Letter from the President - May 2015
THE FUTURE OF MAKING THINGS
I will be attending the Congress on the Future of Engineering Software (COFES) in just a few days. As part of the conference I was sent a book called Hieroglyph, edited by Ed Finn and Kathryn Cramer, which is a collection of short stories from science fiction authors. Those of you who know me won’t be surprised that I am enjoying this book.
The idea behind the book is a challenge to engineers to push the boundaries of what is possible today by writing science fiction about things that could be possible in the near future, hopefully inspiring engineers to work on such ideas. Neal Stephenson, a wellknown science fiction author, was wondering where all the “cool” engineering had gone, which echoes my own sentiment. I recently watched “Blade Runner” again, and the date the movie is set in is late 2019! I was promised flying cars as a kid. Where is my flying car? I might want to switch to being a cop if I could have a flying car like that in “Blade Runner.” And 2019 is only 4 years away. (Granted, I’m relieved that most of the rest of the movie has not become reality!)
The interesting thing about most of the stories I’ve read so far (I’m about halfway through the book) is that these stories involve things that you and I could be working on right now. Many of the stories either talk directly about engineering (building a 20KMhigh tower) or involve the maker movement (3D printing, etc.)
And then I heard the theme for this year’s Autodesk University: The Future of Making Things.
Folks, we are living in interesting times. If we have the vision, if we have the drive, we can be doing some amazing things right now. And we can be doing some incredible things in the near future. Doesn’t that make you proud? Doesn’t that make you want to break out of the shell of just doing things the same way and reach for sky? I know that it does for me.
I encourage you to check into the book and even the associated Project Hieroglyph and Arizona State University’s Center for Science and the Imagination. Make plans to attend at least one conference this year that you know will challenge you to take the next step. Revitalize your imagination and look at the new tools available for helping you realize your vision.