Miguel Fernández y Fernández, engineer

Noticed his wife was livelier, more enthusiastic, more “tuned in,” happier; he even became a little worried — could there be someone else? Amid the doubts, he put his antennae up! But, since he noticed no abnormal sign of vanity, or suspicious attitudes — on the contrary, she was more homebound and even less “coquettish” — he became concerned. What could be happening? Outside the routine, there was only his stepdaughter, who lives and works abroad and had come to spend her

It was 1971 and São Paulo was full of bars with live music, the piano bars, closed venues, especially in the area called Bela Vista. Basically MPB, Bossa Nova, Jazz, Blues, and similar styles. I love live music, and that kind, so I went whenever I could. I clearly remember “Jogral” and “BalacoBaco”, one almost next to the other, on Avanhandava Street, at the corner with Augusta Street, the “Catedral do Samba” and the “Telecoteco na Paróquia”, known simply as Telecoteco, on Sa

Today I heard on the car radio that, starting June 27, 2019, supermarkets in the state of Rio de Janeiro will no longer be allowed to provide plastic bags (polyethylene) to customers, in the name of saving the planet. Those who insist or fail to comply will be fined R$34,000 (*1), said the JB radio announcer. It seems that in packaging for rice, beans, sugar, plastic bottles for soft drinks and bleach, yogurt cups, vacuum-sealed meat packages, this plastic can still be use

We met Renato in March 1966, as classmates at the National School of Engineering at Fundão. It was nearly 59 years of companionship. At the wake of his partner, engineer Mário Aurélio, I believe around 2010, Renato—without warning me, perhaps because I had been the class “valedictorian” at our graduation in 1970—true to his style, handed me the floor to speak, as an engineer, to the engineer who was leaving us. The surprise and the emotion choked my voice, and I FROZE. Tod

In Brazil, hostility toward smokers (of tobacco), drinkers, and carnivores, therefore toward normal people who enjoy life (hereafter SDEL), if I’m not mistaken, began around 1980, when those North American trends and woke agendas started arriving here more forcefully, with our “copycat monkeys” imitating everything that comes from abroad while claiming to defend national sovereignty. Encouragement of gyms, so-called healthy foods, anti-smoking campaigns, vegetarian restauran

Carlos fell in love with a woman who is politically his complete opposite. She fits into the predominant stance in her workplace. Or perhaps the workplace demands that stance. Cause or effect? No one knows. On the other hand, they are alike: brilliant, hardworking, used to giving orders and being obeyed. And experienced. Yesterday was Valentine’s Day 2024. He tells me that today he woke up around 8 a.m.; his partner had already left for work, carefully so as not to wake him.

In each of us, there is a little of our parents, grandparents, and ancestors. What is it like for a father, mother, or grandparent to see their child doing the same things they once did? The same silly mistakes, the same gestures, the same discoveries, the same joys and sorrows.It is both a pleasure and a concern. Sometimes it seems that children listen little to their parents, wanting to learn everything on their own. Sometimes, it seems they are just as we once were.

From the first time I heard the neologism “AI” as an abbreviation for “Artificial Intelligence,” it didn’t sit well with me. At first, it seemed like a translation mistake. Later, the term, probably of North American origin, was adopted worldwide. Since “artificial intelligence” is something that doesn’t exist and, God willing, never will, it was unclear what exactly people meant by it. It seems that the correct term would be “Intelligent Automatism – IA,” as some say, or “Co

I recognize that languages influence each other. I acknowledge that English has become the “Esperanto” of the financial market and international trade, and there’s no point debating it, besides using many abbreviated and practical words, such as A.S.A.P., OK, and “Help.” The same happens with new words, created and/or adapted to meet the demands of technological novelties, for example, “blog,” which comes from “web-log,” essentially a “public diary.” Would “record” be more

Water and sewage services need to be and can be self-sustainable, not least to avoid overloading the health sector, since they are...

It was January 2021, and the world seemed to be emerging from a semi-standstill that had begun in March 2020, caused by efforts to combat...

Seriously speaking, Roberto Carlos (1941, from Cachoeiro, Espírito Santo), and his constant partner, Erasmo Carlos (also from 1941, from...

ES - Engineering-Science Inc. was an American company (Pasadena?-CA) focused on consulting and project design, very active and important...

As a practicing engineer, with two sons who are active engineers and a grandson studying engineering, all, like me, at our beloved UFRJ,...

A recurring topic of conversation at bar tables and in homes is “What’s your earliest memory in life?” In one of these conversations,...

It was 1966, and Carlos, my high school classmate, had passed the entrance exam for engineering at his first choice. Needing to work to...

The civil engineer Cláudio Manfrini was the principal consultant in Water Treatment at Comasp (now Sabesp). It was no small feat; we were...

It was 2007, and QQ Construções, an excellent and traditional Brazilian construction company, aimed to win a contract for urban...

Open Letter to the Members of the Engineering Club and to Engineers in General 01_ It is well known that the Engineering Club, engineers,...

School of Engineering at UFRJ, 1969, 4th-year Civil class. There were many students from other states. I became friends with Manuel...