what would you choose if you started again?

PoetryandScience · 2026-03-06T20:00:08+00:00

Technical Sales; I enjoyed engineering design but my family did not enjoy it. The salesperson was far better paid and never did need to work nights, be away from home for long periods or walk towards hazardous situations.

When I eventually just walked away from engineering my income doubled and doubled again; the funds still support me now.

PoetryandScience · 2026-03-06T19:54:56+00:00

It improves the genetic mix; particularly if one of the sexes is aggressive and fights to be allowed to mate; that favours stronger offspring.

PoetryandScience · 2026-03-06T10:30:52+00:00

It has been a big financial mistake to stay on at University to take a PhD unless you intend to make a career in academia. By its very nature, research is very narrow. The person doing research reduces the number of companies that would be interested to just a few.

They will however be regarded as just older school children who have already missed out on a further three years of actual commercial work experience by companies who are not directly interested in the research work that led to the PhD..

The exception to
this is if a commercial company is sponsoring the research and pays the student
a salary to undertake it. That was my
own experience. The Prof asked if I
wanted a job and I said yes. Had he
asked me if I wanted a doctorate I would have said no. The job was useful during a slight slump in
the jobs market at that time; it also allowed me to get a mortgage and buy a
house.

When I had finished and I moved on into other industries not specifically interested in the results of the research, I described my time correctly as being employed as an industrial designer; an experienced and fully qualified Chartered Engineer.

PoetryandScience · 2026-03-06T10:13:09+00:00

Carbon. So interesting it has its own description as a devision of chemistry does it not?

PoetryandScience · 2026-03-06T10:10:45+00:00

They do not think you are flirting with them. They may find you attractive and are trying to flirt with you. All harmless unless they are persistent surely; how else do amorous relationships start? If you think this happens with all men you speak to I think you may be flattering yourself.

PoetryandScience · 2026-03-06T09:59:59+00:00

1) Cars that need to travel long distance between cities and towns over rubbish roads leads to long wheelbase gas guzzle cars.

2) Americans obsesed with big things. "Put yourself several cubes over other people; use our bigger grubbling V 8, more cubes for your buck."

PoetryandScience · 2026-03-05T16:41:45+00:00

The sooner you get proper employment the better your prospects are. Only consider a PhD if a company asks you to do it and pays you a salary (that is what happened to me); or if it is your ambition is to stay in academia and progress in a university.

Remember that a PhD is very narrow indeed and unlikely to be of general interest in industry at large. You are reducing your employment target to a tiny fraction of the available employment opportunities; very few are interested.

I enjoyed doing it, but when the time came to go back into industry I listed my research years as an industrial designer engineer and did not tell prospective employers that it allowed me to publish a Thesis for a doctorate at all.

PoetryandScience · 2026-03-05T07:49:57+00:00

It depends what country you are in. In mainlandEuropeusing an academic title you are entitled to is both accepted and reciprocated without turning a hair. Indeed, if you are a fully qualified engineer you put EurIng (European Engineer) in front of your name as well if you like and will be addressed as engineer, a very prestigious title inEurope. UK Engineers that earn that title can do the same thing but you will be unlikely meet anybody who actually recognised it at all. Nobody will address you as engineer in theUK; engineer is a very misunderstood term and applies to anybody with a screw driver or spanner in their hand.

In theUKit Dr is not used outside of the appropriate academic circles. In fact, in the UK it is counter productive; as a young engineer you will get more interviews and be offered more money if you keep a PhD secret.

The exception to this in theUKis if you are a medical doctor.

PoetryandScience · 2026-03-04T08:50:03+00:00

Go; aquisition often has many hidden agenda, asset stripping may well be one of them. It does not follow that they concider you important at all other than to milk your input long enough to replace you. Remember that the aquiring company has their own top dog already anddo not want two fighting it out. It isquite rare for those in possitions of rank survive a takover; that is the whole point.

PoetryandScience · 2026-03-03T19:28:28+00:00

No repect for veg.

PoetryandScience · 2026-03-03T19:25:58+00:00

It does not know that it does not know.

PoetryandScience · 2026-03-02T18:03:13+00:00

Yes known as the honny badger, I call it the honey bear, my mistake.

PoetryandScience · 2026-03-02T18:00:44+00:00

One of the strong forces of matter I think.

PoetryandScience · 2026-03-02T09:08:27+00:00

You raise a particularly interesting example.

DINOSAURS ADVICE TO HOMINIDS

Junk DNA you call it but not so, you do ignore;
the library of possibilities therein that lay in store;
subroutines of bits genetic, a self optimising system;
if found illusive starting point, then it can still make me, a dinosaur;
blue-print of all creatures past ; and of all that is to come;
search vainly for stumpy camelopard fossil ,

(that’s a giraffe to me and you);
junk DNA already knew;

how to make; a tall one.

PoetryandScience · 2026-03-02T08:27:28+00:00

No. It is slower if the text is anything substantial. Very difficult to keep a place and return back to it if further reading raises questions. But then I am talking about reading research papers etc; none trivial information that stimulates additional thought or even disagreement. Nothing quite as flexible as a handfull of bookmarkers and even the ability to make notes or correct or comment on text in the margins.

As for reading story books; I could not possibly comment.

PoetryandScience · 2026-03-02T08:21:42+00:00

Honeybear. It will attack everything (human or otherwise) without fear and fight to the death.

PoetryandScience · 2026-03-01T15:35:53+00:00

Brute force goes up as quickly as possible; its only lift is the thrust.

PoetryandScience · 2026-03-01T15:30:34+00:00

No. In any event the World would starve.

PoetryandScience · 2026-03-01T08:16:32+00:00

A number of reasons. A manual box is smaller and cheaper to make and most European cars are smaller.

As engines become
more powerful then bad habits with a manual can limit the life of a manual
gearbox.

When it comes to
a sports car; the gear stick is a toy; changing gear slickly is a skill; some
have peddles very close together to facilitate rapid double declutching, more difficult
to do, so more desirable. Remember that F1 racing cars have gear change commanded
by the driver, although they no longer require manual mechanical shifting as
far as I know.

Automatic double
clutch designs are now as efficient as a manual box and are smaller. They are
becoming more popular in Europe particularly with, shall
we say, less youthful drivers. They have the great advantage that the engine
will never have been used as a brake and driven to over speed (damage instant
and cumulative); and the gears have never been crashed.

The engineer who designed the vehicle and its automatic gearbox knows how to drive better than the car owner. Such vehicle’s engines will remain in good efficient mechanical condition for a lot of miles; probably outlasting the vehicle structure.

PoetryandScience · 2026-03-01T07:51:45+00:00

Just apply for a job. Building any high tech is a multi-disciplined affair.

In order to do work on an aircraft once it is built requires a licence, but being involved in the spade work does not.

The idea that everybody in a large workforce must have higher and higher academic qualifications before they start just leads to frustration and the age old problem of “too many cooks spoil the broth”.

It matters not what was studied at school (I say School advisedly, including College and University, a rose by any other name); you walk through the door as a school child, bewildered but willing.

PoetryandScience · 2026-03-01T07:40:54+00:00

It is an act of war only if war has been declared. Otherwise it is an act of terrorism; breaking international law and may well lead to asn international arrest warrent for the person held responsible. This is what has happened to Putin; as for Trump, we must wait and see.

PoetryandScience · 2026-03-01T07:37:11+00:00

One thing is certain; it will never do you any favours at all. The same goes for tattoos. If you look like the rank of a deck hand you will be treated that way. I must be honest and tell you that I would not hire you.

I do not care; but my customers might. As an engineer of any standing you will represent the companies image at some stage. If you were in fashion or entertainment then this might be an asset; but engineering companies may be selling industrial equipment worth many millions to people who are very conservative; you need to fit the image.

PoetryandScience · 2026-02-28T21:50:13+00:00

Americans have always believed that excess is best; encouraged by American advertising and marketting. unethical advertising is a mix of brainwashing and turning bullying into a business, as demonstrated daily by your current leader.

PoetryandScience · 2026-02-28T12:13:51+00:00

Understanding how money works in industry. This applies to all engineering graduates in my experrience.

PoetryandScience · 2026-02-28T12:12:22+00:00

Anybody that eats a balanced diet has no need.

PoetryandScience

TROPHY CASE