Engineering the Future: A Practical Guide

I can't think of a more daunting task to a young engineer than the directive "Go forth and engineer the future!" I can imagine the overwhelmed neophyte, wandering about with arms out in askance, "What does that mean? Where do I start? Are there any notes with this or maybe a sample problem to get me going?" The guidance I can offer does not come from a textbook, but from the heart. Read on and decide for yourself, its your future they are talking about.

My first brush with engineering the future was not at all comfortable. I had spent an entire summer and paper-route profits on marine plywood, mahogany, and sitka spruce, glue and brass screws. I had been pursuing my perfect vision for over a year, which was pretty persistent for a 12-year old. Plans had been carefully drawn up, and were faithfully executed in wood, glue and paint. The three-point hydroplane measured 9-feet 7-inches long, was built for speed, and waited for its first sea trial. The sum total of outside "consulting" came from my father.

"Put foam in the hull wherever you can and wear a life jacket," he uttered with a finality I took as word of law. It didn't matter that I had never built a boat before. Nor did it matter that I had never designed anything full-sized, much less a hydroplane, in my short life. My mind was clear, my heart set on an unstoppable crusade. I had a vision of the future and the rest didn’t matter. I borrowed (for the last time ever) an 9.5 hp Johnson outboard from my neighbor, screwed it down to the transom, and pushed my trusty craft onto the calm waters of the Detroit River. The next five minutes were a rapid succession of elation, terror, and utter mortification for me. It was also the last five minutes of my boat-building career. It wasn’t all bad: I survived, the engine was returned in working order, the boat was still recognizable. The moral of the story was very clear to me: It takes more than just a vision to build the future.

It is a simple truth that one can never build the future, one can only build the present. When an idea comes fruition, it is, whether you like it or not. Once it has taken shape, it lives beyond the bounds of your control. Once brought into reality, it cannot be returned to its box. Philosophers, scientists and engineers have debated the implications of an idea brought into uncontrollable reality for centuries. Suffice to say for this discourse, reality is a far more dangerous course to navigate than one's personal vision.

The difficulty associated with realizing a vision is enough to dishearten the loftiest visionary. To this I shout a quiet "Hooray!". For visionaries, ordained by their income bracket, arrogance, or number of their followers, deserve to fall on their noses when pitted against the forces of nature. Hurricanes have little use for paradigm shifts, floods do not speak of "blue sky sessions", and blizzards rarely encounter vision statements. Not that such devices are useless, they have their place. But they must always yield to reality. It is this unyielding nature of reality which makes living with it so difficult. Every engineer has experienced the humbling process of watching a project, beautifully conceived and flawlessly executed, go up in smoke. When working in the realm of the here and now, there is no partial credit. On the bright side, and there is a very bright side, nothing exceeds the sheer joy and satisfaction of seeing the realization of your vision. Just as nature is unyielding in its rules, she is boundless in her rewards. Unintentional consequences can be dark, but they can be dazzling as well, and this is why you must make things real. Your vision is not complete until it is real. Here are my suggestions to you, the engineer who will "engineer the future".

Dream large, build small. Your mind is an amazing place. It defies the laws of space and time, and it may never be understood, much less duplicated. Your mind has no limits, don’t impose any, they will come on their own. Build small because imperfection happens. You will know it as soon as it's there. There is no sense in huge mistakes when small ones will do.

Defy convention. You have spent your life following rules and following them well. You have disciplined yourself toward them and are justifiably proud. Now be rid of them. You don’t need them anymore. Your own discipline will be your guide, but not your ruler. Convention is for the lazy or unknowing. Defy it with questions, march across it with imagination, and shred it with your brilliance. Convention is an abstraction of the abstractions of many. Defy it and you will be forced to define yourself and others in your own terms.

Work with care. Being defiant and dreaming large does not mean you should lose your humility toward the world around you. Nature does not regard you as anything special. Every sunrise and sunset supercedes your most spectacular achievement. Know that you are still a thread within the web of existence, where you are meant to be. The web is infinite, but still connected. Work with the care and humility that you would have if restoring a famous work of art or fine jewelry. Your work will reflect your care.

Think about the future, but be now. There is no time like the present. It is the fulcrum of your entire existence. What you are and do today will move you into the future. Just as the past can only be viewed from the present, the future can only be embraced by the now. Don’t lose sight of the fact that your reason for being is being. Why are you here? To be here, of course!

Engage all, follow none. Everyone has something useful to say. Let them say it. You can only follow yourself, can only move in your direction. No one can do it for you, no one should.

Know the difference between quitting and moving on. If your vision is true, it will reach fruition. It may not heed your timetable however. Engineers are the most persistent people in the world; they are doomed to sweating out every last detail. Sometimes however, all the ingredients aren't there and you have to set it aside or discard it. Ancient mythology referred to this as "leaving the monsters to other heroes." Someone will get it, maybe you, maybe not. Know when to move on to the next challenge.

Wonder like a child, know like an elder. The world is always new and never quite worked out. Enjoy it for what it is first, understand it later. Some things are perhaps not intended to be understood but rather enjoyed. Once understood, store it with your collected experience and let it add to your soul. You will become more complete with every experience; success or failure.

Engineering the future is not a dispassionate, intellectual exercise. It is a very personal, spiritual, and emotional experience that will continue through your life. Engage it and be brilliant.