Re: Slowing TL acquisition while allowing interstellar scope

Roger Connor wrote:


Michael W. Ryder wrote:
Roger Connor wrote:
Michael W. Ryder wrote:

Roger Connor wrote:



David Johnston wrote:

On Sat, 10 Mar 2007 18:42:44 -0700, Bruce Grubb <bgrubb@xxxxxxxxxx>
wrote:



In article <qgb6v2hdssuadn4577m9m59d8ehlmcqnv1@xxxxxxx>,
David Johnston <david@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

No. I'm not.
They are very different as the text on B190 expressly states that an
Engineer/TL may not have the skills to use or repair the very thing they designed and built!



And this doesn't pass the basic reality check!

An Operator of equipment does not necessarily have to know how the equipment does what it does, just that pressing buttons, throwing levers, or otherwise manipulating what ever human interface there is will accomplish said task. A repair (maintenance) person does not necessarily have to know all of the design functions, nor be skilled in operation OTHER than being able to operate the equipment sufficiently to assess the point of failure, and after maintenance, whether or not the equipment is operating within performance spec. The design engineer, on the other hand, must be able to evaluate whether or not the equipment in the design process will meet the performance spec - which means that he MUST be able foresee and understand the operational parameters, possible points of failure, and required maintenance. This makes it highly likely that both operation and repair are well within his capabilities. He doesn't have to be as proficient as the operator, in operations, but he does have to be as proficient as the repairman, and in fact can create design or functional modifications while performing maintenance.


Just because an engineer knows that an engine block must be machined for an overhaul does not mean he can do any of the steps. Likewise an electronics engineer more than likely could not make Integrated Circuits or solder them to a board. Engineers design things to meet a need, they don't make these items.


Any Engineer I know can do exactly that. Most build the equipment to build the equipment to build the item, for unique and special purpose items. And yes, the EE's I worked with in the Semiconductor department at RTI designed, grew the crystals, etched the crystal, evaporated the contacts, soldered the leads, and then tested the product to see that it met the experimental specs. In between designing and modifying the reactor that grew the crystals. Those doing production work, naturally have a host of automations, but that doesn't mean thay can't do it when and if necessary.

Regards,
Roger


So, you are saying that a beginning engineer just out of college can make his own Pentium IV microprocessor?
No, but the 5 year professional, and most especially the 20 year pro that is his boss (who originally designed it) can. But more importantly, from the gaming aspect, any EE given the original design specs can design and build a functional equivalent.

While an Electrical Engineer may be able to lay out a "working" Pentium processor given enough time and the right equipment he will not know how to set up the foundry for creating the silicon ingot, or how to set up the equipment for the etching, etc. of the chips. Knowledge of what needs to be done does not imply knowledge of how to do it.

They don't teach engineers how to rebuild car engines in school. They can learn it as a hobby or with other training but it is Not part of the TL7 school curricula. Maybe in the past the engineer had to learn everything as there weren't any specialists to make his design, but by the same token his designs weren't so complex that he didn't have the time to get the necessary skills to build them.
Don't know about other schools, but for Mechanical Engineers, study of the internal combustion engine is a part of the curricula at NCSU-or at least was a few years ago.. The student is not, however, learning to be an engine mechanic to"rebuild"- that's learned at Durham Tech - but they can and do transfer to the Engineering program. My knowledge and
experience however is in dealing with the Double E's. Their knowledge not only includes circuitry, but the physics of materials, and a good working knowledge of chemistry as well.

I went to college to learn electronic engineering and took the classes you mention. But knowing that to create a semiconductor does not mean that I know how much of the doping gas I need or how long or at what temperature to create a functional transistor or diode. These are all learned with experience and access to the right tools.
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