scholarly journals William Cawthorne Unwin, 1838 - 1933

1934 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
pp. 167-178 ◽  

The death of William Gawthorne Unwin marks the end of a significant phase in the history of modern engineering. He was one of the last of that distinguished band of pioneers who by example and by teaching helped to bridge the gulf that had for ages existed between the study of abstract science and its practical application in engineering. His career covered the whole period during which engineering became gradually recognized as a branch of science. It is difficult now to realize that at the time when Unwin’s engineering studies began, informed opinion was inclined still to regard as “ vulgar and sordid ” the application of science to practical engineering. Such a state of affairs at so recent a date may well astonish us, although Rankine, in the celebrated introduction to his volume on Applied Mechanics, describes how wide was the gulf fixed between the ideal and the practical by the philosophers of ancient times.

Author(s):  
Dmitriy Davydov

The article examines  the idea of meritocracy, now increasingly criticized. It is shown that the relevance of the discourse on meritocracy is due to the objectively increased role of education and various creative and technical talents in the context of rapid technological development. At the same time, critics rightly point out that meritocracy today has become largely a myth that plutocrats turn to justify their privileges, status and wealth. The very idea of a meritocracy that focuses exclusively on the technical competencies and abilities demanded by the neoliberal economy is also criticized. Many authors talk about the need to fairly reward and respect low-skilled workers, who often (especially in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic) bring more public benefit than highly educated financiers or bankers. Nevertheless, the article shows that this criticism is a hidden apology for meritocracy. In this case, critics justify deeper inequalities associated with long-term prospects and self-realization. It leads to cementing the “secondary” status of workers of the “hand” and “heart”, whose fate in the context of automation and the development of artificial intelligence technologies may turn out to be unenviable. In the author's opinion, the only alternative to this state of affairs is the rejection of meritocracy as a normative concept. It should be recognized as an inevitable evil associated with the imperfection of social institutions and, in part, human nature. Accordingly, the author contrasts the meritocratic pursuit of status and power with the ideal of universal striving for the maximum possible and, what is remarkable, all-round development and practical application of the talents of all without exception.


2013 ◽  
Vol 55 (1) ◽  
pp. 4-10
Author(s):  
Raffaele Pisano

What about science, society and education in the history? In the 19th century Europe the figure of the scientific engineer is emerging. In Paris the Grandes Écoles were founded, where the most distinguished mathematicians of the time taught to students and drew up treaties. and Joseph–Louis Lagrange (1736–1813) and Gaspard Monge (1746–1818) were among the first professors of mathematics at École Polytechnique (1794), a military school for the training of engineers. In 1794 the École Normal of Paris was also born, in 1808, the École normale supérieure Paris was founded, a school that had as its goal the training of teachers of both science and humanities. On this model, with a Napoleonic decree of 1813, it was established the first foundation of the Scuola Normale in Pisa. The attention of the French mathematicians toward applications was therefore, at least in part, due to the need of educational institutions to train technicians for the new state. Such an attitude is not found in Germany, the country that in the nineteenth century was with France at the forefront of European mathematics. On the one hand, great importance was attributed to purely theoretical disciplines, such as number theory and abstract algebra, on the other hand the natural philosophy aim to frame in the same theory at all the physical disciplines. In Germany a great engineering school eventually developed which become dominant in Europe. But interaction between scientists and engineers has existed since ancient times: e.g., for the study of prototypes and machines for the society. Questions might be: when, why and how the tension between mathematics, physics, astronomy, gave rise to a new scientific discipline, the modern engineering? What is the conceptual bridge between sciences researches and the organization of technological researches in the development of the industry?


2000 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 53-66
Author(s):  
Yih-Hsing Pao

ABSTRACTThis article traces the development of applied mechanics and its relation to science and engineering by reviewing first the history of mechanics from 1600 to 1900, the physics of the 19th century, and the engineering education in the same period. The review is followed by a discussion on modern physics and modern engineering, and the formation of applied mechanics as a discipline in science and one in engineering, which is classified into 94 subjects in 10 categories by Applied Mechanics Reviews. The article concludes with a chart to summarize the relation between science and engineering, and the interactions of applied mechanics with other disciplines. There are 15 references included in this article.Originally published in Applied Mechanics Reviews, Vol. 51, No. 2, February 1998


Author(s):  
K. Kuminova

The article is dedicated to the images of Anacharsis and Scyles in ancient literature. It says in detail about the formation of the image of a noble barbarian in the ancient literature of the 4th century BC. It is analyzed written reports of ancient authors of the 5th cent. BC – 3rd cent. AD in the article. The author described in short, the political and economic situation in Greece and Rome of this period. The first mention of Anacharsis and Scyles we find in «The History» of Herodotus (5th century BC). Anacharsis became a popular literary character. Scyles was forgotten and was not mentioned after Herodotus. This is connected with the peculiarities of the historical process in the ancient Greece of the 4th cent. BC. The Peloponnesian War (431-404 BC) and the crisis of the post-war period made philosophers to think a place of a man in this world. The noble barbarian became the new ideal of ancient philosophy. It is shown that Anacharsis became the ideal image of a noble barbarian for the ancient world. He was a sample of wisdom and purity. Anacharsis became famous for the simplicity of his way of life and his acute observations on the institutions and customs of the Greeks. Scyles is a sample of excessive pleasures. In the following centuries Anacharsis is becoming increasingly popular. The image of a noble barbarian was used also roman authors. Conclusions are drawn that the popularity of Anacharsis and the wise barbarian is the reaction of ancient authors to crises in ancient times. As a conclusion it must be emphasized, that close study of the ancient sources confirmed an idea that had been expressed by Ch. Schubert about two stages of the formation of the image of Anacharsis.


1998 ◽  
Vol 51 (2) ◽  
pp. 141-153 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yih-Hsing Pao

This article traces the development of applied mechanics and its relation to science and engineering by reviewing first the history of mechanics from 1600 to 1900, the physics of the 19th century, and the engineering education in the same period. The review is followed by a discussion on modern physics and modern engineering, and the formation of applied mechanics as a discipline in science and one in engineering, which is classified into 94 subjects in 10 categories by Applied Mechanics Reviews. The article concludes with a chart to summarize the relation between science and engineering, and the interactions of applied mechanics with other disciplines. There are 15 references included in this article.


2014 ◽  
Vol 628 ◽  
pp. 9-14
Author(s):  
Alessandro Camiz

In ancient written sources earthquakes were mostly interpreted as a divine punishment for human sins, only few authors instead interpreted the seismic event as a phenomenon independent from human actions. Considering the built architectures as material documents, several examples can be found, suggesting that there was an empyrical knowledge of the consequences of earthquakes on buildings. Modern literature on the topic, mostly within engineering studies, lacking an historical approach, assumes that in ancient times science ignored the physical nature of seismic events and consequently declares that architects couldn’t consider dynamics in their projects. The close examination of some examples shows clearly that Roman, Islamic and Medieval architects had an empirical knowledge of dynamics, probably based on post-seismic reconstruction. This knowledge developed through history, so it is possible to outline a history of seismic design way before the Lisbon earthquake (1775), considered by many authors as the beginning of the history of seismic design.


2020 ◽  
Vol 99 (11) ◽  

The authors present an outline of the development of thyroid surgery from the ancient times to the beginning of the 20th century, when the definitive surgical technique have been developed and the physiologic and pathopfysiologic consequences of thyroid resections have been described. The key representatives, as well as the contribution of the most influential czech surgeons are mentioned.


2019 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 24-37
Author(s):  
D.X. Sangirova ◽  

Revered since ancient times, the concept of "sacred place" in the middle ages rose to a new level. The article analyzes one of the important issues of this time - Hajj (pilgriamge associated with visiting Mecca and its surroundings at a certain time), which is one of pillars of Islam and history of rulers who went on pilgrimage


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