The University of Colorado has a $4.3 million grant to research the “problem” of 40 to 60 percent attrition rate among STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) majors. Someone is missing an obvious point here, which is that there should be a large dropout rate for STEM majors. Incompetent technologists and engineers create disasters. The music department, the English department, the philosophy department, etc., etc., can graduate their incompetent students without worrying that they’re going to build a collapsing bridge, blow up a space shuttle, disintegrate a Mars orbiter — you get the idea . . . Read more →
EppsNet Archive: Bridges
Indonesian Kids Appreciate the Value of Education
The conventional wisdom in America is that you have to be rich to get a good primary education. The real problem is that American kids will not cross a collapsed suspension bridge to get to their school on the other side of the river, like Indonesian kids will . . . Read more →
I Love L.A.
The best houses of all time in L.A. (Los Angeles Times) Historical or notable bridges in Los Angeles (Bridgehunter.com) Read more →
French Engineering
From Ned Batchelder: Le Viaduc de Millau is the tallest bridge in the world, as measured to the top of the tallest pylon. Well, monsieur, we’ve got some tall bridges in America too! Leave it to the French, though, to build one over land . . . Read more →