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The source of numerous viral videos is also a valuable resource for mechanical engineers. Those with a TED membership can access live TED talks, archived recordings of past events, ad-free TED podcasts, and 50 percent off TED courses. Members are also first in line for new events, deals, and discounts. Not sure if they’re a member already? No worries. Gifted memberships can be automatically turned into a year’s extension on existing memberships.
The most important of Leonardo Da Vinci’s 30 handwritten scientific journals, the Codex Leicester, is a 72-page, leather-bound manuscript that includes observations and theories on astronomy, water, rocks, air, and light. Bill Gates purchased the original in 1994 for just over $30 million, but individual prints of the Codex Leicester are also available, in case Mr. Gates is unwilling to sell.
Few things are as mind-numbingly satisfying as watching the elaborate chain reaction of cause and effect on display in a Rube Goldberg machine. But a mechanical engineer might prefer to make their own. Available through the shop of the Rube Goldberg Institute for Innovation & Creativity, the RGM Build Bag is designed for builders to make their own Rube Goldberg machines. There’s enough material inside for up to 15 people to get involved, but mechanical engineers can also rule authoritarian over their creations. As the instructions say, just add duct tape and junk.
For the mechanical engineering student or recent mechanical engineering graduate, a magnetic wristband is a helpful way to track all the bits and bobs needed in the workshop. Ten strong and efficiently placed magnets in the RAK magnetic wristband hold onto washers, nails, screws, and drill bits. It’s like having a third hand.
It looks like a torture device, but a soldering station is one of the more important tools in a mechanical engineer’s line of work. Hakko’s FX-888D digital soldering station is easy to set up and operate and has a compact design that frees up more workbench space. It also comes with password protection, to dissuade any unapproved soldering.
Sometimes the best gift you can give a mechanical engineer is the gift of silence. Bose’s noise-canceling headphones have some of the best noise cancellation available, so the world can shut up and let your favorite mechanical engineer build. They also have noise-canceling earbuds, in case your mechanical engineer prefers their quiet to be stylish.
For the mechanical engineer who just has to know the specific heat levels of the environment around them while on the go, the FLIR ONE Gen 3 can turn their phone into a fully functional thermal camera. A thermal camera is a reliable engineering sidekick, helping engineers diagnose where a problem is, fast. The FLIR ONE Gen 3’s multi-spectral dynamic imaging technology enhances images by embossing details from the visual camera onto the thermal image; a more heavy-duty (and more expensive) standalone version is also available in the FLIR E5-XT.
An intergenerational classic, Robert Pirsig’s Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance is an inquiry into value and quality, written in a first-person narration that wrestles with both the profoundly complex and the maddeningly simple. The questions within this book are still relevant to people everywhere, but mechanical engineers will especially appreciate the framing device of motorcycle maintenance and its use as a grounding metaphor.
Modern engineers are often told to fail better and faster, but in mechanical engineering, failure can still have disastrous consequences. To Engineer Is Human by Henry Petroski examines the role of failure in successful design, without ignoring the price of progress. The book explores famous engineering failures like the Mianus River bridge collapse, the Hyatt Regency skywalk, and the DC-10 engine servicing procedure. The book serves as a series of case studies and a call-to-action for more critical thinking.
A hymn for human-centered design, The Design of Everyday Things by Donald Norman is as relevant now as it was on its release 25 years ago. Norman argues for good, usable design through three simple rules: make things visible; exploit natural relationships; and use intelligent constraints. For an increasingly tech-focused world, it’s a welcome step back to appreciate the elements of psychology and humanity in the building process.
Matt Zbrog is a writer and researcher from Southern California. Since 2018, he’s written extensively about a wide range of engineering disciplines, with a particular focus on the potential impacts of major technological breakthroughs. His work largely centers around conversations with engineering faculty at top universities, highlighting their research in areas such as nuclear power, artificial intelligence, soft robotics, and semiconductor design. He’s also worked with leaders and subject matter experts at the Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), the California Department of Water Resources (DWR), the National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE), and the Society of Women Engineers (SWE).
By reading a select number of engineering blogs, university students can gain access to the thoughts of some of the best engineers in the world, and get on the path to becoming one themselves.
Bachelor’s and master’s level mechanical engineering students who secure internships will earn exceptional early work experience, learn which areas of mechanical engineering they like and dislike, and find themselves more likely to be hired by their target companies post-graduation.
Engineers might be the only group of people where you can give them a problem—and they can consider it a gift. The engineering mind thrives on hunting for elegant solutions to complex tasks. That doesn’t mean you should give an engineering student a homework assignment for the holidays, but it does mean you can have some fun with the gift you eventually select.
Engineering internships are an increasingly important part of the transition from student to engineer. Internships provide an opportunity to put theoretical skills to work in hands-on environments. They also give engineering students valuable work experience, networking opportunities, and future career options.
Not long ago, self-driving cars were science fiction. Today, not so much. Influential companies like Tesla, Uber, Apple, and Google boast dynamic auto-drive programs, and many new startups are following their lead.
