Engineering achievements that leave you in awe?

K.C. Leblanc · 15 Mar 2013 at 23:52

I think we're over looking a major miracle.

Without the silicone chip most of the modern tech we love just wouldn't be possible. Current processors contain literally billions of transistors.

If you recreated one using valves it world use more power then a large city and probably not run for more then a few fractions for a second before a valve failing.

There's no way to prototype a CPU, they just have to start manufacturing them and hope. Scary stuff.

Judgeneo · 15 Mar 2013 at 23:52

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Alesia

To guarantee a perfect blockade, Caesar ordered the construction of an encircling set of fortifications, called a circumvallation, around Alesia. The details of this engineering work are known from Caesar's Commentaries. About 18 kilometres of 4 metre high fortifications were constructed in about three weeks. This line was followed inwards by two four-and-a-half metre wide ditches, also four-and-a-half metres deep.[4] The one nearest to the fortification was filled with water from the surrounding rivers.These fortifications were supplemented with mantraps and deep holes in front of the ditches, and regularly spaced watch towers equipped with Roman artillery.

Vercingetorix's cavalry often raided the construction works attempting to prevent full enclosure. The Roman auxiliary cavalry proved its value and kept the raiders at bay. After about two weeks of work, a detachment of Gallic cavalry managed to escape through an unfinished section. Anticipating that a relief force would now be sent, Caesar ordered the construction of a second line of fortifications, the contravallation, facing outward and encircling his army between it and the first set of walls. The second line was identical to the first in design and extended for 21 kilometres, including four cavalry camps. This set of fortifications would protect the Roman army when the relief Gallic forces arrived: they were now besiegers and preparing to be besieged.

Rapid and ingenious engineering meant Caesars 60k defeated armies with men totalling in the several hundreds of thousands.

JonJ678 · 16 Mar 2013 at 00:20

I like the typhoon. With some thought I could probably come up with a better answer, but the typhoon is definitely the one that comes to mind first.

Honourable mention to the EJ200 that powers it.

I'm not sure the details on the second picture are correct, but it's close enough.

dholdi · 16 Mar 2013 at 00:34

JonJ678 said:
I like the typhoon.

Me too, top aircraft.

JonJ678 said:
Honourable mention to the EJ200 that powers it.

EJ200's

SlyReaper · 16 Mar 2013 at 00:37

Strapping people to the top of a massive explosion and piercing the sky with fire and maths. What's not to love?

Philtor · 16 Mar 2013 at 00:47

Jet turbine without a doubt as noted above.

Burnsy2023 · 16 Mar 2013 at 01:37

big_white_dog84 · 16 Mar 2013 at 02:56

I also find it amazing that it only took 66 years from the first powered flight lasting 10 seconds to man walking on the moon. Imagine that pace of advancement had been kept up for the next 44 years until today!

Robosapien · 16 Mar 2013 at 09:24

It's astonishing how much the electron underpins so much of our technological/engineering advances. That particle is freaking awesome.

K.C. Leblanc said:
I think we're over looking a major miracle.

Without the silicone chip most of the modern tech we love just wouldn't be possible. Current processors contain literally billions of transistors.

That's more or less what I inferring by 'Moore's Law'!

Orionaut · 16 Mar 2013 at 09:28

Sooo many really impressive technical achievements to choose from, especially from the last 200 years or so.

But I am going to go Ancient. For sheer Awe factor, the Giza Plateaux Complex is hard to beat!