Seeds of modernity planted in Paris by King Louis XIV grew to produce a bitter fruit. — Paris in 1788 was poised for change. The stage was set for the French Revolution. The capital of the most powerful country in Europe remained, in many respects, stuck in Medieval times. King Louis XIV took the first steps that would transform Paris into a modern city a century earlier…

Following its tumultuous medieval period Paris adopted the motto of boatmen working along the Seine River: Fluctuat nec mergitur (Tossed but not sunk). — The emergence of Paris as a world-class city was not preordained. The earliest written account we have of the city is from 358 CE. Roman emperor Julian described Lutetia, as Paris was then known, as “a small island settlement with a few bridges and good water.”[1] Julian was passing the…

The green revolution in Paris is rooted in a history of triumphant innovation. — Years ago, it was said that no one visits Paris for the first time. Paris is so famous throughout the world, its monuments, its museums, its cafes, and scenes along the Seine so well known, that even a first-time visitor feels some familiarity with the city. Yet, Paris has long…

Florida has been here before, and we will be here again. — Hurricane Ian is the costliest storm to hit Florida, so far. That’s what the initial assessments are telling us, as communities begin the daunting task of recovery. But, it’s not too soon to consider what lessons Ian has to teach us and to put these lessons into action. Thirty years…

Most people trust that engineers are truthful. However, this does not mean that government leaders also trust them. In fact, quite the opposite may be true. A recent poll in the UK found that engineering is one of the top five most trusted professions. Eighty-nine percent of the general public…

Engineers in the United States, unfairly, are seen to work in the shadow of scientists. That is the view expressed by William Hammack, professor of engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and John Anderson, president of the U.S. National Academy of Engineering in a recent article. “Modern engineers”…

T o answer a question I am often asked — Yes, we are still happy with the decision, five years ago, to replace our gas furnace with an air-source heat pump. It is one of the best decisions we ever made. We are so happy that this past year we…

A recent sociological study of engineers and engineering has produced some surprising results. Björkman and Harris (2018) investigate the roles engineers play in building and sustaining the modern metropolis. …

Climate change is an issue seemingly designed to confound engineers about what is the responsible thing to do. Consider this exchange recently overheard on Linkedin: Engineer 1: Professional engineers owe a duty to public safety. …