Upon the date 08:32 PM 12/7/00 +0000, Tony Duell said something like:
>>
-- snip --
>>
>> "Students have never taken a toaster oven apart,
>> certainly never built a radio," said Lynn Abbott,
>
>Unfortunately, this seems to be the case in the UK as well. I've met
>engineering graduates who don't have a _clue_ about real-world
>electronics or mechanics. Show them a simple circuit board or a simple
>mechanism -- even something as simple as a striking clock -- and they
>don't have any ideas as to how it works and what the parts are for.
>
>Another thing that people are remarkably bad at these days is making
>sensible approximations. They just throw a computer at the problem and
>take whatever answer it gives as correct. Now, don't get me wrong -- I
>don't want to solve complex (differential) equations by hand. But often I
>can get an answer to better than 10% by making reasonable approximations,
>and either this is 'good enough', or at least it will convince me that
>the computer solution is meaningful.
>
>> Tim. (who was weaned on big bags of parts from Poly Paks, anxiously
>> ordered from ads in the back of _Radio-Electronics_...)
>>
>
>
>-tony (who grew up holding a acrewdriver, built his first radio 28 years
>ago. For the UK people, the semiconductors were an OC45 (regenerative
>RF/AF stage), 2 OC71s (AF stages) and a couple of OA81 diodes. That
>should identify it. And who's probably fiddled with more pieces of
>machinery and electronics than an entire graduating engineering class has
>at most universities...)
Preach on, Brothers!! I get really depressed when I see a so-called
degreed engineer, recently on his first job, who hasn't a clue about
handling hardware -mechanical or electrical.
I still have a scar on my left thumb from when I was about three years old
(ca. 1956) and got cut badly while trying to discover just how that tin toy
Jack-in-the-Box would pop up at the end of the "Pop Goes The Weasel" tune.
I remember that event _very_ well.
I've not ever stopped being curiously investgative since (well, personal
injuries were _greatly_ diminished ;-) and that has helped me absolutely
immensely to get to where I am now.
I really hope a change comes about in the way technical degrees are taught
in colleges, e.g., much more hands-on coursework and actual encouragement
of tinkering. Tinkering, IMHO, drives thought processes directly involved
with learning problem solving and developing resourcefulness.
Regards, Chris
-- --
Christian Fandt, Electronic/Electrical Historian
Jamestown, NY USA cfandt_at_netsync.net
Member of Antique Wireless Association
URL:
http://www.antiquewireless.org/
Received on Sun Dec 10 2000 - 11:58:28 GMT