Top DE stories for 2011

Contrary to last year, 2011 saw readers gravitating to less sci-fi type stories and focusing on sedate content. Flying cars and Sonic Screwdrivers were out and replaced by terrestrial interests such as career, purely Earth-bound cars and super-strong materials. However, the year did offer the rare opportunity to pair the words “sexy” and “engineer” in the same sentence.

The following is the short list of the most read stories of the year in order of popularity:

Pin-up photo crashes U of Waterloo engineering team’s Formula SAE bid
The controversy over the University of Waterloo’s Engineering SAE racing team suspension after a bikini-clad team member posed for racy photo was by far the most read Design Engineering story of 2011. Although the photo was taken as part of an entry for a cancer charity calendar, the university’s heavy-handed reaction to the young woman’s image brought it the very attention it hoped to avoid.
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Super strong steel in 10 seconds
Detroit entrepreneur Gary Cola’s super-fast, super-strong steel tempering technique received scientific validation by Ohio University metallurgists. In their rigorous study of the process, the university researchers commented that the process imparted seemingly “impossible” strength, elongation and ductility properties.
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Is Canada experiencing an engineering labour shortage?
Contrary to some employers’ perception, a labour study conducted by Engineers Canada predicted that the profession is and will see a significant shortage of experienced candidates in most sectors in both the short and long term.
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Canadian prototype vehicle gets 2,564 mpg
Quebec’s Universite Laval defended its title at Shell Eco-marathon Americas in Texas for third consecutive year. Designed without the benefit of a wind tunnel and manufactured by a local canoe builder, the team’s streamline prototype traveled the equivalent of 100 kilometers on three ounces of gasoline.
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Canadian Supercar sneak peak
In February of 2011, Vancouver’s de Macross Motors Corp and Markham, Ontario-based automotive supplier Multimatics unveiled the Canadian engineered and built de Macross GT1 prototype. The super car boasts 840 horsepower, a carbon fiber chassis and a million dollar price tag.
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