Ad Hoc Engineering

The practice of designing and building solutions for specific, often temporary situations—engineering without the luxury of planning, testing, or mass production. Ad hoc engineering is what happens in emergencies, in remote locations, in startup offices, in any situation where you need something to work now and can't wait for proper engineering. It's the art of the temporary fix, the makeshift solution, the structure that only needs to stand for a while. Ad hoc engineering is despised by professional engineers (who value reliability) and beloved by everyone else (who value results). It's engineering for the real world, where most problems are unique and most solutions are temporary.

Example: "She practiced ad hoc engineering in her apartment, building a bookshelf from cinder blocks and planks, a desk from a door and sawhorses, a headboard from an old fence. Nothing would survive a move; everything worked perfectly here. Ad hoc engineering wasn't permanent, but it was home."

by Dumu The Void February 17, 2026

Locomotive Engineer

The operator of a diesel train. He manipulates the controller to make the train start and stop in response to the Conductor's direction. He is subservient to the Conductor and a member of a train crew. He is certified in the physical characteristics of his railroad, the operating rules, and train handling, and well-versed in emergency protocols.

The locomotive engineer dumped the train when a bicyclist rode in front of his train in the grade crossing.

by ColNugget February 28, 2026

Philosophy of Engineering

The philosophical examination of engineering practice—its methods, values, assumptions, and implications. Philosophy of Engineering asks: What is engineering? How is it different from science? What kind of knowledge do engineers use (design knowledge, tacit knowledge, practical wisdom)? What values shape engineering (efficiency, safety, sustainability)? What are the ethical responsibilities of engineers? Philosophy of Engineering recognizes that engineering isn't just applied science—it's its own way of knowing and making, with its own philosophy.

"Science discovers what is; engineering creates what could be. Philosophy of Engineering asks: how do engineers know what could be? What counts as a good design? How do values shape technical choices? Engineering isn't just problem-solving—it's world-making, and philosophy helps us understand what kind of world we're making."

by Dumu The Void March 2, 2026

Metaphilosophy of Engineering

The philosophical examination of how we study engineering philosophically. It asks: What are the methods of philosophy of engineering? How does it relate to philosophy of science, technology, ethics? Is it making progress? What counts as a good philosophical account of engineering? How does philosophy of engineering engage with actual engineering practice? Metaphilosophy of Engineering keeps the philosophy of engineering from becoming abstract by forcing it to stay connected to what engineers actually do.

"Your philosophy of engineering is very theoretical. Metaphilosophy of engineering asks: does it connect to how engineers actually work? Does it help with real design problems? If not, it might be philosophy about engineering, not philosophy of engineering. The difference matters."

by Dumu The Void March 2, 2026

Social Sciences of Engineering

The empirical study of engineering as a social activity—how engineers work, how design happens, how values shape technology, how engineering communities function. Social Sciences of Engineering examines engineering education, professional norms, design practices, and the social impacts of engineering decisions. It reveals that engineering isn't just technical problem-solving—it's social practice with social consequences.

"Engineering is just applied science, they say. Social sciences of engineering asks: then why do engineers rely so much on tacit knowledge? Why do designs reflect cultural values? Why do some technologies fail socially even when they work technically? Engineering is human, and social science shows how."

by Dumu The Void March 2, 2026

Critical Theory of Engineering

The application of Critical Theory to engineering practice—examining how engineering is shaped by social forces, how it embeds values and power relations, and how it might serve liberation rather than domination. Critical Theory of Engineering asks: Who benefits from engineering projects? Whose needs are prioritized? How do engineering designs reflect and reinforce social hierarchies? What would engineering look like if it prioritized human flourishing over efficiency, profit, or control? Drawing on critical technology studies, it insists that engineering is never just technical—it's social, political, ethical. Understanding engineering requires understanding the society that shapes it—and imagining engineering otherwise requires imagining society otherwise.

"Engineering is just problem-solving, they say. Critical Theory of Engineering asks: solving whose problems? For whose benefit? The bridge connects some communities while displacing others; the algorithm optimizes for profit while reinforcing bias. Engineering isn't neutral; it's politics made concrete. Critical theory insists on asking: what values are built into the design? Who pays, who benefits, who's harmed? Engineering can serve liberation, but only if engineers ask those questions."

by Abzugal Nammugal Enkigal March 4, 2026