Class Reflection Week 4

In class #4, we looked the history of technology and discussed whether or not the inventions created 2000 plus years ago, such as tools used to clean scrapes, would be considered an item created by an engineer. The definition of engineering given to us in class is the following, "Engineering is the social practice of conceiving, designing, implementing, producing, & sustaining complex artifacts, processes, or systems appropriate to some recognized need". Our class discussed how this definition fits in with technology history. Some students had a difficult time considering Homo habilis' or Homo ergasters as engineers, unlike those who created the pyramids. One student argued that an engineer could be considered someone with great skill in their time frame who created something that resulted in improvement or enhancement, without any training or certification. I agree with this student because some of the greatest inventors have invented things in the past century by accident, such as the microwave, 3M post-it-notes,fireworks,etc. I do not think something has to be considered complex in order to have been created by engineer. Also, in the previous lectures, we learned that engineering concepts build on each other. Perhaps the stone flakes created 2 million years ago would not be considered a brilliant invention now, however inventions evolved over time and build on each other for further enhancement. This can be seen in the creation of the microwave(refer to embedded youtube video).

I really enjoyed reviewing some snippets of tech history and I think it was beneficial because as potential HR professionals, having familiarity with technology history can give us more credibility with our engineering colleagues and help us relate better with each other. I also think it is important to understand the history and culture of the company for whom you work for. Such knowledge will help the HR professional understand the business better and provide useful and relevant training.