Critical Thinking.docx

Engineering Perspective: Importance of Critical Thinking in the Development of the Society Reflection by Louie C. Juera Introduction Critical thinking outdoes the constraints of the problem. In answering problems using critical thinking, always follow the concept of reading between the lines. The exercise on the border and the four letters taught me to go beyond what my previous knowledge dictated. My decision for choosing a letter as an answer was based on my knowledge about lines, curves, and areas between the lines. However, these concepts had been in my mind for decades. Thus, it hindered my ability to think critically. One must empty his previous knowledge to obtain wisdom. Development in Electronics Engineering In this era, technology evolves as the speed of light. Computers from about 20 years ago are only available in universities for researches. The early computing machine like what Alan Turing invented to decipher the Nazi's code had big dimensions and cannot be put at the top of the table. However, with the advent of today's technology, computing capabilities can even be done in a laptop. One of the reasons for this development is the evolution of electronic semiconductor devices. Decades ago, a transistor can be as big as mineral water dispenser with a gallon of water. In the present, millions of transistors are already embedded in an integrated circuit (IC). This leads to the development of programmable integrated circuits (PIC), microcontrollers, and microprocessors. These devices are used in home automation, surveillance and security, manufacturing industries, and even in space explorations. These technological innovations aim to help humanity. Engineering and Society

When I a student in engineering, I always remembered a line from the book in Control Systems that differentiate engineers and scientists. It stated that engineers describe the physical world mathematically so that we can create a system that will benefit humanity. This principle was inculcated in my mind as my engineering philosophy. Inventing something to help mankind. As a university engineering instructor, I always encourage my students to design a project not focusing on the level of technology being implemented in the project but the impact of the project on the society. My advice was not fallen on deaf ears. One of my students, a resident of a subdivision in Davao City, suffered from late announcements of overflooding of Davao River. Thus, their furniture and appliances were not evacuated ahead of time. Hence, they decided to develop a system that will monitor the river and transmits the real-time water level in their devices at home. The design will be implemented using a microcontroller Arduino and the signal will be transmitted using radio frequency (RF). The design of the system can already be found on the internet. However, only a few of those prototypes was implemented in the community. Critical Thinking in Engineering During my engineering student days, we were trained to analyze problems systematically and solve mathematically. In simple mathematical problems, if you knew the formula and simply substitute the values you can get the correct answer without thinking deeply. Even in board examinations, you might get the answer just by applying simple arithmetic to the given. The learning is so procedural without challenging the assumptions. Engineers should include critical thinking in our arsenal. I believe that famous engineers and scientist had an advanced critical thinking skill. When Thomas Edison was applauded for his patience in inventing the light bulb after about a thousand failed attempts, he said to also found a thousand ways not to light the bulb. In addition, when the everybody in the scientific community believes in the Newtonian theory of understanding the gravity, Albert Einstein

theorized the concept of General Relativity. Other scientists believed that object is pulled by the gravity in a straight line, like an apple that will fall on your head. However, Einstein’s theory shows that an object with a heavy mass will create a dent in space, thus, creating gravity. This explains why the planets remained in their planes, and the moon remains in earth’s orbit. When the majority believes in something, people with critical thinking skills think differently. Conclusion The contributions of Edison's inventions and Einstein's theories are only a few of other thousands of scientists. These help humanity to live life to the fullest and have a better understanding of the world where we live in. I believe, these things will not be possible if they did have critical thinking skills. Finally, I believed that critical thinking should be developed as a skill. This will help people find other solutions (not the obvious) to a problem in the society that might be more efficient and sustainable. Recommendation The schools should include critical thinking in their curriculum.