The essential engineer

As we face a world of increasing complexity and increasing problems, it seems to always fall to science to find the answers. However, science is only half the equation. Certainly to understand and deconstruct our world, is the job of science. However to take that science and create real, practical solutions for our future, is the job of engineering. If science is about ideas, engineering is about putting those ideas into action.  Henry Petroski, a Professor of Civil Engineering at Duke, and the author of The Essential Engineer: Why Science Alone Will Not Solve Our Global Problems is the Carl Sagan of engineering. He explains how it is engineering that really will allow our reach to exceed our grasp. My conversation with Henry Petroski: