[onewhippedpuppy]

Originally Posted by mjohnson

We sponsor some senior engineering capstone design projects. It's always fun to go to their design reviews. They love their TIG welding and their CNC machining - "it reads out to a tenth - that's what it does, right?" We're always the wet blankets with the "how you gonna inspect/accept that?

No engineering curricula will teach in a semester or two what that experienced machinist will in a few minutes behind their closed office door. ("Boy - you're an idiot. Let me show you how to get this done...").

To the original topic - physics and math are abstract and almost meaningless until the very end. Go far enough and the universe opens up...

Amen to that. One lesson that's hard for some cocky young engineers to learn is that the guys in the shop are a huge resource. Odds are they've been there done that, and can see issues that nobody else can.