I have always been a fan of engineering. I’m always fascinated by the way things work. At one point in my life, I intended to study mechanical engineering. I never ended up doing so, picking computer science instead. Part of me wishes that I would have chosen mechanical engineering after all. Not just because the school I went to had a crappy computer science department, but because anyone can learn to program and do so successfully. It is far more difficult still to learn to become a mechanical engineer without formal training.
But, part of me still wants to make everyday objects better. Make them more convenient or more efficient to use. In fact, I went to a wedding this weekend and while at the reception had an idea that, if successful, would make such events far more comfortable for the guests.
So today, I saw a couple of stories on Digg from wired.com. They have to do with the combustion engine and a mach capable business jet. The business jet was especially intriguing because the sonic boom is supposed to be so quiet as to allow it to be flown over land.
The other is a link to an internal combustion engine that uses two cylinders. It is supposed to generate more power and less heat than a traditional combustion engine. This means higher efficiency wih less pollution. It would be so much fun to work on projects like this. Keep up the good work guys.