Engineering

Here’s a chance to embrace your engineering self. You know — that person who solves problems, tests ideas, keeps revising something til it works. Kids too. They’ll surely be amazed to discover that on a daily basis, they use the same thought processes and strategies as the most sophisticated engineers. The journey begins with a deep dive into the design process as lived through the experiences of Jay Sorenson, the individual who invented sleeves for paper cups — that simple device that enables us to hold cups of hot chocolate and other steamy drinks safely. Next, kids explore the deep roots of engineering, from the earliest bridges to the first simple machines. Kids susceptible to the “oh wow!” phenomenon will have plenty to engage with as they consider the engineering behind laptops, light bulbs, audio recordings, bridges, subways, and dams — all products of the same processes.

Kids interested in bionic devices will discover the many areas of expertise needed to engineer a prosthetic hand. Future environmentalists will enjoy discovering how engineers solved the problem of sanitation in the desert with bio-toilets, and how mechanical engineers figured out a way to mount wind turbines on kites to provide way more energy than those on the ground. Along the path, kids meet a civil engineer who considers the end products of many engineering projects to be art, an audio engineer who’s worked with famous musicians, and an aerospace engineer involved with location satellites, making it all very real.

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