That thing called "Engineering"

"Engineers and Doctors are the foundation of the society."

Doctors healed the ailing and helped the suffering patients. Doctors were deemed as Gods during ancient times.

Engineers made human life easier with the help of machines. Engineers were also held in high esteem.

But now the scenario has changed and much more in case of engineers. It is no longer an exact science which it used to be. In fact, Engineering nowadays is the art of modelling materials we do not wholly understand, into shapes we cannot precisely analyze so as to withstand forces we cannot properly assess, in such a way that the public has no reason to suspect the extent of our ignorance.Engineering problems are under-defined, there are many solutions, good, bad and indifferent. The art is to arrive at a good solution. This is a creative activity, involving imagination, intuition and deliberate choice.

During ancient times if a builder built a house for a man and did not make its construction firm and the house collapsed causing the death of the owner of the house - that builder would be put to death. If it destroyed property, he would restore whatever it destroyed, and because he did not make the house firm he would rebuild the house which collapsed at his own expense. This was known as"The Code of Hammurabi". I read about this code in an article that emphasized on the "accountability" and "responsibility" of the Engineers and that precisely was what inspired me to write this small note.

"Accountability" and "Responsibility", both these have disappeared mysteriously from the dictionary of modern day engineers. Getting an engineering degree is almost as easy as getting bread from the bakery. Earlier engineering was a quest for knowledge, a desire for innovation and a charm for application, but now its all about money. Engineering standards have taken a big dip in the last decade and is rapidly going down. Considering the current trend it is only a matter of time when "that thing called engineering" will become extinct. It will remain as a word but will lose its meaning.