[dolanbaker]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Newfie', 'Y')eah, really. If you look real close you can see they are all driving backwards!

[vtsnowedin]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('dolanbaker', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Newfie', 'Y')eah, really. If you look real close you can see they are all driving backwards!

[Newfie]

And now this: brand new San Fran transit center closed over a “cracker beam.”

Found by some guys putting up ceiling tiles. Someone buy that guy a beer or 72.

https://www.npr.org/2018/09/26/65174924 ... acked-beam

[jedrider]

Isn't a building about to fall over onto the transit center? I'm glad they are being circumspect about any issues.

Or this, glaring neglect of engineering protocol:

https://www.nace.org/CORROSION-FAILURES-San-Francisco-Bay-Bridge-Bolt-Failure.aspx

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'T')he Caltrans mistakes made headlines. In a televised interview that aired nationwide, a UC Berkley materials science and engineering professor bluntly criticized Caltrans for generalizing engineering knowledge required for the bridge work, and not employing metallurgical and corrosion expertise. Many others agreed, noting the corrosion occurred quickly making the problem, and public safety risk evident before the bridge was completed which gave Caltrans time to make sufficient repairs. In this case, Caltrans did have a written corrosion plan, but executed it without qualified personnel.

[jedrider]

The construction of San Francisco's Trans Bay Terminal is being blamed for the sinking and tilting of the next door Millennium Towers.

As Millennium Tower sinks, legal fees keep on rising
https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/matier-ross/article/Matier-Ross-Legal-fees-for-SF-rising-in-the-13257864.php

My neighbor just dug up her entire hill to build a three-story house. My back yard was sinking about a quarter-to-half inch as I can tell from the shed that is on that side of the property. Glad my house is not near that side. Now there is a huge retaining wall, so I don't expect anymore sinking.

That is interesting and I am curious in that how that works out when adjacent properties disturb the land sufficient to cause trouble to neighbors. Sometimes, it takes years for the results to be apparent. This type of situation is happening all over where I live as property prices have soared and everyone wants to dig out their entire hill to build upon.

[Tanada]

A lot of the land in San Fransisco CA is actually fill dumped on the swamp. This makes it incredibly apt to subside during neighboring excavation and subject to liquifaction in and sustained period of earth tremors.

https://www.sfgate.com/science/article/ ... 330101.php

[vtsnowedin]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Tanada', 'A') lot f the land n San Fransisca CA is actually fill dumped on the swamp. This makes it incredibly apt to subside during neighboring excavation and subject to liquifaction in and sustained period of earth tremors.

https://www.sfgate.com/science/article/ ... 330101.php

[jedrider]

This is an interesting aside to building for longevity:

Ancient Roman concrete has lasted for centuries. Ours? Not so much.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/ancient-roman-concrete-has-lasted-for-centuries-ours-not-so-much/2018/05/14/97927e00-5770-11e8-858f-12becb4d6067_story.html?utm_term=.56ace5a22a01&wpisrc=nl_sb_smartbrief

[Newfie]

Pay wall damnit!

[vtsnowedin]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('jedrider', 'T')his is an interesting aside to building for longevity:

Ancient Roman concrete has lasted for centuries. Ours? Not so much.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/ancient-roman-concrete-has-lasted-for-centuries-ours-not-so-much/2018/05/14/97927e00-5770-11e8-858f-12becb4d6067_story.html?utm_term=.56ace5a22a01&wpisrc=nl_sb_smartbrief

[jedrider]

The Consequences of Incompetence

MCM, the contractor behind FIU bridge that collapsed, files for bankruptcy protection
https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/article227009999.html

Many other instances of incompetence needs their comeuppance IMO.

[jedrider]

Jury Still Out on This: Maybe, Monumental Incompetence.

FIGG Bridge Group, firm that designed FIU bridge, promised it was safe (on same day as collapse).
https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/article230079344.html

[EnergyUnlimited]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('jedrider', 'J')ury Still Out on This: Maybe, Monumental Incompetence.

FIGG Bridge Group, firm that designed FIU bridge, promised it was safe (on same day as collapse).
https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/article230079344.html

[Newfie]

I would say it’s more that the focus has moved from “doing” to “manipulating” rather than on being PC, but that’s a minor point. I totally agree with your major assertion that we lack practical engineering or even analytic skills. Take a look at the recent Navy destroyer collisions, a total lack of fundamental common sense, to the point of self preservation being at jeopardy. It’s extremely clear in those 3 instances.

[EnergyUnlimited]

Yes, whatever the reason, skills in STEM are going down in alarming way.
Here in Poland graduate chemists are usually not fit to work safely and productively in the lab even with common chemicals like sulfuric acid or sodium and even PhD-s are struggling.
30 years ago such peoples would be simply thrown out of University rather than graduated.
While advising a small custom research firm run by my friend I am often reading scientific papers in respected journals dealing with organic chemistry area, the field which I am expert in and it is more and more frequent that I find an utter nonsense published.
Someone have done work without understanding what s/he was doing, someone supervised it, it was peer revieved and then silliness was published. In the past it was also happening but excedingly rare and now it is getting more common.
It just looks like quality of science goes down the drain.
Should this trend continue the very reliability of science will go under question.
It is all very depressing and looks like *collapse by idiocracy*.
Sometimes I do wonder if this ever expanding stupidity is by deliberate design of evil elites or someone alike or maybe is it some sort of Nature's regulating mechanism meant to bring back population to balance with long term carrying capacity of the planet?
That would work by making us stupid first (what can already be seen everywhere) and then incapable to run life supporting technology to the effect of massive dieoff in latter stages.

BTW,
I have red article what went wrong with F-35 fighter.
https://medium.com/war-is-boring/the-f- ... e36763574b
I am not sure if an author is not a bit malicious, but he seems to be rather competent.
It doesn't really look reassuring at all and suggests troubling decay of engineering skills and also project management skills. Just decay of intellectual capacity.
Worth reading.

[yellowcanoe]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('EnergyUnlimited', 'Y')es, whatever the reason, skills in STEM are going down in alarming way.
Here in Poland graduate chemists are usually not fit to work safely and productively in the lab even with common chemicals like sulfuric acid or sodium and even PhD-s are struggling.

[Newfie]

Some time ago I read a book that may explain it.

Phase 1 the culture/country develops some expertise and excellence at it, they become a dominant force due to their mastery.

Phase 2 the culture becomes rich and develops an elaborate financial system. Emphasis moves from “doing” to financial manipulation while the commoner becomes used to his relative luxury.

Phase 3 the “edge” is lost to competing countries and there is a relative collapse back to average standard of wealth. Until a new innovator emerges.

We are Phase 2-3. But this time it’s world wide.

[EnergyUnlimited]

Newfie,
So now you have $100 question:
To whom we will loose, if phenomenon is world wide?

[Newfie]

We will all loose this time.

Not that it will be a sharp steady decline, there will be bumps and downs. Maybe some periods of relative stability.

2¢

[Outcast_Searcher]

Is it just me, or does anyone find it ironic that "loose" is being repeatedly used instead of "lose" here, to discuss declining education standards?

Not to pick on these folks, but this example reminded me of a trend I've noticed a LOT over the past 20 years or so. The wrong word is used. Words that sound similar are often substituted. Or the same word with a different spelling and a different meaning is used. And this is across education levels, by context of the writing. Even including supposedly professional journalism in supposedly highly respected periodicals.

And I keep wondering, do peoples' English papers get corrected any more? Or are the standards so low that writing anything, even if it's wrong, is just fine? In high school and college, I got beaten up, even in subjects like art, history, and philosophy, for misspellings.

And I know this is the internet and typos occur -- I'm talking about where something like this occurs and is repeated enough to make it clear that the issue isn't a typo.

Cashiers often can't make change, as they don't know how to subtract, or that subtraction is the correct operation to compute the change. (Becoming less noticeable as we move away from cash). I think this is a general educational level decline -- not just STEM).