GM and DOE look to engineering students for answers

Consulting Specifying Engineer Magazine ^ | 12/21/2007

[Professional Engineer]

GM used to have a car design contest. They had about 90% of the junior high school males making little wooden cars fifty years ago. That was when style ruled.

You're right, I had forgotten about that. Some very neat looking models came of that.

[sionnsar]

Very cool. Now for the real question:
Does she have a sliderule?

She has several, including (one of) her great-grandfather's. (i have the one with the cigarette burn.)

And she knows how to use them.

[satan]

A couple years ago I bought some popcorn off what I thought was a vendor outside DOE headquarters. The young man explained that he was a summer intern at DOE. Because the popcorn machine was electric and he was studying electrical engineering he was given the related task of popcorn seller.

If DOE is involved it will be a politcally correct disaster.

[purpleraine]

Some body stop the madness. We have the capability now to become energy independent.

Produce flex-fuel cars only, starting next year. Estimate $100 per car. All cars can use methanol, ethanol, gas, whatever the driver wants to buy. Reduce import from middle eastern country and Venezuela by 95% in four years. Cost to manufacturers $1 million for each engine cert. 150 engines.

Stop the hydrogen BS, which was merely a misdirection by the Bush administration.

Source Energy Victory.

Long term all-electric plug-in at home. Build nuclear plants.

[Professional Engineer]

She has several, including (one of) her great-grandfather's. (i have the one with the cigarette burn.)

And she knows how to use them.

Very cool. My dad gave me my second one as a gift a few years ago.

[Elsie]

I have a sliderule and I know how to use it!

(Some versions say... "not AFRAID to use it!")

[Elsie]

Neat clock!

(but... is it 5 after 4 or 1:20?)

[sionnsar]

I used to have a circular sliderule, but don’t know what became of it.

[RightWhale]

Most of our models looked like blocks of wood with wheels. Strangely, most of the 60s GM cars subsequently also looked like blocks of wood with wheels.

[Professional Engineer]

It’s half past Pi.

[Professional Engineer]

Most of our models looked like blocks of wood with wheels. Strangely, most of the 60s GM cars subsequently also looked like blocks of wood with wheels.

ROFL.

I have seen photos of some of the models. Some were pretty darn neat.

[Professional Engineer]

I used to have a circular sliderule, but don’t know what became of it.

I used to have a linear version, with case, instructions, etc. I was lost in a move some time ago. The round one I have has a set of instructions copyrighted 1931.

[Elsie]

Time for CORNBREAD!

[Elsie]

It wasn’t until I got an engineering calculator that I even understood what some of those things on a SL were for!

[sionnsar]

I still have my college sliderule, with directions.