A day’s work in the Twittersphere
The My Day Engineering page was set up on Twitter in 2013 and is dedicated to the noble cause of changing the public’s misconceptions, lack of knowledge and image of the profession. Particularly aimed at school students, it asks engineers around the globe to tweet about what they’ve been up to at work that day using the hashtag #mydayengineering. It offers intriguing and often humorous insights into the working lives of engineers, and is a great way to promote the industry – and brag about your latest project. If you haven’t already done so, get online and start tweeting about your work and antics as an engineer and do your bit towards encouraging the next generation into the profession.
Website of the month
Engineersedge.com is definitely one to bookmark. While it may not look like the slickest of websites, it is an incredibly useful resource, with reams of information on engineering basics, materials, applications and design. It also hosts what appears to be every equation and engineering calculator under the sun, making it an ideal site for students, as well as for professionals who need a quick refresh on formulas that they may not have used since their university days. With sections on engineering news, software and a CAD forum, you can keep up to date with what’s going on in the professional world. Plus the site hosts free online courses and webinars in the Engineers Edge Training Center to boost your CPD hours. Users have uploaded more than 150 design videos on the website, covering topics from “How to build a gear pump” to “Introduction to tolerancing parts”. There’s also an Entertain Me video section for when your brain needs a break.
Best of Tumblr
The social media and ‘microblogging’ platform Tumblr, normally the virtual stomping ground for under-25s looking for the latest ironic meme or funny cat video clip, may not sound like the go-to place to discover inspiring engineering news. But it seems that net-savvy engineers are hijacking the site to showcase amazing feats to the millions of youthful users. If you can overlook the cheesy name, Engineeringisawesome is a well-collated Tumblr blog filled with a mix of informative videos explaining principles of engineering, interesting posts about important historical figures from the industry, and concise explanations of the latest exciting developments, from the LightSail project to the 3D printing of prosthetic limbs. Now with more than 100,000 followers, they have got their very own blog site, engineeringisawesome.com, which compiles all their Tumblr posts. It’s an ideal place to visit for some mid-work procrastination.