Amazing Animal Engineers


Book Description

"Describes the different types of homes animals build in the wild"--




Engineering Animals


Book Description

The alarm calls of birds make them difficult for predators to locate, while the howl of wolves and the croak of bullfrogs are designed to carry across long distances. From an engineer's perspective, how do such specialized adaptations among living things really work? And how does physics constrain evolution, channeling it in particular directions? Writing with wit and a richly informed sense of wonder, Denny and McFadzean offer an expert look at animals as works of engineering, each exquisitely adapted to a specific manner of survival, whether that means spinning webs or flying across continents or hunting in the dark-or writing books. This particular book, containing more than a hundred illustrations, conveys clearly, for engineers and nonengineers alike, the physical principles underlying animal structure and behavior. Pigeons, for instance-when understood as marvels of engineering-are flying remote sensors: they have wideband acoustical receivers, hi-res optics, magnetic sensing, and celestial navigation. Albatrosses expend little energy while traveling across vast southern oceans, by exploiting a technique known to glider pilots as dynamic soaring. Among insects, one species of fly can locate the source of a sound precisely, even though the fly itself is much smaller than the wavelength of the sound it hears. And that big-brained, upright Great Ape? Evolution has equipped us to figure out an important fact about the natural world: that there is more to life than engineering, but no life at all without it.




Beavers


Book Description

By cutting trees and building dams, beavers shape landscapes and provide valuable wetland homes for many plants and animals. These radical rodents were once almost hunted to extinction for their prized fur, but today we are building a new relationship with them, and our appreciation of the benefits they offer as habitat creators and water stewards is growing. Packed with facts and personal stories, this book looks at the beaver’s biology and behavior and illuminates its vital role as a keystone species. The beaver’s comeback is one of North America’s greatest conservation success stories and Beavers: Radical Rodents and Ecosystem Engineers introduces readers to the conservationists, scientists and young people who are working to build a better future for our furry friends. The epub edition of this title is fully accessible.




Beehives


Book Description

Explains the process and materials that bees use to build hives. This book’s colorful photos, clear text, and “A Closer Look” feature highlight the engineering that makes this structure such a marvel and helps bees survive in the wild.




Bird Nests


Book Description

Explains the process and materials that birds use to build nests. This book’s colorful photos, clear text, and “A Closer Look” feature highlight the engineering that makes this structure such a marvel and helps birds survive in the wild.




Understanding the Educational and Career Pathways of Engineers


Book Description

Engineering skills and knowledge are foundational to technological innovation and development that drive long-term economic growth and help solve societal challenges. Therefore, to ensure national competitiveness and quality of life it is important to understand and to continuously adapt and improve the educational and career pathways of engineers in the United States. To gather this understanding it is necessary to study the people with the engineering skills and knowledge as well as the evolving system of institutions, policies, markets, people, and other resources that together prepare, deploy, and replenish the nation's engineering workforce. This report explores the characteristics and career choices of engineering graduates, particularly those with a BS or MS degree, who constitute the vast majority of degreed engineers, as well as the characteristics of those with non-engineering degrees who are employed as engineers in the United States. It provides insight into their educational and career pathways and related decision making, the forces that influence their decisions, and the implications for major elements of engineering education-to-workforce pathways.







Popular Mechanics


Book Description

Popular Mechanics inspires, instructs and influences readers to help them master the modern world. Whether it’s practical DIY home-improvement tips, gadgets and digital technology, information on the newest cars or the latest breakthroughs in science -- PM is the ultimate guide to our high-tech lifestyle.




Biology for Engineers, Second Edition


Book Description

Biology is a critical application area for engineering analysis and design, and students in engineering programs as well as ecologists and environmentalists must be well-versed in the fundamentals of biology as they relate to their field. Biology for Engineers, Second Edition is an introductory text that minimizes unnecessary memorization of connections and classifications and instead emphasizes concepts, technology, and the utilization of living things. Whether students are headed toward a bio-related engineering degree or one of the more traditional majors, biology is so important that all engineering students should know how living things work and act. Emphasizing the ever-present interactions between a biological unit and its physical, chemical, and biological environments, the book provides ample instruction on the basics of physics, chemistry, mathematics, and engineering through a systems approach. It brings together all the concepts one needs to understand the role of biology in modern technology. Classroom-tested at the University of Maryland, this comprehensive text introduces concepts and terminology needed to understand more advanced biology literature. Filled with practical detailed examples, the book presents: Presents scientific principles relevant to biology that all engineers, ecologists and environmentalists must know A discussion of biological responses from the perspective of a broad range of fields such as psychology, human factors, genetics, plant and animal physiology, imaging, control systems, actuary, and medicine Includes end of chapter questions to test comprehension Provides updated material to reflect the latest research developments such as CRISPR. Introduces over 150 interesting application examples, incorporating a number of different engineering disciplines. Ties biological systems properties and behaviors to foundational sciences such as engineering sciences, chemistry, etc.




Nature Did It First


Book Description

Part playful poetry, part nonfiction information, this kid-friendly introduction to biomimicry highlights the remarkable ways plants and animals have helped us solve some of our toughest engineering challenges. One well-known example of biomimicry is the invention of Velcro - inspired by the sticky burrs from a plant. Discover six more ways nature did first Back matter includes a glossary and a STEM challenge activity to use at home or in the classroom.