"Wisdom begins in wonder" – Socrates
Category: Engineering
Infrastructure Negotiation
07/28/21
“Why is infrastructure negotiation so important?”
Infrastructure is just as political as it is physical. The funding, construction, and maintenance of it is governed by a wide variety of actors with power. For this reason, Infrastructure Negotiation is highly important. By deciding on all of the factors that govern what must happen, we can try to work together to build a bridge forward.
How Rooftop Gardens Can Build Climate Resilience
07/27/21
“How can rooftop gardens build climate resilience?”
Rooftop gardens are a great way for people to grow their own food. But could they have another purpose? Well, let’s think about it. We know that the soil used for plants is able to absorb water well. And we also know that climate change will bring more rain to rainy places. So couldn’t these systems prevent water runoff by absorbing all the impacts? This is How Rooftop Gardens Can Build Climate Resilience.
Why Height Differentials Allow For Simple Directed Water Flow
07/26/21
“Why do height differentials allow for simple directed water flow?”
Gravity causes matter to fall from a higher height to a lower height without any active energy input. This allows for seamless transportation of important items to occur. This same principle can be applied to fluid flow from pipes, in which water from a well can flow downhill to its destination. This is Why Height Differentials Allow For Simple Directed Water Flow.
Why Recycled Water Can Be Useful for Fighting Wildfires
07/24/21
“Why can recycled water be useful for fighting wildfires?”
Fighting wildfires is a very water intensive process that can heavily strain the resources of a governing state. On top of this, using all of those supplies can cause a large strain on the environment. So is it possible to solve both of these problems at once? Well, let’s think about it. We know that water can be recycled for other purposes, saving on both money and waste. So what if we were to use this approach? This is Why Recycled Water Can Be Useful for Fighting Wildfires.
Why Having More People Live in Temperate Climate Could Reduce Carbon Emissions
07/23/21
“Why could having more people live in temperate climates reduce carbon emissions?”
People who live in very hot or cold areas have to use HVAC systems more often to keep their homes habitable. However, if a greater share of the world’s population were to live in temperate areas, then this need would lessen. This is Why Having More People Live in Temperate Climate Could Reduce Carbon Emissions.
Why Flood Infrastructure Adaptation Spending Will Have to Rapidly Increase
07/22/21
“Why will flood infrastructure spending have to rapidly increase in the wake of recent climate impacts?”
Flooding impacts from climate change are already greatly apparent, whether it be in Detroit, Germany, or China. To prevent further loss of life and well-being, funding for protective measures is going to have to rapidly expand. This is Why Flood Infrastructure Adaptation Spending Will Have to Rapidly Increase.
Flood Insurance Rate Maps
07/21/21
“How can we visualize flood insurance rates?”
Flood risks vary across geographic areas due to a multitude of factors. Resultantly, flood insurance rates will also vary according to quantified risk. This is why Flood Insurance Rate Maps are so important.
Image credit planning.smcgov.org
Climate-Induced Heat Stress on Pipes
07/20/21
“How are pipes affected by heat stress?”
Global warming is going to exacerbate heat stress on all infrastructure. Pipes will have to experience more heat stress which will cause them to expand more and break. This is why Climate-Induced Heat Stress on Pipes will be a problem for the future.
Isolation Valves
07/19/21
“Why may we need to isolate fluids and control their flow?”
Fluid flow is one of the most fundamental aspects of modern technology. However, sometimes we may want uncontaminated fluid to not be exposed to exterior elements. So how can we accomplish this? Well, what if we were to have a valve that would restrict flow when desired and ensure the safety of the element? This is the fundamental idea behind Isolation Valves and is a vital part of modern machinery.
Image credit: https://cgis.ca/
Isaac's Science Blog 