Grand Challenges Ahead
Looking back at the last century, engineers have had a profound impact on humankind. What’s remarkable is that we now take so much of that great work for granted. When I was a child, I sat mesmerized as Neil Armstrong stepped on the moon. Today, we take space travel largely for granted. If the power goes out we feel helpless, when at the turn of the last century most homes didn’t have electricity. And as much as airline service today isn’t what it was ten years ago, people travel the globe in hours instead of months.
And what is at stake for this century? The National Academy of Engineering has been contemplating that very question. What are the “grand challenges” for engineering in the 21st century? Is it making solar power economical, providing access to clean water throughout the world, reverse engineering the brain or providing energy from fusion?
On March 2-3 at Duke University, NAE is holding a summit on engineering’s grand challenges to ask these very questions. Be sure to watch the live webcast. What do you think the grand challenges are for the engineering profession, our children, and grandchildren?
