Yon Jun

     Kok (2021)'s article informs the public about the implementation of a project done by Go-Ahead, a bus operator in Singapore. In order to utilise solar energy to reduce fuel consumption and carbon emission, Go-Ahead has installed 1.6mm thick, flexible, and shatterproof solar panels on two diesel-powered buses in Singapore, over a 6-month trial period.       The two combined solar panels generate up to 1,000 watts of energy to charge the buses' batteries, thereby reducing the batteries' reliance on the alternator. This lessens the strain on the buses' engines, saving 1,400 liters of diesel, and reducing 3,700 tonnes of carbon emissions, per bus, annually. These figures are extrapolated from data in the United Kingdom, but the project is expected to do better here—given Singapore’ sunny climate.       Go-Ahead used lightweight panels (i.e total of 20kg), that are three times thinner as compared to conventional ones. Partnering wit...

Dear Mr Blackstone and peers,        I have been interested in engineering since I was 14 years old. Since then, I have worked hard and excelled in the relevant subjects such as mathematics and physics. My curiosity in the mechanisms and process of new inventions, especially regarding airplanes, led me to pursue aerospace engineering at Republic Polytechnic. However, in a turn of events during COVID-19, I started to reconsider being in the field of aerospace. Hence, I chose to re-direct my direction, and I am studying in a more generalised mechanical engineering course.          In terms of communication, my strength lies in my ability to improvise the way I present a content, depending on my audience. For instance, I would engage in a light-hearted manner of presenting if my audience were my peers, but I would engage in a more serious tone if my audience are of higher seniority than me. With that said, one of my weaknesses is my tendency to ...

“I contend that we (engineers) are undervalued because of our widespread inability to explain what we do to the general public (and why it is so important). It is one of the hardest goals to accomplish, to be able to boil down difficult concepts into a short and easily understood presentation or elevator pitch.” Marybeth Miceli (2011), the President of Miceli Infrastructure Consulting from the USA, believes that engineers are underrated because the majority of them are unable to convey their job scope and the significance of it to their audience. Being able to summarise complicated concepts in a concise and lucid manner is among the most difficult tasks to achieve.