What I Learned Today

I came across this great course (Electrical Engineering for Everyone), taught by Dr. Laura J. Bottomley (NCSU) and offered through the Great Courses (which I am accessing through the Kanopy app – your library card may provide it to you free!).

I’ve only watched the first lecture so far, but it was surprisingly riveting. It is aimed at folks who aren’t necessarily aiming to get a degree in Electrical Engineering, but who want to learn more about how electricity (and electronics) enable so much of our modern lives.

One of my favorite aspects is how Dr. Bottomley stands in front of all her cool gadgets and then demonstrates them. They included a lightbulb, a cute little Tesla coil and fluorescent lights (although I was a little disappointed that she didn’t say anything about how the Tesla coil worked, just that it creates an electromagnetic field), solar cells (which were first invented (but not very efficient) in the 1880s!), and a simple circuit with an LED.

She identified four major advancements in electrical engineering: the ability to generate and transmit electricity through wires, then wirelessly, then electronics (computers) / photonics, then “intelligent applications” (artificial intelligence).

She also talked about six “habits of mind” that engineers are supposed to have: communication, creativity, collaboration, systems thinking, ethics, and optimism (learning from failure). I had not previously encountered these habits of mind. They all seem pretty relevant and reasonable, but I was intrigued by “optimism” making the list!

She also touched on a lot of interesting bits of history, including Thomas Edison, who invented the lightbulb, but his filaments only lasted a few days. His contemporary Lewis Latimer (a new name to me) was a key contributor to making lightbulbs accessible to the masses: he extended the longevity of light bulb filaments while working for a rival company, then was later hired by Edison, and he also helped with patent applications for Alexander Graham Bell.