Chapter List

Part Overview

Overview

In many books about the history of technical evolution, the 19th century is called "The Century of Steam." Historians in the first half of this century called this "The Century of Electricity." What name is appropriate in light of developments in the second part of our century? So far we do not have just one opinion. It could be: "The Century of the Atom," or "The Century of Space Exploration." Maybe, "The Century of Chemistry?" Or... "Electronics?"

If an engineer living at the beginning of the 20th century could see our life today, that engineer probably would be surprised at the number of familiar machines. These machines would differ primarily in scale compared with their ancestors. Cars the size of horse carriages have become big tractor trailer trucks. An airplane that could only carry two or three people has become an airbus carrying 300 to 400 people. Ships have become floating cities. Turbines, cranes, buildings, research laboratories everything has become ten times bigger.

Dozens of old trucks in the past are now equal to one super-truck carrying their combined loads. Yes, the gross weight is the same, but servicing and maintaining one supertruck takes fewer people. Loading and unloading trucks take much less time as well. Many...