Are You Flourishing?

The Greeks had a word for it: Aristotle thought of flourishing as a synonym for happiness — eudaimonia, combining well-being or abundance and the control of individual destiny.

Outlook 2012

As in past years, Today's Engineer provides an outlook in eight areas of significant importance to the U.S. endeavor: technology, energy, climate change, work force, employment benefits, immigration, infrastructure and the economy.

IEEE Global Humanitarian Technology Conference

In late October, participants from all over the world gathered at the inaugural IEEE Global Humanitarian Technology Conference to present and discuss solutions for present and future humanitarian needs. George McClure recaps some of the conference highlights.

Twenty Years of Pension "Improvements"

The traditional defined benefit pension served as the gold standard for retirement security, where the employer took the risk in delivering the promised benefit. But over the past two decades, many firms have turned the risk over to the employees.

Region 3's Jobs Board: Fighting Engineering Unemployment

Unemployment in the United States is at its highest levels since the Bureau of Labor Statistics began tracking it in 1948. To aid unemployed IEEE members in finding jobs, Region 3 has set up a Jobs Board — a network of Employment Assistance Coordinators (EAC) — with the goal of establishing EACs in each of the Region’s 41 Sections.

How Safe Are We in Air Travel?

Two recent hearings by the House Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee on National Security, Homeland Defense and Foreign Operations explored the current state of air travel safety. The first hearing, held on 16 March, entitled, "TSA Oversight Part 1: Whole Body Imaging" examined issues associated with the use of imaging technology, including effectiveness, privacy concerns, and health risks. The second hearing, “Airport Perimeter Security,” on 13 July, investigated the security of U.S. airports’ physical boundaries.

Impasse Over Yucca Mountain

To reduce its dependence on foreign fossil fuel, the United States is considering applications for more nuclear power plants, but has not come up with a permanent solution for storage of spent nuclear fuel. And now, DOE has announced plans to scrap the Yucca Mountain disposal site, which had been slated to open for storage in 2020.

Book Review: This Time Is Different — Eight Centuries of Financial Folly

Recessions may differ in depth and length, but a recent book by Carmen N. Reinhart and Kenneth S. Rogoff finds no significant difference in eight centuries of financial folly. In each case, however, those engaged were able to convince themselves that their situation was unique.

Urgent Retirement Planning for Boomers

The financial press is reporting that consumer debt is down, based in part on Baby Boomers who have realized that they need to step up savings as retirement looms. The first wave of Baby Boomers reach age 65 this year. Over the next 18 years, 78 million of them will reach that age. The last wave still has time to tweak their retirement plans.

Energy Conservation: Past & Future

The history of initiatives to conserve energy use is as long as the history of energy use itself. Humans have always attempted to do more with less. But it was not until the energy crises of the 1970s that the desire to conserve became great enough to infiltrate federal-level policy. Where do we stand today, and what can we do in our own homes to help?