In the past, I have heard there was conflict between the “two cultures” of science and the humanities. I don’t see a lot of evidence for that type of conflict today, mostly because my scientific friends all are big fans of the arts and literature. However, the two cultures that I do see a great deal of conflict between are those of science and engineering.
Being at a national laboratory, I am probably exposed to this cultural dissonance more than my university colleagues. Here, the engineers are not off by themselves in another department, but are working at our sides.
Why Is the Engineer So Different from the Scientist?
Much of the work my research organization does is basic research on systems that have potential practical applications and thus engages a spectrum of different types of investigators. At one extreme, you have ...
