Engineering
The engineer is the how-to-do-it man. This technical man of action comes in many varieties—mechanical, electrical, metallurgical, ceramic, industrial, civil, instrument, and chemical, to name a few.
In the field of nuclear energy, the mechanical engineer shoulders the responsibility for designing, supervising construction, and guiding the functions of the giant accelerators, nuclear reactors, atomic-propulsion plants, space-ship engines, and other mechanical equipment that must be constantly devised, improved, constructed, and redesigned.
The electrical engineer devises the intricate circuits that keep the vast equipment working smoothly, works out complex controls for instrumentations, eliminates malfunctions, and formulates electrical processes for new installations and devices.
Metallurgical and ceramic engineers test and evaluate the strength, durability, and other characteristics of materials to be used in the fabrication of equipment, and they produce new materials for specific jobs. For instance, a metallurgical engineer might produce a space-ship shell that meets the requirements of (1) minimum weight, (2) maximum shielding from radiation, and (3) high strength. He may analyze various materials for use in atomic reactors, nuclear submarines, or medical treatment rooms where radioactivity is used. The ceramic engineer tackles similar problems, working with ceramic products rather than metals.
The industrial engineer is concerned with the efficient use of machines, materials, and men in production.
The civil engineer takes the plans of the atomic plant and designs buildings and facilities for particular processes.
The instrument engineer examines a job to be done and then designs the instrumentation to do it. He must understand what happens when his instrumentation is integrated into an entire system of production and control. For instance, the engineer who develops an instrument to be used in a gaseous-diffusion plant for the separation of uranium isotopes must understand the entire process of uranium separation.
The chemical engineer works closely with the chemist. If the latter develops a new plastic, the engineer decides whether to put it into large-scale production and, if so, how.