You know, for the kids! And the future.

September 21, 2015 10:33 AM

STEM education meets Guinness Book of World Records with world's largest bridge built from toy construction set 'A lot of engineers have probably grown to like engineering through playing with toys like Meccano.'
posted by Michele in California (15 comments total)

But it's not a kit with instructions - - how did they ever figure it out?!?
posted by fairmettle at 10:43 AM on September 21, 2015

He told onlookers taxpayers had helped fund the construction.
The academic added: 'What you are investing in is the future of our society, without education, without training young people, without exploiting their talents we simply will not have the structures that we have.

I'm pretty thrilled that he pointed this out. Yeah, you paid for it, but you can't have an educated populace without some investment.
posted by el io at 10:44 AM on September 21, 2015 [1 favorite]

Half of me says "cool", the other half of me says "so a bunch of third year college students just spent a substantial amount of time joining seventy thousand attachment points... aside from the ability to do mindless work, what does this prove?"
posted by straw at 10:45 AM on September 21, 2015

Now build the world's largest toy out of actual construction materials!
posted by XMLicious at 10:57 AM on September 21, 2015

what does this prove?

Engineering undergrads have time to kill and can be organized to do any crazy tasks sort of like cartoon minions.
posted by GuyZero at 11:10 AM on September 21, 2015 [2 favorites]

so a bunch of third year college students just spent a substantial amount of time joining seventy thousand attachment points... aside from the ability to do mindless work, what does this prove?

Yeah, it's like that kid who "made" a "clock", only he didn't really "make" anything, and it wasn't really a "clock".

Non-snarky answer: this is how people learn stuff. A bunch of college kids learned enough about physics, mechanics, strength of materials, construction techniques, etc. to be able to actually construct an actual bridge that actually supported a person's weight. Far from mindless work.
posted by disconnect at 11:10 AM on September 21, 2015 [3 favorites]

I'm guessing they had to do the calculations so the whole thing wouldn't collapse, and learn the basics and practical aspects of stuff like tensile strength and weight distribution as the project went along.
posted by lmfsilva at 11:37 AM on September 21, 2015 [1 favorite]

Half of me says "cool", the other half of me says "so a bunch of third year college students just spent a substantial amount of time joining seventy thousand attachment points... aside from the ability to do mindless work, what does this prove?"

INVOICE.

Chalk mark on blackboard: $5
Knowing where to put the chalk mark on the blackboard: $4995
----
Total now due: $5000.
posted by eriko at 11:38 AM on September 21, 2015 [3 favorites]

Also design, project management and group work. Key components of the UK engineering council spec for accreditation of UG engineering courses so that their grads can go on to become chartered engineers.
posted by biffa at 11:39 AM on September 21, 2015 [1 favorite]

I like how plucky professor Whitaker bravely strode across the world record breaking structure built by engineering students in Belfast whilst wearing a harness suspended from a crane. Way to have faith in your people Doc. Didn't the third year students do a little finite element analysis before they had their school children laborers assemble the bridge?

I'm just bitter because I built electronic projects and had an Erector set as a kid but you never see me mentioned in the Daily Fail.
posted by Rob Rockets at 11:52 AM on September 21, 2015 [1 favorite]

Surprisingly little hard science available on-line concerning this so-called engineering project. I'll be waiting for in-depth coverage in ASME magazine.
posted by Captain Chesapeake at 12:40 PM on September 21, 2015

I like how plucky professor Whitaker bravely strode across the world record breaking structure built by engineering students in Belfast whilst wearing a harness suspended from a crane.

Let's not forget the raging chasm of Clarendon Dock, where the major hazard, as far as I can tell, is the likelihood that some quantity of the water consists of used lager.
posted by Halloween Jack at 1:00 PM on September 21, 2015

Belfast whilst wearing a harness suspended from a crane

...snarked like someone who's never had to face an OSHA inspector.
posted by aramaic at 1:11 PM on September 21, 2015 [2 favorites]

Well done to all involved for breaking the record.

James May crossing his Meccano bridge.

“Meccano” [Hulu]—James May's Toy Stories, 10 November 2009
posted by ob1quixote at 7:19 PM on September 21, 2015 [1 favorite]

I like how plucky professor Whitaker bravely strode across the world record breaking structure built by engineering students in Belfast whilst wearing a harness suspended from a crane.
Not everyone can be as brave as those Dutch people testing the brakes of a Leopard tank (probably faked though).
posted by elgilito at 1:03 AM on September 22, 2015