. Engineering uses design, creativity, and specialized skills to design and build systems and structures that improve our lives and our future. Some of the most pressing problems the world faces, such as climate change, clean water, safe travel, and life saving medical equipment, could see solutions in engineering. Right now, engineers are problem solving across the grid, exploring things like how clean energy can be used to heat and cool our homes and how we can use wind power to transfer electricity.
Since Ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome, engineering has been creating wonders and changing lives. For example, the Great Pyramids of Egypt and the dome in the Pantheon in Rome are both examples of engineering marvels created by these ancient societies. Similarly, inventions such as prosthetics, the telephone, and the internet all owe their origins to engineers.
Over time, some of the technology we use every day has been engineered in New Jersey. For example, modern air conditioning, the US submarine, the vacuum cleaner, and even the dreaded traffic circle all originated in New Jersey. Back in 1805, shortly after the formation of the United States, Col. John Stevens, who lived in the New Jersey area, built the first steam boat that navigated the Hudson River. He then invented the steam locomotive in 1825. It seems that the New Jersey area has always attracted people who were interested in problem solving at the engineering level.
At NJSPE, we gather once per year to recognize engineering achievements and advancements made within our community. This past June we recognized several recipients for their achievements in engineering, which included the construction of the Kaighn Avenue Dam, the Route 71 over Shark River Bridge, and Parker At Somerset. Each one of these engineering contributions has improved our state and the quality of travel in our communities.
Some of the most ambitious engineering feats forecasted for the future include a space elevator, earth to earth travel through space, technology to create energy from human waste, and the ability to remove carbon dioxide from the air and turn it into baking soda. While these inventions are a few years in the future, the technological advancements and inventions of engineers both locally and across the country have continued to impress and improve our lives.
To stay up to date on the latest ways engineering is improving your local community, check out our monthly newsletters found here.
