W7T1:Engineering’s greatest challenge: Our survival

Summary:  

Title: Engineering’s greatest challenge: Our survival

Sub-title: Panel puts 14 jobs on to-do list, ranging from clean water to clean fusion

In Feb 15, 2008, in Boston at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the 14 Grand Challenges for engineering were announced. These challenges were as followed: making solar energy affordable, providing energy from fusion, developing carbon sequestration methods, managing the nitrogen cycle, providing access to clean water, restoring and improving urban infrastructure, advancing health informatics, engineering the brain, preventing nuclear terror, securing cyberspace, enhancing virtual reality, advancing personalized learning, engineering the tools for scientific discovery. These challenges fell into four general themes: promoting sustainable technologies, advancing human health, reducing vulnerability to threats and increasing the joy of living. It reported that was imperative for our survival on the planet to meet these challenges, since some of these challenges would improve the quality of life in the world. They would make us more secure against both human and natural threats. In addition, W. Perry, who was an engineering professor at Stanford University, noted that almost of these challenges were caused by the great achievements of the 20th century. He thought that scientists and engineers should not only look at how we seize the opportunities of new technology, but how they meet the challenges that were created by the developments in the 20th century. 
While, the details about these challenges project are offered in the official website of the National Academy of Engineering. And the academy did a survey in the website which was asking the public to vote for the most important challenge and provide comments about it. A lot of people did response. A man called Vest mentioned that in order to solve these challenges as soon as possible, it was very important to get the support from the high authority.  

Reference:
Boyle. A (2008). Engineering’s greatest challenge: Our survival. Retrieved September 30, 2008, from:
        http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23175788/