The Ultimate Goal

What a journey lies ahead of us! A few years ago, the National Academy of Engineering released a list of what world-famous thinkers and innovators considered to be the greatest challenges of the 21st century. The NAE used the list both to educate future generations the kinds of problems that currently exist in the world and to compel them to create a better, more sustainable civilization. G. Pascal Zachary, a professor of practice at the Consortium for Science, Policy & Outcomes at Arizona State University, further argues in his IEEE Spectrum Opinion contribution "Why Engineers Must Try to Save the World" that engineering, not pure science alone, is a necessary component in resolving all these issues. Science, unlike engineering, he argues, does not always produce "professionally competent" individuals, which is so important in today's society. Per Zachary,

 "Competence is crucial. After all, the human response to the planet’s seemingly difficult situation must, above all, work. Adaptations and interventions that forestall or remedy or extinguish the ultimate lethal threats, such as catastrophic climate change, an exotic pandemic, or a mysterious collapse in large-scale agriculture can always be moral or immoral, normative or not, sublime or ugly, inspirational or dour. But adaptations and interventions aimed at saving the world as we know it, or want it to be, must work. Pragmatism rules. Or if failure is an essential experience, even our technoscientific failures must reflect the core competence that the practice of engineering holds in the highest of regards."

Science is not responsible for that, and therefore, the fruits of science may not always be as conscious of society as the developments in engineering. Zachary also cites Henry Petroski's The Essential Engineer and the argument "for the central role of engineers in helping societies cope with urgent environmental and sustainability problems." He emphasizes the importance of being a competent professional - an engineer, technically-minded, with a very complete understanding of life, the world, and its people, for

"If engineers lead the way, they will not march alone. Rather, as Petroski recognizes, engineers must "be connected with the cultures of the humanities and social sciences." In the end, 'messianic' engineers will work alongside scientists, but also physicians and social workers and priests and poets."

All must band together, strive to understand one another, and work toward remarkable, innovative solutions to NAE greatest challenges of the 21st century and all the challenges that await us in the future. SIC ITUR AD ASTRA!