CC Skills Engineering

"“Science can amuse and fascinate us all, but it is engineering that changes the world.”" "- Isaac Asimov, writer, professor of biochemistry"

The Evolution of Applied Science
The application of knowledge towards the useful invention of products, processes, and materials. An engineering skill maximum is usually limited to match the PHYSICS knowledge of the same category. Note that the all-important "military engineer" is a modern specialist that will actually fall under one of the following engineering categories.

Engineering is the application of knowledge in the form of science, mathematics, and empirical evidence, to the innovation, design, construction, operation and maintenance of structures, machines, materials, software, devices, systems, processes, and organizations. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad range of more specialized fields of engineering, each with a more specific emphasis on particular areas of applied mathematics, applied science, and types of application.

Also note that safety engineering is a subset of each of the following engineering categories. These specialists identify and appraise hazardous, accident and loss-producing conditions and practices, for personnel and consumer protection, especially in regards to product liability due to negligent design or manufacture. This is where the Department of Transportation, OSHA, CPSC (Consumer Product Safety Commission), Underwriter Labs and Consumer Reports really shine (because so does the enamel on the teeth of personal-injury lawyers… especially when catering to potential Darwin Award candidates).

Acoustic:

 * This is the application of the science of acoustics (the production, control, transmission, reception, and effects of sound). The beginning levels of the skill concentrate on the physics, and levels above 20 points specialize.

Architectural/Acoustic:

 * Behavior of sound waves in closed spaces and on those factors crucial to creating optimal acoustical conditions (the design of concert halls and auditoriums). There are a few specialists that theatre owners consult that may be upwards of 60.

Environmental/Acoustic:

 * Deals with noise controls, striving to produce quieter machines through the use of absorbent mountings to more careful fabrication of moving parts so as to reduce vibrations that give rise to noise. This is big in consumer-related products (making your car quiet on the inside), and HUGE on submarine design.

Other/Acoustic:

 * Consider musical (instrument design), recording (designs killer stereos and speakers, dude), and ultrasonics (for industrial, medical… and military applications).

Aerospace:

 * Field of engineering concerned with the development, design, construction, testing, and operation of flight vehicles (planes, jets, helicopters, gliders, missiles and spacecraft). Kitty Hawk designs start around 15+ skill level, and Piper Cubs weigh in around 30 on the skill scale. After 30 is reached, the engineer usually has to specialize in one of the sub-field listed above. After 50, the skill usually gets into component sciences of aerodynamics, propulsion systems, structural design, materials, avionics, and stability and control systems. From the designers at Lockheed Martin or Boeing, the dreamers at NASA, or the Technical Directorate at the CIA, this is a billion dollar skill.

Bioengineering:

 * Using principles of the biological and medical sciences, it has several distinct subdivisions.

Agricultural engineering:

 * Includes the application of engineering principles to the problems of biological production and to the external operations and environment that influence this production. There are four self-explanatory engineering specializations within this subcategory: Farm power and machinery, Farm structures, Soil and water control, Electric power and processing

Biochemical engineering:

 * This includes fermentation engineering, application of engineering principles to microscopic biological systems that are used to create new products by synthesis, including the production of protein from suitable raw materials.

Bioenvironmental:

 * Also called health engineering, and formerly known as sanitary engineering, this field concerns the application of engineering principles to the control of the environment for the health, comfort, and safety of human beings. This covers everything from well placement to waste treatment to hazardous waste clean-up.

Bionics:

 * The other side of cybernetics, it is study of living systems so that the knowledge gained can be applied to the design of physical systems. It is closer to pure science, especially with its two most popular branches: information processing (studying the brain, then using the information to design more complex chips and neural net software), and energy transformation and storage (how biological systems perceive things and how we can mimic them).

Human-factors:

 * More commonly "ergonomics", this field concerns the application of engineering, physiology, and psychology to the optimization of the human-machine relationship. The sister skill of Engineering Psychology (20+) is required.

Environmental:

 * Unlike health, this is sustaining life-supporting systems on a smaller scale, either for the individual or small craft. The intention is for the exploration of outer space and the ocean. NASA and Jacques Cousteau have both driven, pushed, pulled and inspired this field. A skill of 15+ can repair a broken SCUBA regulator, while a skill of 60+ might be able to create a closed-circuit rebreather with items found in Tim Allen's garage.

Medical engineering:

 * Concerns the application of engineering principles to medical problems, including the replacement of damaged organs, instrumentation, and the systems of health care, including diagnostic applications of computers.

Chemical:

 * An applied combination of chemistry, physics and mathematics, it is the development of processes and the design and operation of plants in which materials undergo changes in physical or chemical state on a technical scale. The Chemical Engineer is a cross-disciplined problem solver. When the biologist needs a compound for research, he calls on the chemical engineer to make it. Even in fieldwork, this brand of engineer is everywhere from Chemical Weapons Inspections teams to explosives R&D. A 10 skill can electrolyze water, a 30+ can build a commercial levels hand-carried ion mobility spectrometer ((IMS) bomb sniffers), a 50+ can design processing plants, and an 80+ would be the resident Nobel winner in the Dow Corning labs.

Civil:

 * Designing a structure with all possible factors accounted for, from basic function, traffic to and through the site, and environmental impact. A skill of ten can figure main supports and design simple structures (from a dog house to a foot path). For better or worse, a 10 is basically all that's needed for the demolition-minded reverse engineer most structures enough to bring them down. A 25+ can design enduring roads (landing strips, parking structures). A 30+ could design a sturdy bridge, while a 40+ (with additional hydrologic skill) can modify rivers, harbors and other aqueous bodies. A 60+ can design a skyscraper to last through tornadoes and earthquakes. Note the modern professional requires a masonry skill of at least 25+, plus a dabbling in any other materials skills that may be called for the structure.

Geological:

 * A sub-specialization concerned with the application of geological knowledge to engineering problems—e.g., to reservoir design and location, determination of slope stability for construction purposes, and determination of earthquake, flood, or subsidence danger in areas considered for roads, pipelines, or other engineering works. Obviously, a strong skill in geology is a necessary prerequisite (25+, matching at least the engineering skill).

Electrical/electronic:

 * The practical application of electricity in all it's forms. Since technology has been blurring the lines, we will too. The waning difference is in the comparative strength of the electric currents used. Electrical engineering is the branch dealing with "heavy current" applications (electric light and power systems 9turbines, generators)), and "light current" applications (communication, computers, radar, and automatic control systems). Users will specify a specialty of the above, or perhaps our one featured sub-category:

Computer:

 * Crosses a specialized slice of electrical engineering with computer science. CEs design chips, circuits, control systems, and will be consulted in the software design. From Intel to Motorola, this skill drives a multi-billion dollar industry. A skill of 10 can figure out the contact points on a circuit board, while a skill of 30 can design a circuit board, and a skill of 60+ may be on the design team of the next great chip.

Genetic:

 * Separate from bioengineering, this is the nature, use, manipulation of codes, and patterns of replication throughout galactic nature.  This is an academic heavy-hitter, combining a minimum prerequisite score of 40 in molecular biology, and 60 points in other biological skills (genetics, biochemistry, and biophysics to a name a few). The leaders of the Human Genome project have skills upwards of 80 in this alone. Regretfully, biological weapons experts are 60-70 themselves, and it doesn't take half that to produce a WMD.

Mechanical:

 * The back-bone of engineering, this requires an understanding of basic physics, thermodynamics, fluid dynamics and properties of materials. Once on the job, it will include the design, manufacture, installation, and operation of these must-be-specified specialties: engines, machines, and manufacturing processes. Skills above 40 will be specialized in a sub-field (such as high-speed turbines in the engine category) or systems integration (designing the whole machine).

Naval architecture:

 * Caters to the special problem set associated with designing water craft. A skill of 10 might be able to carve a decent log canoe, while a skill of 50 could design a sea-worthy cargo vessel.

Nuclear:

 * The control and use of energy and radiation released from nuclear reactions. Each branch has the functions of research and development, design, fuel management, safety analysis, and operation & testing. The branches, which require a specifying after a skill of 25+, include:

Nuclear Power:

 * Dealing with commercial reactors light-water reactors (LWR), both pressurized and boiling water, plus liquid-metal fast-breeder reactors (LMFBR). At skills above 50, the user gets into the Naval nuclear propulsion arena. From vibration dampening to coolant dynamics, this technology is what helped the U.S. win the cold war.

Fusion:

 * This is still in the research stages, but it's important enough that any country would kill to get it's hands on either the equipment or technical know-how of a break-through step. Inertial-confinement fusion actually has points for both energy production and weapons testing, and the skill could be considered by the DoE to a munition all by itself. Yes, its that important.

Nuclear Weapons:

 * Fission (atomic bombs), fusion (hydrogen bombs), and combination fission-fusion weapons are arguably the most powerful and terrifying munitions in the worlds' arsenal. Engineers build few new bombs these days, but they do try to find ways to simulate testing, as well as monitor the all-important readiness of the stockpiles.

Radioisotopes:

 * There are more than 500 such radioactive compounds produced in reactors that are used in industry, primarily medicine (radioisotopes will be used in about half of all cases admitted to U.S. hospitals) . Radioisotopes are further used in, industrial tracers, X-ray equipment, curing of plastics, preservation of food, and as an energy source in electric generators. A skill of 20+ might not give himself cancer handling all the goods.

Nuclear-waste management:

 * The packaging, storage, and monitoring of low-level (medical) and high-level (fuel and weapons-grade elements) contaminated wastes. This also requires some geology, hydrology, and great, big brass balls.

Optical engineering:

 * Design of optics for use in commercial and industrial applications. This includes lenses, fibers, cams, shutters and mirrors, for all wavelengths of scattered and coherent (laser) light. A skill of 15+ can design a simple camera, while a skill of 40+ can design a holographic system.

Petroleum engineering:

 * Field of engineering that involves the optimized development and exploitation of crude oil and natural gas fields, as well as the technical analysis and forecasting of these fields' future performance. Sub-specializations include DRILLING, PRODUCTION, LOG ANALYSIS, and RESERVOIR.