Engineering eye: November 2015

News, rumours and gossip from the world of engineering

The old saying goes that comedy is tragedy plus time. Eye wonders whether this adage held true after Twitter users read a poorly timed tweet from Swansea Engineering. The message told its followers not to miss out on a “Career opportunities with Tata Steel” event, just minutes after Tata Steel confirmed that it was cutting 1,200 jobs in Scunthorpe and Lanarkshire. Whether the social media professional responsible for the online faux pas experienced a job cut of their own remains unclear.

It was with great joy that Eye recently witnessed a Google logo that celebrated the 200th birthday of Ada Lovelace, “the mother of computer programming”. In further recognition of this legendary mathematician, a passionate fan has decided to honour her memory with an Ada Lovelace and Charles Babbage Lego set. Sadly not yet in the shops, the kit is replete with a monochromatic brick palette to “evoke a Victorian atmosphere” and an Analytical Engine decorated with cogs, chains and pistons for a “steampunk aesthetic”. There is also capacity for the model to house a mini-computer. And, just in case the Lovelace and Babbage mini figures get tired with computer programming, there is a tea party for them to enjoy. The design was posted on the Lego Ideas website and needs 10,000 votes to be considered for production. Eye urges readers to vote for it.

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