Engine - Englisch für Ingenieure Magazin No 04 2008

MINING

Miners of the Future

E N G L I S C H F Ü R I N G E N I E U R E€ 8,70

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Nr. 4 / Dezember 2008

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Ständig werden wir von Fachbegriffen überfl utet. In diesen handlichen Fach-wörterbüchern fi nden Sie die gängige Terminologie aus den Bereichen Luftfahrt und KFZ-Technik. Und: Die Büchlein passen garantiert in jeden Blaumann!

vor kurzem erreichte uns eine Pressemit-teilung mit einer Hiobsbotschaft: Das Wort „Ingenieur“ wird in den kommenden Jahren aus dem deutschen Sprachgebrauch ver-schwinden! Dieser Meinung ist zumindest Dr. Ing. Norbert Gebbeken, der 2. Vizepräsident der Bayerischen Ingenieurekammer-Bau. Vor Schreck haben wir als erste Gegenmaßnah-me deshalb unsere gewohnte Grußformel „Dear enGineer“ diesmal spontan in „Lieber InGenieur“ geändert.

Beim weiteren Lesen der Meldung legt sich jedoch meine Panik ein wenig. Es geht Geb-beken weniger um linguistische Feinheiten als um die Qualitätsprobleme bei der bis 2010 angestrebten Umstellung von Diplom-Stu-diengängen auf die international üblichen Bachelor und Master-Abschlüsse.

Dennoch stimmt Gebbekens These nach-denklich. Wird in Zukunft in Stellenausschrei-bungen nicht mehr nach Diplom-Ingenieuren sondern nach Masters of engineering gesucht werden? Oder nach jemandem mit einem „Master-Abschluss in Ingenieurwissenschaft mit Fachrichtung Maschinenbau“? Ein Blick in die Stellenausschreibungen der VDI-Nach-richten ist beruhigend, hier wird nach wie vor ausnahmslos nach Ingenieuren gesucht. Und das wird sicher auch in fünf Jahren noch so sein, wenn die letzten echten Diplom-In-genieure mit den Bachelors und Masters of engineering um Stellen kämpfen werden. Der deutsche Ingenieur ist einfach ein eingeführ-ter Begriff, eine zu starke Wortmarke.

Doch gerade um den Inhalt dieser Mar-ke, ihren internationalen Wert macht sich Gebbeken Sorge. Verschulung, internationale

Vereinheitlichung und das Turbostudium oder „Bulimielernen“, wie Gebbeken es nennt, führe zu einem Qualitätsverlust. Über die Vor- und Nachteile eines Bildungssystems ließ sich schon immer trefflich streiten. Es ist und bleibt jedoch nur ein System, eine Hülle. Die Qualität jedoch machen allein die Inhalte aus, die vermittelt werden, das Wissen, das dahinter steckt. Daher müssen wir auch in Zukunft bei der Forschung ganz vorne mit dabei sein, beständig für die Lösung der Pro-bleme dieser Welt relevantes Wissen schaffen und dies attraktiv vermitteln. Dann, und da bin ich sicher, wird der deutsche Ingenieur auch weiterhin weltweit ein Qualitätsbegriff bleiben, egal ob nun Bachelor, Master oder Diplom auf dem Abschluss steht. Und ich darf Sie weiterhin getrost mit „Dear enGineer“ begrüßen.

P.S.: Für alle Bachelors, Masters, Diplom-In-genieure, Techniker und Technikinteressierte haben wir natürlich auch diesmal wieder viel spannende Themen: Ferngesteuerte Tagebau-minen, sehr mobile Teleskope, eine neue Spü-lung für den Klosterberg, natürliche Baupläne und eine fliegende Brücke. Dazu Tipps zum Verfassen eines Lebenslaufs und die richtige Körpersprache. Damit werden Sie zumindest zum Master of English.

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1 Titelbild: Rio Tinto

Matthias Meier, [email protected]

Lieber InGenieur,

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Nr. 4 – Dezember 20082

Magazine

Editorial 1

News & Trends 4

Interview 6Matthew R. Simmons

Gewinnspiel 13

Leeside of Business 55

Gelesen & Gehört 56

Vorschau 63

Impressum 63

The Last Straw 64

Features

Mining 8Miners of the Future

Astronomy 14Telescopes on Tour

In Short 26How to Own a

Power Plant

Hydraulic Engineering 28Digging Out the Rock

Biomimetics 38Lifting Nature‘s

Blueprint

Mit seinen 64 mobilen Antennen wird das Atacama Large Millimetre/Submillimetre

Array (ALMA) einen völlig neuen Blick auf das Universum ermöglichen. 14

Auf den ersten Blick sieht Pit A in Australiens Pilbara aus wie jede andere Erz-Mine. Doch alle Bagger, Erz-Laster und Züge werden von einer

Leitzentrale ferngesteuert. 8

� www.engine-magazin.de

Technology

Technical Dictionary 18Process Technology

Pictorial 22Pumps

Basics 24Information Design

History 58Berlin Airlift

History Audio File 62Interchangeable Parts

Worldwide

Cross Culture Check 31India

Business Partner 32Singapore

Thema 34Geschäftsreisen & Urlaub

Kultursprung 36Ägypten

Language

Vocabulary 41

Grammar Review 42 Gerund

False Friends 45

Advanced Learners 46Curriculum Vitae

Business 48Body Language

Phrases 50

Crossword 51

On the Move 52Losing Documents

Mit seinen 64 mobilen Antennen wird das Atacama Large Millimetre/Submillimetre

Array (ALMA) einen völlig neuen Blick auf das Universum ermöglichen. 14

Immer häufiger schauen sich Ingenieure den Bauplan der Natur an, um Lösungen zu finden.

Schließlich hatte die Natur lange Zeit ihre Konstruktionen zu perfektionieren. 38

Vor sechzig Jahren hat die Blockade der Sowjetunion Berlin beinahe in die Knie

gezwungen. Doch durch die Luftbrücke konnte die Stadt am Leben erhalten werden. 58

Der Mont Saint Michel droht zu verlanden. Mit Hilfe eines neuen Damms soll ein Fluss

die Bucht freispülen und den Fels wieder zur Insel machen. 28

Bilder v.l.n.r.: Rio Tinto, ESO, Syndicat mixte Baie du Mont Saint Michel, M. Vallins, Fraport

News & Trends

bold mutig, frechbovine • Rinder-bulb Lampe, Birnecarriage • Kutschechallenge • Herausforderungconductive leitfähigdepict, to • beschreiben, darstellendescend, to herunterkommendevice Gerät, Apparatdrag, to schleifen, nachschleppenemploy, to anwenden, verwendenenvironment Umgebung, Umfeldenvision, to • sich ausmalenequip, to ausstatten, ausrüstengap Lücke, Klufthandy praktisch, handlichhaptic • haptisch, den Tastsinn

betreffendhassle Ärger, Schwierigkeitenhostile • feindlichimpede, to • hemmen, verhindernpalpate, to • abtasten, befühlenpod Halter, Hülsepollution Verschmutzungportability Tragbarkeitpredict, to voraussagenprogress Fortschrittreconnaissance • Aufklärung, Erkundungrectal rektalrelegate, to • verbannen, verweisenreproductive tract Fortpflanzungsapparatresurface, to die Straßendecke erneuernscout Aufklärer, Späherspoil, to verderben, zerstörenspoke Speichestill Standbildthrust, to schieben, hauentinted getönttrade fair Messetrailer Anhängerversatile • vielseitigvet Tierarzt

Bild: MDI

Bild: 3M

Bild: Mazda

A Handy Projector

Until now, projection technology has remained relegated to conference rooms. A new projector is about to change that. Bridging the gap between portability and practicality, 3M is introducing the MPro110, a handheld digital projector designed for business, entertainment and versatile field applications.

Employing advanced optical technology, the MPro110 weighs less than a pound and is roughly the size of a digital camera. When at-tached to a video capable device such as a laptop computer, DVD or MP3 player or a handheld video game, the device projects up to a 50-inch still or video with true VGA resolution. Each unit uses an ad-vanced liquid crystal on silicon (LCOS) electronic imager. An LED light source guarantees an unusually quiet operation with no need for the hassle of replacing bulbs. www.3m.ca/mpro

A Pod of Air

Using compressed air as a pollution free energy source for powering a vehicle is old hat. But surely it never looked as good as MDI’s Air Pod. What looks like a horse trailer for ponies is in fact a small car for three passengers – a driver in the front and two passengers in the rear sitting back to back. The pod is powered by a compressed-air engine capable of producing up to four Kilowatts at a pressure of 18 bar. According to inventor Guy Negre, the pod is capable of reaching a maximum speed of 70 km/h, which must be quite an experience with nothing in between the driver’s seat and the road than a thin, tinted windscreen.

Although the car might be useful in certain areas like airports or trade fairs, a widespread use in cities seems doubtful, especially since com-pressed air is industry-wide considered as one of the most ‘expensive’ sources of energy. Nonetheless, the Air Pod’s bold design is surely an eye-catcher. www.mdi.lu


to put a spoke in the wheel = to spoil the fun, to impede progressThe expression goes back to the sixteenth century when carriages were the chief means of transport. When descending a steep hill, it was common to thrust an extra spoke or bar between the spokes or wheel so that that wheel would drag and serve as a brake. This would prevent the carriage from getting out of control.

catch phrase* *

Throw-in Spy

The Recon Scout IR reconnaissance robot is a mobile robot with the capability of seeing in complete darkness. It allows the military and police to gain inside knowledge about danger-ous and hostile environments before sending in their personnel. They can simply throw the Recon Scout IR through a window or doorway, or over a wall, then use the handheld Opera-tor Control Unit to move the robot through the dark environment. Equipped with a black-and-white image sensor, it can transmit a 360-degree scan of a room in less than five seconds. Its IR illuminator clearly defines objects up to 25 feet away. Powered by two motors, the scout robot weighs just 550 grams and is only 19 centime-tres long. www.reconrobotics.com

Bild: Reconrobotics

No Spoke in the Wheel

The LA Autoshow Design Challenge asked nine of Southern California’s automotive design studios to form their vision of the future by depicting a motor sports vehicle that predicts how auto racing will change by the year 2025. The Mazda Kaan was chosen as a winner for how well it integrated a high level of innovation and technology into the design, as well as its truly unique styling. The Kaan is an electric race car that has a patented electronic tire system enabeling it to reach 250 mph with no harmful emissions. The designers envision that by 2025 California freeways will have been resurfaced with a sub-level electro-conductive polymer that pow-ers the electric cars of the modern world. The car is uniquely designed around its powerful electric wheels while the cockpit acts as a capsule to safely house the driver. www.LAAutoShow.com/DesignChallenge.html

Bild: Virtalis

Bild: Mazda

Computer CowA Haptic Cow al-lows trainee vets to carry out virtual rectal examinations on a model instead of a real animal. Haptic force feedback tech-nology has been used to create a virtual bo-vine reproductive tract, positioned inside a fibreglass model of the rear half of a cow. At the heart of the trainer is a haptic device which makes it possible for users to touch and palpate virtual objects. In addition, because the cow’s organs are visible on the computer monitor, the instructor can see exactly what the student is doing and direct the movements – something that is very difficult with a real cow. “We’ve found that, once the initial “you must be joking” reaction is over, the students are instantly won over by the system,” says Jon Huxley, Associate Professor of Farm Animal Medi-cine at The University of Nottingham. www.virtalis.com

www.engine-magazin.de �

Twilight at the Pump

Matthew R. Simmons is chairman of a specialized energy investment banking firm and member of the National Petroleum Council. He talks about the coming Saudi oil shock and the World economy.

Matthew Simmons ist Vorsitzender einer auf Energie spezialisierten Investmentfirma und Mitglied im National Petroleum Council. Er spricht über den bevorste-henden Ölschock in Saudi-Arabien und seine Auswir-kungen auf die Weltwirtschaft.

Interview

Bild

: Sie

men

s

Worldwide, we are now consuming around 88 million barrels of oil per day. Do we know how long our reserves will last?No, we don’t have a clue. We don’t know how much oil is in a field until it comes to a halt. Look at Prudhoe Bay in Alaska. When it was discovered, estimates said that the field had 25 billion barrels of reserves. But in reality, Prud-hoe Bay produced 1.5 million barrels a day for almost 11 years – or around six billion barrels. Today, the field produces only about 200,000 barrels a day.

Is Prudhoe a typical example?Yes. Many oil fields are coming to the end of their useful lives. We have an increasing number of Prudhoe Bays.

Surely there are a few untapped fields…There could be. There’s an exciting develop-ment offshore from Brazil called the Santos Basin. In very deep water they’ve discovered a series of seemingly huge structures. But they estimate that it will take until 2020 to 2025 before they really know what’s out there. Estimates for the single largest structure run from 1.5 billion barrels to 33 billion. That indicates how fuzzy the science is.

Are we powering the world economy on fuzzy science?It’s as if we had gotten everyone on Earth into a plane, gone up to 35,000 feet and then discovered that there was no fuel gauge. The pundits tell us we’ve got plenty of fuel to make it home, but what if they’re wrong?

Why is oil becoming so expensive?Simply because demand has exceeded supply. In fact, demand is growing while supply is falling. We are getting into an extremely tight market. Refiners have to pay top dollar for crude because it’s getting really hard to find. Think of it in cups. Divide $140-per-barrel oil into a price per cup and you get 21 cents. Can you think of anything that costs that little any more? In my opinion, a more realistic price would be $5 per cup. That would come out to $3,360 per barrel. We still have no idea how to price this incredibly scarce and abso-lutely irreplaceable product.

How can we kick the oil habit?We are going to have to make the most abrupt retreat in human history. If we don’t use less, we could be looking at a savage re-source war. The G7 countries should urgently develop a blueprint for sharply cutting oil use worldwide. Next, they should call for an overhaul of labour markets that would provide incentives for people to work at home with a view to sharply reducing long-dis-tance commuting and boosting the energy efficiency of the transport system. Third, they should create incentives for food to be produced locally.

Nr. 4 – Dezember 2008�

Dieser Auszug aus einem von Arthur F. Pease ge-führten Interview erschien ursprünglich in Pictures of the Future, Ausgabe Fall 2008. Die Veröffentlichung erfolgt mit freundlicher Genehmigung von Siemens. Das vollständige Interview findet sich unter http://w1.siemens.com/innovation/en/publikationen/publications_pof/pof_fall_2008.htm

Could all of this be a blessing in disguise?It could. The skyrocketing price of oil is al-ready bringing thousands of jobs back to the industrialized countries because the cost of shipping from so-called low-wage countries has become too high. This could usher in a growing movement to small, localized, highly automated production centres.

How can alternative energy sources help?I’m not a scientist. I’m a banker. All I can say is that a large and growing proportion of the Earth’s population lives within a hundred miles of a coastline. We should, therefore, start thinking about ways of harvesting the power of the oceans in terms of tides and winds to produce electricity or synthetic fuels. That would allow us to use our current infrastruc-ture – including the cars now on the road – to buy time while developing even more efficient alternatives. n

Vokabeldownload: www.engine-magazin.de/extrasbarrel Fassbe a blessing in disguise, to sich im Nachhinein als

gut herausstellenblueprint Entwurf, Planboost, to anheben, verstärkenchairman Vorsitzenderclue Ahnungcommuting Pendelnconsume, to verbrauchencrude (oil) Rohöldemand Bedarf, Anforderungestimate • Schätzungestimate, to • schätzen, erwartenexceed, to übersteigen, übertreffenfuzzy • unscharf, verschwommengauge • Messgerätharvest, to erntenincentive Anreiz, Motivationirreplaceable unersetzbarkick a habit, to e. Gewohnheit aufgebenoverhaul • Überprüfung, Überholungpetroleum Erdölpundit • Experterefiner Raffineur, Veredlerretreat Rückzug, Rückbausavage • grausam, wildscarce • knapp, rarseemingly anscheinendskyrocket, to hochschießen,

sprunghaft ansteigensupply Angebot, Vorrattide Gezeittwilight Dämmerung, Zwielichtuntapped unerschlossen, unberührtusher in, to • einleitenwage • Lohn

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= stimmloses th wie in „thank you“

= stimmhaftes th wie in „the“

= kurzes, unbetontes e wie in „danke“

= langes, offenes o wie in „hoffen“

enGine Lautschrift

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Miners of the Future

Mining

Alle Bilder: Rio Tinto


In Pit A, West Angelas, amid the blood red ironlands of the Pilbara, Australia, a strange new being is stirring. Three billion years ago, these primordial landscapes cradled the first living creatures to colonize the Earth. In the coming year they will give birth to a novel form of sentience: the mine that thinks for itself.

Auf den ersten Blick sieht Pit A in Australiens Pilba-ra aus wie jede andere Erz-Mine. Doch Bagger, Erz-Laster und Züge sind Roboter ohne Fahrer. Gesteuert werden sie von ei-ner Leitzentrale, die tausende Kilometer entfernt liegt.

Just a few years ago, the robot mine was in the domain of science fiction. Now, within months, it will be taking shape: driverless trucks will haul mighty loads of ore fragmented by autono-mous drills and blasting equipment. Safely, smoothly, efficiently they will start to deliver the iron river to railheads, where autonomous trains will speed it on its journey to automated ports to be blended and dispatched to hungry smelters half a world away.

The marvel lies less in the sight of huge pieces of robotic equipment obediently performing their allotted tasks without humans aboard than in the intelligence behind them: the subtle, ana-lytic brain that watches, interprets and choreo-graphs this ballet of steel giants.

This mind, in turn, is watched over by a new breed of miner – one who will work in a city thousands of kilometres away from his or her mine, whose art more resembles that of the air traffic controller or cybernetics expert, and whose daily workplace is a nerve centre which oversees the operations not just of one mine, but of many. Flowing through this centre at the speed of light is a deluge of data from thousands of sensors, computers and smart algorithms, the central nervous system of this eerie, new, networked intelligence.

Ore-some Future

At West Angelas, the robot drill rig is already placing shot holes with exquisite precision ready for the next blast. The huge Komatsu driverless electric haul trucks – each capable of hauling 285 tonnes of ore – are due to begin “school” before the end of the year. Their on-board artificial intelligence will learn the layout of the mine, how to recognize and avoid other vehicles and obstacles, and how to ferry their loads rapidly and efficiently from loading face to dump with the least wear and tear, delay and use of fuel.

Pit A may be an experiment – but it is a real live one: Its five robot trucks have been tasked

with shifting 31 million tonnes of material in just 15 months, says John McGagh, head of Innovation for Rio Tinto Iron Ore (RTIO). It is the opening stanza in one of the world’s largest civilian trials of robotics – and is to be followed by Pit E, tailored from the ground up for au-tonomy, to become in time the most automated commercial mine in existence.

“It’s a very exciting place to be,” says Bob Hirte of Rio Tinto. “The blast hole drill is al-ready set up for automation, guided by satellite GPS to sink its holes on a precise grid – and not fall over the edge of the bench. The smart explosives charging truck is well on its way, and the robot haul trucks are due to begin operating shortly.”

Each device, manned or driverless, sits within a “safety bubble”: Any equipment ap-proaching it must either halt or else receive per-mission to draw near, Bob explains. The trucks have memorized their route from dump to loading area, where they await clearance from

Vokabeldownload: www.engine-magazin.de/extrasallot, to anweisen, zuteilenbench hier: Abbaubank, Terasseblast, to sprengen, explodierenblend, to mischen, vermengenbreed Rasse, Sortecradle, to wiegen, die Wiege sein deluge • Sintflut, Gussdispatch, to versenden, abschickendump Abladeplatz, Haldeeerie • unheimlich, furchterregendexplosives charging truck LKW, der die

Sprengladungen einbringtface hier: Stoß, (Abbau-) Flächeferry, to befördernfragment, to zerstückeln, aufbrechenhaul, to befördern, transportierenin turn wiederummarvel Wundernovel • neu, neuartigobediently • gehorsamobstacle Hindernisore Erzprimordial • ursprünglichrailhead Endbahnhofresemble, to ähnlich sein, ähnelnsentience • Gefühlshot hole Schussloch, Sprenglochsmelter Hüttenwerkstanza • Strophestir, to • sich bewegen, sich rührentailor, to maßschneiderntrial Erprobung, Testvastness Weitewear and tear • Abnutzung, Verschleiß

Left above: The giant trucks, each capable of hauling 285 tons of ore, still need drivers. But soon a robotic fleet of trucks will be steered from a command centre more than a thou-sand kilometres away.

Left below: The miners of the future will use the same tools as today’s factory planners: Computer-simu-lations and virtual reality.


the manned excavator or loader to approach and collect their cargo. They also know their way back to the workshop for refuelling or a lube and oil change, guided by satellites and an on-board computer, and sense their way around the mine – night or day, wet or dry – using radar.

In deep excavations such as the 6 x 2 km vastness of West Angelas, blasting at the lower levels is an art form, to avoid destabilizing roads and benches above. Geological assess-ment from drill results, precise placement of blast holes, and calculation of the exact charge required is also undergoing automation.

The “mine of the future” has been a dream of Rio Tinto engineers since Andy Stokes, now General Manager Surface Mining Delivery, and University of Sydney robotics guru

Professor Hugh Durrant-Whyte joined forces to scope out automated mining twelve years ago. A decade on, the dream has assumed the stature of an idea whose time has come.

What has added urgency to making the mine of the future a reality is mining’s insatiable appetite for increasingly scarce skills to meet the exponential growth in customer demand for mineral products. At any given time, RTIO has at least 600 open positions and this prob-lem will be magnified in the future. The plan calls for the new mines to be established as robot operations, supervised from the compa-ny’s remote operations centre adjacent to Perth international airport in Western Australia.

McGagh believes that an artificial brain is best suited to cope with the process complexity of 300 million tonnes of ore of varying grades flowing from more than 20 mines along a braided network of rail and ports to a hungry fleet of large ore carriers, each one capable of shipping a quarter of a million tonnes or more apiece to voracious markets in China, Japan or Korea. Komatsu’s driverless trucks have been rolling around a Chilean copper mine for a year or two, but nobody has yet attempted to automate the total production operation – and manage it remotely. In parallel with the Pit A trial, RTIO has also committed to the introduc-

What looks like a space operation centre is in fact the control room for the whole mining operation. In the future, everything will be remote controlled, from drilling blast holes and loading trucks to driv-ing trains and transferring the iron ore into the bays of ships.

adjacent to • neben, angrenzendassessment Beurteilung, Prüfungbraided verflochtencharge (Spreng-) Ladungcommit, to sich verpflichtencope with sth., to etw. bewältigen,

gewachsen seinexcavation Abbau, Aushubexcavator (Löffel-) Baggergargantuan •

gigantisch

incremental schrittweiseinsatiable • unersättlichlube • Schmierstofforebody Erzvorkommenrealm • Gebiet, Bereichreluctant zögernd, widerwilligrepetitive sich wiederholendscarce knapp, nicht ausreichendscope out, to Anwendungsbereich

ausloten/definierenspell, to hier: bedeutenstature Gestalturgency Dringlichkeitvast weit, gewaltigvastness Weiteventure, to sich wagenvoracious • gierig, gefräßig


www.usyd.edu.au/CMADas Centre for Mine Automation, eine Koope-ration von Rio Tinto und der University of Sydney, erforscht die Möglichkeiten des automatisierten und ferngesteuerten Bergbaus.

tion of automated trains and the incremental automation of other critical processes in the orebody-to-ship chain.

At one level, mining is only doing what ve-hicle manufacturing and the oil industry have done before, which is automate and bring in robots for repetitive tasks requiring precision, or for humans to be located remotely. But this is neither factory nor oil rig. It is an operation combining numerous individual mines, ports, and railways spread across a vast landscape.

A Different Kind of Miner

The robots do not spell fewer jobs, says John McGagh: rather they mean that different, more highly specialized jobs will be required. Mines will still need humans to operate equip-

ment where complex and non-repetitive tasks are required, and to maintain equipment – at least until such time as that becomes automat-ed too. But “the miner” of the future may well be metropolitan based, with a higher degree in mechatronics, supercomputing or artificial intelligence.

While the technological challenge of automating an entire iron province seems gargantuan, Hugh Durrant-Whyte from the Centre for Mine Automation at the University of Sydney argues the greater challenge is cul-tural. “You must be ready to accept the new technology, to persuade everyone involved to work with robots.” Mining has traditionally been conservative in its approach to automa-tion, reluctant to venture into realms already well exploited by defence, manufacturing and materials handling.

Endless trains carry the iron ore through an endless and unforgiving landscape – while the train driver sits comfortably in an airconditioned room next to the Perth airport.

“We know what we’re doing. We’ve automated things like this before – though never on such a scale,” Hugh says. How-ever, persuading huge pieces of equipment to perform their roles flawlessly and without interfering with one another, vesting them with the ability to recover quickly from a malfunction or breakdown in some compo-nent of the system, networking them to-gether like the neurons of the brain to form a single, decentralized intelligence – a “mind” physically spanning nearly a million square kilometres – is no trivial undertaking.

Yet Hugh Durrant-Whyte is undaunted. Indeed, his restless imagination is already probing further frontiers – could mines in South America or Africa be operated by min-ers physically living and working in Perth or Vancouver? What other industries will the self-same technology influence? Food produc-tion? Urban transport systems? “If we suc-ceed, it will not only revolutionize mining – it will revolutionize the economy,” Hugh promises. “This is just the beginning.”

“Pit A is really about proving up the system,” says Andy Stokes. “Pit E, which follows, will have the mine-wide intelligence backbone which Hugh is building now and will integrate all of the automated equip-ment and processes. It will have automated trucks, drills, surveying, aspects of the blast-ing process, ore crushing and loading of the rail cars – and it will be supervised from

Perth through the RTIO remote operations centre, over 1,500 km away.

“It’s a 20-30 year journey we are on here. It won’t happen quickly. But Pit E will be, by far, the most highly automated surface mine in the world.”

Perhaps the project’s most exciting po-tential, though, is its power to win a new generation of gifted youth to mining through the marvels of mechatronics and artificial intelligence. Twelve years ago, when mine automation was a mere gleam in his eye, Hugh Durrant-Whyte recalls he had just three PhD students labouring in his lab: today, the number is 107 and soaring by the year. In the mine of the future, many already clearly envision their own personal futures, too. n

Julian Cribb

backbone Rückgratcrush, to zerkleinern, grob mahlenenvision, to ausmalen, vorhersehenflawlessly fehlerlosgleam Schimmerprobe, to erforschenself-same eben derselbesoar, to emporschnellensurveying • Vermessungundaunted • unerschrockenvest, to • ausstatten

Dieser Beitrag ist ein Auszug aus einem Artikel, der ursprünglich im „Review” Magazine, No 87 September 2008, erschienen ist. Die Veröffentlichung erfolgt mit freundlicher Genehmigung von Rio Tinto. Der vollständige Beitrag und weitere Informationen zu Erkundung, Abbau und Verarbeitung von Bodenschätzen unter www.riotinto.com


Gewinnspiel

Für das Technische Wörter-buch in zwei Bänden bedan-ken wir uns bei Cornelsen.www.cornelsen.deWie werden Besucher zukünftig den Mont Saint

Michel auf den letzen Metern erreichen?

A Über einen festen Damm.

B Über eine Furt.

C Über eine Brücke.

Warum sagen indische Geschäftspartner so selten Nein?

A Weil sie es nicht besser wissen.

B Weil sie keine Meinung haben.

C Weil sie ihr Gesicht nicht verlieren wollen.

Berührungen spielen in fremden Ländern oft eine andere Rolle. Was sollten Sie in Korea nicht tun?

A Den Kopf eines anderen berühren.

B Kräftig die Hand drücken.

C Jemandem auf die Füße treten.321

Um an der Verlosung Teil zu nehmen, schicken Sie einfach die richtigen Antworten per Post, Fax oder Mail an unsere Adresse. Der Einsende-schluss ist der 28. 2. 2009.

engine-RedaktionHoppenstedt Publishing GmbHHavelstr. 964295 DarmstadtFax 06151/[email protected]

Die Lösung des letzten Rätsels war: 1. C, 2. C, 3. A Die glückliche Gewinnerin der Sprachlernsoftware ist Inge Vater aus Laubach. Wir gratulieren.

Drei Fragen – ein Gewinn

13 www.engine-magazin.de

Nach so viel Sprachübungen, Fachwissen und In-formationen haben Sie sich ein bisschen Entspan-nung verdient. Wie wär’s denn mit einem Rätsel?

Lohn der Mühe ist diesmal etwas, das ganz ohne Strom auskommt und dennoch auf dem Schreibtisch eines Ingenieurs auf keinen Fall fehlen sollte: ein Technisches Wörterbuch. Die Sammlung von Ekkehard Richter umfasst stattliche 110.000 Einträge aus Maschinenbau, Anlagenbau, Fahrzeugtechnik, Energie- und Elektrotechnik, Verkehrs- und Umwelttechnik, sowie Computer- und Kommunikationstech-nologie, Umweltorganisationen und – auch für Ingenieure und Techniker immer wichtiger

– Vertragswesen. Das Werk kommt in zwei handlichen Bänden für Englisch-Deutsch und Deutsch-Englisch. Die An-gabe des Fachgebiets hinter jedem Wort vermeidet peinliche Verwechslungen und eine Umrechnungstabelle am Ende stellt sicher, dass auch technische Werte und deren Größe richtig „übersetzt“ werden.

Wie immer sind Mitarbeiter der Hop-penstedt-Verlagsgruppe von der Teilnahme leider ausgeschlossen. Ebenso wie der Rechtsweg. Es hilft Nichts, um an das Tech-nische Wörterbuch zu kommen, müssen Sie die folgenden Fragen beantworten:

Telescopes on Tour

In the thin, dry air of northern Chile‘s Atacama Desert, at an alti-tude of 5000 metres, an amazing new telescope system is taking shape. The Atacama Large Millimetre/Submillimetre Array (ALMA) will open an entirely new “window“ on the Universe, allowing scientists to unravel longstanding and impor-tant astronomical mysteries.

In der dünnen, trockenen Luft der chilenischen Ataca-ma Wüste entsteht in einer Höhe von 5000 Metern ein fas-zinierendes neues Radioteleskop. Mit seinen 64 mobilen Antennen wird das Atacama Large Milli-metre/Submillimetre Array (ALMA) einen völlig neuen Blick auf das Universum ermöglichen.

Astronomy

400 years ago, Galileo Galilei pointed a tel-escope into the night for the first time. Since then, astronomers have been seeking clear skies. Water, i.e. clouds, fog and moisture, obstructs vision and the different refraction index of hot and cold air distorts the picture. In their search, astronomers ultimately placed telescopes outside our atmosphere into the vacuum of space. While space telescopes like the aging Hubble and Spitzer telescope or the future James Webb telescope might produce perfect and stunning images, they have rela-tively small mirrors and are hard to service. Earth-based telescopes can be much larger and are easily modified. So, the search for clear skies continued until astronomers finally found a place on earth that is the next best thing to space: the Atacama desert.

The Chajnantor plain is a plateau in the Chilean Andes some 5000 metres above sea

level. It’s one of the driest places on earth, so dry that the surrounding mountains carry no glacier caps and the soil is almost sterile. In fact, the place is used by scientists as an analogy to the plains of Mars. With its dry, thin and cold air it’s the perfect spot for the Atacama Large Millimetre/Submillimetre Ar-ray, or ALMA for short. No other earth-bound telescope will be closer to the sky.

Going Great Lengths for Short Waves

As the name suggests, ALMA will receive electromagnetic radiation from space at wave-lengths of 0.3 to 9.6 millimetres. This portion of the spectrum, which is more energetic than most radio waves, yet less energetic than visible and infrared light, holds the key to understanding a great variety of fundamental processes, including planet and star forma-tion, as well as the formation and evolution of galaxies and galaxy clusters in the early Universe. The possibility to detect emissions from organic and other molecules in space is of particularly high interest.

The radiation that ALMA will study is able to penetrate the vast clouds of dust and gas that populate interstellar and intergalactic space; it is, however, blocked by atmospheric moisture here on Earth. To conduct research in this criti-cal portion of the spectrum, astronomers need a site that is very dry, and preferably at a very high altitude where the atmosphere is thinner.


Bild

: Pas

cal M

artin

ez/E

SO

Extensive tests showed that the sky above the high-altitude Chajnantor plain in the Atacama Desert has the unsurpassed clarity and stability needed to perform efficient observations.

ALMA will be composed of 64 high-preci-sion antennas, each 12 meters in diameter.

altitude • Höheamazing erstaunlich, unglaublicharray Anordnung, Aufstellungbaseline Grundliniecluster Haufen, Gruppeconduct, to durchführen, betreibencontribute, to beitragendistort, to • verzerren, verfälschenglacier • Gletschermoisture • Feuchtigkeitobstruct, to blockieren, versperren

These function as an interferometer, meaning the signals from all the antennas (two at a time) are combined to simulate a telescope the size of the distance between the antennas. With its 64 antennas, ALMA generates 2,016 individual antenna pairs (baselines) during observations.

penetrate, to durchdringenplain Ebenerefraction • (Licht-) Brechungseek (sought, sought), to suchen, begehrenservice, to instand halten, wartensoil Erde, Erdreichstunning überwältigend,

verblüffendunravel, to • enträtseln, entwirrenunsurpassed unübertroffenvast • gewaltig, riesig

The ALMA telescope con-sists of 64 individual 12-metre radio telescopes. By rearranging the antennas, scientists can adjust their view into space similar to a zoom lens. A special truck is used to move the telescopes around the Chajnantor plain in the Atacama Desert (below) at an altitude of 5000 metres.

www.engine-magazin.de 15

www.eso.orgDie European Organisation for Astronomical Research in the Southern Hemisphere ist der europäische Partner im ALMA Verbund. Infos zu allen Aktivitäten inklusive einem interessanten Bericht über die Dreharbeiten des aktuellen James Bond in Paranal.

www.nrao.eduDas US-amerikanische National Radio Astronomy Obervatory mit Berichten, Podcasts und Bildern zu ALMA und seinen anderen Aktivitäten.

www.nao.ac.jpWebseite des japanischen ALMA Partners.

www.scheuerle.comHersteller der beiden Spe-zialfahrzeuge. Leider keine weiteren Informationen auf der Webseite.

Each pair contributes unique information that is used to build a highly detailed image of the astronomical object under observation. To handle this much data, ALMA will rely on a very powerful, specialized computer called a correlator, which will perform 16,000 million million operations per second.

Moving Antennas for the Big Picture

While high resolution is desirable, sometimes it’s the big picture you need. Therefore, the ALMA antennas can be repositioned, allowing the telescope to function much like the zoom lens on a camera. At its largest, ALMA will be 14 kilometres across, allowing the observation of fine-scale details of astronomical objects. At

its smallest, approximately 150 metres across, the large-scale structures of these same objects can be studied.

The operations plan requires the antennas to be moved on a daily basis like a giant game of chess – only that each of these ‘astronomi-cal chess pieces’ weighs approximately 115 tons and the chess players, called “Otto” and “Lore”, are two giant custom-made trucks built by the German company Scheuerle Fahrzeugtechnik. The ALMA antenna trans-porters are rather exceptional ‘lorries’. Each of the ten-metre wide, twenty-metre long and six-metre high vehicles weighs 130 tons and drives on 28 tyres. Two 500 kW diesel engines power the ALMA transporters to move at the speed of 20 km/h when empty, and 12 km/h when loaded with an antenna. In spite of its

The flexible layout of the ALMA telescope will allow a new look at the universe, revealing the mysteries of the oldest galaxies as well as the youngest planets.

assembly Montagebackrest Sitzlehnebreak ground, to d. ersten Spatenstich m.chess Schachcommissioning Inbetriebnahmeconcrete Betoncontent Gehalt, Inhaltcontribute, to beitragencustom-made maßgefertigtdecade Jahrzehntdesirable erstrebenswert, erwünschtdevice Apparat, Gerätfacility Anlage, Einrichtunggap Lücke, Kluftgrade Steigung

hostile (lebens-) feindlichin spite of trotz, ungeachtetlorry (Brit.) Lastwagenmishap • Panne, Unglückoxygen Sauerstoffpad • Auflager, Unterlage, Blockper se an sichprescribe, to • vorschreiben, festsetzenput it, to es ausdrückenrequire, to fordernreveal, to • enthüllen, offenbarenscale Maßstabschedule, to • planen, terminierensupport Betreuung, Unterstützungverification Prüfung

Bild: ESO/H.Zodet

Bild

: ESO


impressive dimensions, the transporter can be manoeuvred by a single operator, the precise positioning being made possible by a hydro-static system. The electronic 28-wheel drive then allows very precise motions to position the antennas on a concrete pad within millime-tres of a prescribed position.

Building heavy vehicles able to transport 115-ton antennas with great precision is not a problem per se for Scheuerle, which specialises in building huge transporters. The problem, however, was to produce a vehicle able to operate at such a high altitude, where the two engines will lose about half of their power (compared to sea level) because of the reduced oxygen content of the air. Additionally, a range of redundant safety devices had to be installed to protect both personnel and equipment from possible mishaps or accidents. The human factor was also considered, e.g. the backrests of the driver seats are shaped to allow the driver to wear his oxygen tank while driving.

Expecting the Unexpected

In addition to moving antennas around the pads, the transporters also have to be able to climb a 28-kilometre, high-altitude road with an average grade of seven percent. A special brake system allows them to safely make the three-hour downhill trip. Because of the hostile conditions at an altitude higher than the high-est European mountain, it was necessary to separate the Array Operation Site (AOS) for the antennas and their pads from the actual Opera-tion Support Facilities (OSF) at a more comfort-able altitude of 2900 metres. The OSF will be the base camp for the every-day, routine operation of the observatory and will also serve as the As-sembly, Integration, Verification, and Commission-ing (AIVC) station for all the high technology equipment before it is moved to the AOS.

The ALMA transporter’s electronic 28-wheel drive allows very precise motions to position the antennas on a concrete pad within millimetres of a prescribed position.

The Atacama Large Millimetre/Submillime-tre Array project is an international partnership between Europe, North America and Japan in cooperation with the Republic of Chile. Once completed, its design and construction will span more than a decade. After a first joint site testing in Chile by the European Southern Observatory, the National Radio Astronomy Observatory and the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, the ground for ALMA was finally broken in 2003. The work at AOS and OSF is currently nearing completion and the first antennas are about to arrive. In early 2009, the commissioning of these antennas and science verification will start and full science operation is scheduled for late 2012.

Then, finally, the clear skies above the Ata-cama desert will open up a completely new view of our universe. Filling the wavelength gap between infrared light and microwaves, ALMA will be a premier tool for studying the first stars and galaxies that emerged from the cosmic “dark ages” billions of years ago. In the more nearby Universe, ALMA will be able to reveal the details of young, still-forming stars and show young planets still in the process of devel-oping. Or, as one scientist put it, “we expect the unexpected.” n

PR/Matthias Meier

Bild

: ESO

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Von A wie Abfluss bis Z wie Zusatzstoff

Technical Dictionary


Prozesstechnik – Process TechnologyAbfluss effluentAbfüllung (in Säcke und Tüten)

bagging

Abklärgefäß decanterAbluft waste airAbscheider separatorAbscheidung separationAbschlämmung clarificationAbwärme waste heatAbwasser waste waterAerosol aerosolAgglomerator agglomeratorAgglomerieren agglomeratingAnlage plantanorganisch inorganicAnreicherung concentrationAroma fragranceätzend corrosiveAusbeute yieldAusstoß emissionAxialventilator axial ventilatorazeotrop azeotropicBelüftung ventilationBeschichtungsanlage coaterBiomasse biomassBiotechnologie biotechnologyBunker siloChargenverfahren batch processchemisch chemicalchemische Gleichung chemical equationDampf steamDampferzeuger boilerDestillation distillingDetergens detergentDichtung gasketDrehverdampfer circulation evaporatorDruckbehälter pressure vesselDünnschicht thin filmDunst vapourDurchsatz throughputDüsenseparator nozzle separatorEindampfer evaporatorelektrochemisch electro-chemicalEntgaser de-aeratorEntkeimung degerminationEntlüftungsrohr breatherEntspannungstrocknen flash dryingEntstauber dedusterEntstaubung dedustingEntwässerung dewatering

Erz oreErzaufbereitung mineral processingexplosiv explosiveextrahieren extract, toExtraktion extractingExtraktor extractorExtruder extruderFallmischer tumblerFeinbrecher granulatorfest solidFilter filterFliehkraftabscheider cycloneFließbett fluid bedFließbettkühler fluid bed coolerFlussdiagramm flow diagramflüssig liquidFraktionierung fractionationGärung fermentationgesättigt saturatedGeschmack flavourGleichgewicht equilibriumGranulation granulationGranuliermaschine pelletiserHeizung heatingHomogenisator homogeniserHomogenisierung homogenisationingIsolierung isolationKälteanlage refrigeration plantKältemaschine chillerKalzinierung calcinationKatalysator catalystkatalytischer Reaktor catalytic reactorkeimfrei sterileKessel kettleKlimagerät air handling unitKlimatechnik air conditioningkochen boil, toKolbenkompressor piston compressorKolbenpumpe piston pumpKolbenströmungsreaktor plug flow reactorKolonne columnKolonnenboden trayKompressor compressorKondensatabscheider condenserKontaktkühlung contact coolingKontakttrocknung contact dryingkontinuierliches Verfahren

continuous process

Korrosion corrosionKreiselpumpe centrifugal pump


Vokabeldownload unter www.engine-magazin.de/extras

Kristallisation crystallisationKühlen coolingKühlturm cooling towerKühlung refrigerationKühlwasser cooling waterKunststoff plasticLösen dissolvingLösung solutionLösungsmittel solventLüfter ventilatorLuftkanal air ductLuftkondensator air-cooled condenserLuftkühler air coolermahlen grind, toMatsch sludgeMembran membraneMischer mixerMolkerei dairy Nassabscheider scrubberNaturzugkühlturm natural draught

cooling towerOberflächenkonden-sator

surface condenser

Ofen ovenÖlprodukt oleochemicalsorganisch organicPasteurisierung pasteurisationingpetrochemisch petrochemicalPflanzenschutzchemi-kalien

agrochemicals

pharmazeutisch pharmaceuticalPhase phasePhasendiagramm phase diagramPlattenverdampfer plate evaporatorPlattenwärmetauscher plate heat exchangerPolymerisation polymerisationProzesstechnik process technologyPulver powderPumpe pumpRadialventilator radial ventilatorReaktion reactionReaktionskinetik reaction kineticsreaktionsträge inertReaktor reactorRechen rakeReinheit purityReinraumtechnik clean-room

technologyRektifizieranlage rectification columnsRieselkühlturm film-type cooling

towerRingtrockner ring dryerRohöl crude oilRohrbündelwärme-tauscher

tubular heatexchanger

Rohrleitung pipelineRohstoff raw materialRückkühlung recoolingRücklauf reflux

Rückstand residueRückverdampfer reboilerRührwerk agitatorSBR-Verfahren sequencing batch

reactorSchaum frothSchlamm slurrySchneckenförderer screw conveyorSchraubenkompressor screw compressorSedimentationsbecken clarifierselbstreinigend self-cleaningSieb screenSiedepunkt boiling pointSpeicher storageSprühkühler spray coolerSprühtrockner spray dryerSpülen rinsingStaubabscheider dust collectorSteigstromverdampfer updraught evaporatorSterilisator steriliserSterilisierung sterilisationStofftransport mass transferStrahlpumpe jet pumpSynthese synthesisTank tankThermodynamik thermodynamicsTrockenkühlung dry coolingTrockentrommel drum dryerTrocknen dryingTrommel drumTropffilter trickling filterübersättigt supersaturatedumwandeln convert, toUmwelt- environmentalVakuum vacuumVakuumtrocknung vacuum dryingVentil valveVentilatorkonvektor fan coilVerbrennung combustionVerdichter compactorVerfahren processVerfahrenslinie process lineVerfahrenstechnik process engineeringVerfahrenstechniker process engineerVerflüssiger liquefierVerflüssigung liquefactionWärmepumpe heat pumpWärmerückgewinnung heat recoveryWärmetauscher heat exchangerWärmeübergang heat transferWirbel vortexwirbeln swirl, toWirbelschichttrockner fluid bed dryerWirkungsgrad efficacyzentrifugal centrifugalzerkleinern crush, toZerkleinerung comminutionZerstäubungstrocknung spray-dryingZusatzstoff additive

From A as in additive to Y as in yield

Technical Dictionary


Process Technology – ProzesstechnikAdditive Zusatzstoffaerosol Aerosolagglomerating Agglomerierenagglomerator Agglomeratoragitator Rührwerkagrochemicals Pflanzenschutz-

chemikalienair conditioning Klimatechnikair cooler Luftkühlerair duct Luftkanalair handling unit Klimagerätair-cooled condenser Luftkondensatoraxial ventilator Axialventilatorazeotropic azeotropBagging Abfüllung (in Säcke

und Tüten)batch process Chargenverfahrenbiomass Biomassebiotechnology Biotechnologieboil, to kochenboiler Dampferzeugerboiling point Siedepunktbreather EntlüftungsrohrCalcination Kalzinierungcatalyst Katalysatorcatalytic reactor katalytischer Reaktorcentrifugal zentrifugalcentrifugal pump Kreiselpumpechemical chemischchemical equation chemische Gleichungchiller Kältemaschinecirculation evaporator Drehverdampferclarification Abschlämmungclarifier Sedimentationsbeckenclean-room technology Reinraumtechnikcoater Beschichtungsanlagecolumn Kolonnecombustion Verbrennungcomminution Zerkleinerungcompactor Verdichtercompressor Kompressorconcentration Anreicherungcondenser Kondensatabscheidercontact cooling Kontaktkühlungcontact drying Kontakttrocknungcontinuous process kontinuierliches

Verfahrenconvert, to umwandelncooling Kühlencooling tower Kühlturm

cooling water Kühlwassercorrosion Korrosioncorrosive ätzendcrude oil Rohölcrush, to zerkleinerncrystallisation Kristallisationcyclone FliehkraftabscheiderDairy Molkereide-aerator Entgaserdecanter Abklärgefäßdeduster Entstauberdedusting Entstaubungdegermination Entkeimungdetergent Detergensdewatering Entwässerungdissolving Lösendistilling Destillationdrum Trommeldrum dryer Trockentrommeldry cooling Trockenkühlungdrying Trocknendust collector StaubabscheiderEfficacy Wirkungsgradeffluent Abflusselectro-chemical elektrochemischemission Ausstoßenvironmental Umwelt-equilibrium Gleichgewichtevaporator Eindampferexplosive explosivextract, to extrahierenextracting Extraktionextractor Extraktorextruder ExtruderFan coil Ventilatorkonvektorfermentation Gärungfilm-type cooling tower Rieselkühlturmfilter Filterflash drying Entspannungs-

trocknenflavour Geschmackflow diagram Flussdiagrammfluid bed Fließbettfluid bed cooler Fließbettkühlerfluid bed dryer Wirbelschichttrocknerfractionation Fraktionierungfragrance Aromafroth SchaumGasket Dichtunggranulation Granulation


Vokabeldownload unter www.engine-magazin.de/extras

granulator Feinbrechergrind, to mahlenHeat exchanger Wärmetauscherheat pump Wärmepumpeheat recovery Wärmerückgewin-

nungheat transfer Wärmeübergangheating Heizunghomogenisationsing Homogenisierunghomogeniser HomogenisatorInert reaktionsträgeinorganic anorganischisolation Isolierungjet pump StrahlpumpeKettle KesselLiquefaction Verflüssigungliquefier Verflüssigerliquid flüssigmass transfer Stofftransportmembrane Membranmineral processing Erzaufbereitungmixer MischerNatural draught cooling tower

Naturzugkühlturm

nozzle separator DüsenseparatorOleochemicals Ölproduktore Erzorganic organischoven OfenPasteurisationing Pasteurisierungpelletiser Granuliermaschinepetrochemical petrochemischpharmaceutical pharmazeutischphase Phasephase diagram Phasendiagrammpipeline Rohrleitungpiston compressor Kolbenkompressorpiston pump Kolbenpumpeplant Anlageplastic Kunststoffplate evaporator Plattenverdampferplate heat exchanger Plattenwärmetau-

scherplug flow reactor Kolbenströmungs-

reaktorpolymerisation Polymerisationpowder Pulverpressure vessel Druckbehälterprocess Verfahrenprocess engineer Verfahrenstechnikerprocess engineering Verfahrenstechnikprocess line Verfahrenslinieprocess technology Prozesstechnikpump Pumpepurity ReinheitRadial ventilator Radialventilatorrake Rechenraw material Rohstoffreaction Reaktionreaction kinetics Reaktionskinetik

reactor Reaktorreboiler Rückverdampferrecooling Rückkühlungrectification columns Rektifizieranlagereflux Rücklaufrefrigeration Kühlungrefrigeration plant Kälteanlageresidue Rückstandring dryer Ringtrocknerrinsing SpülenSaturated gesättigtscreen Siebscrew compressor Schraubenkompressorscrew conveyor Schneckenfördererscrubber Nassabscheiderself-cleaning selbstreinigendseparation Abscheidungseparator Abscheidersequencing batch reactor SBR-Verfahrensilo Bunkersludge Matschslurry Schlammsolid festsolution Lösungsolvent Lösungsmittelspray cooler Sprühkühlerspray dryer Sprühtrocknerspray-drying Zerstäubungstrock-

nungsteam Dampfsterile keimfreisterilisation Sterilisierungsteriliser Sterilisatorstorage Speichersupersaturated übersättigtsurface condenser Oberflächenkonden-

satorswirl, to wirbelnsynthesis SyntheseTank Tankthermodynamics Thermodynamikthin film Dünnschichtthroughput Durchsatztray Kolonnenbodentrickling filter Tropffiltertubular heat exchanger Rohrbündelwärme-

tauschertumbler Fallmischerupdraught evaporator SteigstromverdampferVacuum drying Vakuumtrocknungvacuum Vakuumvalve Ventilvapour Dunstventilation Belüftungventilator Lüftervortex WirbelWaste air Abluftwaste heat Abwärmewaste water Abwasseryield Ausbeute

Pictorial

Pumps

positive displacement pumps

rotary pumps

screw pumps

multiple screw pump

progressive cavity pump

circumferential piston pumps

radial piston pump

axial piston pump

vane pump

lobe pump gear pumps

internal gear pump

external gear pump

flexible member pumps

tube pumpflexible vane

pumpflexible liner

pump


centrifugal pumps

reciprocating pumps

single stagemixed flow

volute pump

multiple stage

axial flow

diffuser pump

direction of flow

radial flow

double suction

open

impeller

single suctionclosed

discharge

shaft

impeller

eye

inlet

casing cover

casing

mechanically operated

diaphragm pumps

fluid operated

double acting

single acting

piston/plunger pumps

valvepiston

piston rod


Information Design

Informations De-sign ist eine relativ junge Disziplin, die sich zwischen Grafik-Design und statistischer Analyse bewegt. In Zukunft könnte sie der Schlüssel sein, um der Informa-tionsüberflutung Herr zu werden.

http://design.fh-potsdam.de (dt.)Website des Studiengangs Interface Design an der Fachhochschule Potsdam.

www.infosthetics.com (engl.)Umfangreiches Weblog mit aktuellen Arbeiten aus dem Bereich Informationsvisualisierung.

www.infodesignpatterns.com (engl.)Online-Sammlung von Entwurfsmustern für interaktive Infografiken.

http://interface.fh-potsdam.de/geoVizPatterns (engl.)Forschungsprojekt zum Aufbau einer Bibliothek von Design Patterns für die Visualisierung von Geoinformationen an der FH Potsdam.

Basics

When faced with complicated or challenging information, people tend to shift their com-munication efforts from text-based to visual representation. We see this exemplified when we look for a piece of paper to explain the way from A to B or when we find it easier to assemble an IKEA shelf that comes with an illustrated manual. One of the most popular examples of Information Design is a map – a visual representation of information we otherwise couldn’t see with our bare eyes. Depending on their context, these maps can adopt many different forms. City maps stress the layout of streets, political maps provide us with detailed information about territories and boundaries, and subway maps focus on the paths and connections within a network while neglecting geographical accu-racy. Each of these representations features a different layout as each of them serves a dif-ferent visual purpose. But what they all have in common is that they give us insight into a matter that would otherwise be much more difficult to understand.

Today, Information Design is a young, interdisciplinary academic field of its own, linking traditional domains such as Computer Science, Visual Communications, or Cognitive Psychology. An academic institution looking to meet the demands of such interdisciplinary thinking is Potsdam University of Applied Sciences which, in 2003, founded the Inter-face Design Program to prepare Bachelor and Master students for the development of tools and methods that help mediate between complex technological systems and their hu-man users. In fact, Information Design was incorporated as one of the fundamental pillars of this program. It can be viewed as a subset of the already established field of Interface De-sign, with both domains addressing the need for communication between human beings and complex systems, regardless of whether these systems are a mechanical device, com-puter software, or a large dataset.

As an effect of technological progress, particularly in the field of computer science and IT, more and more scientific institu-tions have developed an interest in applied data visualization and have teamed up with designers and programmers to find ways to make visual sense of the results of their efforts. In fact, some of these fields, such as genome research, are even hard to imagine without these techniques to help visualize the unimaginable amount of raw data they produce.

The development of new academic pro-grams in the field of Information Design has met with a growing interest in information-driven research and business fields. While more powerful computers and faster com-munication networks cater for an increasing amount of available raw information, those who need to analyze this data and draw conclusions from them remain with the same limited cognitive capacity. This fact becomes particularly visible in situations in which in-formation-based decisions need to be made under extreme stress, such as is the case with stock brokers or air traffic controllers.

Visualization for New Insights

Disaster management is another example for a domain that falls into this category. In November 2008, a new tsunami warning system was launched in the Indian Ocean off Indonesia. It consists of dozens of sen-sor-equipped buoys, GPS transmitters and measuring units on the floor of the ocean. This fine mesh of devices delivers a constant torrent of physical and seismographic data to computers in a control centre, where they are permanently analyzed and monitored. In the case of an emergency, the personnel needs to make decisions on the basis of this data in order to send out warning messages, prompt evacuations and deploy rescue teams

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Bild: Moritz Stefaner

to affected areas. Digital map interfaces of the region and interactive chart tools provide up-to-date information about current seis-mographic and oceanographic conditions, and enable the personnel to make rational decisions even in highly stressful situations.

Besides such extreme examples that illus-trate the importance of a quick understand-ing of complex information, there are more common sources for computer-based data that require new visualization techniques in order to make sense – like our everyday life on the Internet. While we are active in social networks and online communities, each of us contributes to an immense amount of data that reflects our technological and social in-teractions within the Web. Their analysis and interpretation requires appropriate visuali-zation methods in order to make sense in the context of a specific purpose. For instance, an online store might be interested in the different shopping behaviours of its users depending on their home country, or the provider of a search engine wants to know which topics are most popular right now. Mapping these complex structures and flows makes it possible to look at the “big picture” of such a virtual network. It lets us recognize patterns and discover trends even in large data structures that would otherwise not be possible to identify. And such informa-tion doesn’t merely serve as an end in itself; tracking user behaviour and information flows is a crucial basis of decision-making for every successful online business.

These examples illustrate how much the value of information depends on its presen-tation form. And it shows that a design dis-cipline with a focus on visualizing facts and figures that are too complicated or just too many for our bare eyes, is needed more to-day than ever before. The idea of “Informa-tion Design” as a separate discipline might still appear somewhat new and unfamiliar

to many of us. However, we are already dealing with its products on countless occa-sions in both our job and our everyday life. It saves us time, prevents us from making mistakes, guides us through unfamiliar territory, and allows us to gain insight into otherwise exclusive domains. By enabling us to understand complex matters and digest vast amounts of information, it opens up the opportunity to eventually engage in topics we couldn’t have understood in the past. n

Christian Behrens

Vokabeldownload: www.engine-magazin.de/extrasassemble, to montieren,

zusammenbauenbehaviour • Verhaltenboundary Grenzecater for, to sorgen für, versorgenchallenging anspruchsvoll, schwierigchart Schaubild, Kartecognitive Wahrnehmungs-conclusion Folgerung, Rückschlusscontribute, to • beisteuern, mitwirkendemand Anforderung, Bedarfdeploy, to aufstellen, einsetzendevice Apparat, Gerätdigest, to • verdauendisaster Katastrophe, Unfalldomain Bereich, Gebiet, Feldemergency Notfallengage in, to sich beschäftigen mit,

einlassen aufestablished • bestehend, feststehendexemplify, to veranschaulichengenome • Chromosomensatzincorporate, to aufnehmen, einbauenincrease, to steigern, vergrößernlaunch, to einsetzen, einführenmanual Anleitung, Handbuchmediate, to • vermitteln, schlichtenmesh Netz (-werk)neglect, to vernachlässigenoccasion Gelegenheit, Anlasspattern Musterpillar Säule, Pfeilerprogress Fortschritt, Entwicklungprompt, to veranlassenpurpose • Zweck, Absichtregardless of ungeachtet vonsource Quellestock broker Börsenmaklersubset Teilmenge, Untermengetopic Thema, Gegenstandtorrent Sturzflut, Stromtrack, to verfolgenUniversity of Applied Sciences

Fachhochschule

vast enorm, riesig

www.mace-project.eu (engl.)MACE (Metadata for Architectural Contents in Europe) ist eine von der Europäischen Union geförderte Initiative zur Aufbereitung und Verbreitung digitaler architekturbezogener Informationen.

http://flare.prefuse.org/ (engl.)Offenes ActionScript-Framework für Entwicklung und Design komplexer Datenvisualisierungen. Entwickelt von der Universität Berkeley.

www.traumkrieger.de/virtualwaterhttp://well-formed-data.net/archives/148/eigenfactorDie Webseiten zu den hier gezeigten Arbeiten von Timm Kekeritz und Moritz Stefaner.

Information Design comes in many shapes and sizes:a visualization of the water footprint of selected nations (above), a ranking of scientific publications based on their citation linkage with each other (below) or a Sankey dia-gram for the average Berlin houshold cash flow (left).

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How to Own a Power Plant

Neuartige Heizsys-teme liefern nicht nur Wärme, son-dern decken auch zwei Drittel des Strombedarfs eines durchschnittlichen Vier-Personen-Haushalts.

In Short

Alle Bilder: Skipavík

Demand for resource-saving heat genera-tion systems is grow-ing. High energy prices as well as inse-curity on the part of consumers regarding the reliability of gas and oil supplies are prompting researchers and developers to consider new heating methods.

One such method is the simultaneous gen-eration of heat and electricity by so-called CHP (combined heat and power) systems. These are among the most efficient methods of energy generation, because the fuel they use is transformed into elec-trical energy as well as heat — usually in

the form of steam and hot water. More than 90 percent of the energy contained in fuel can be utilized by these systems, compared with only about 38 percent for electrical generation by a conventional power plant.

Until now, CHP technology has been lim-ited to large installations. Although the idea of applying it to single and multi-family homes is new, many manufacturers are already excited about exploiting this potential. Siemens Build-ing Technologies (BT), for instance, has devel-oped the electronics for a gas-fired micro heat and power cogeneration device (microCHP). BT specialists are working together with manufac-turers of condensing boilers, including Viessmann, Vaillant, Remeha B.V., and the Baxi Group.

Until now, condensing boilers have produced only heat, but no electricity. MicroCHP devices, on the other hand, can do both. They work as follows: A gas-fired Stirling engine is integrated into a wall-mounted boiler. The temperature difference between the cold water and the heat provided is used to generate electricity. Current implementations permit the generation of a maximum of one kilowatt of electrical energy, of which about 900 watts can be used directly in the home or fed back into the energy supplier’s grid. The device itself uses 100 watts.

For consumers, this means that they have at their disposal their very own miniature cogen-eration power plant, which provides not only heat but also two thirds of an average four-per-son household’s electricity requirements. The remaining electricity is provided by the power grid to which the microCHP device is normally connected. Operation with liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) is also possible after appropriate re-adjustment of the device.

Control technology from Siemens ensures that the device, which operates in parallel to the power grid, is able to switch on and off at the proper times. The burner for the Stirling engine alone produces five kilowatts of heat. An auxiliary burner can add between 10 and 30 kilowatts, depending on its size.

As a special feature, the microCHP device can also operate independently of the grid. In this case, it disconnects itself from the grid and pro-duces up to one kilowatt of emergency power for specially vetted emergency power groups such as refrigerators, freezers, and emergency lighting.

Even if its advantages aren’t obvious at first glance, the microCHP device is a significant in-novation. Paul Gelderloos, manager of technical innovation at Remeha B.V., is certain that “the device is one of the most promising successors in the condensing boiler area.”

After about four years of development, Siemens’ development partners are currently testing the new microCHP devices in about 400 households in Great Britain, the Netherlands, and Germany. Experience has shown that the added cost of a microCHP device can be amor-tized within five years. n Gitta Rohling

appropriate • entsprechend, geeignetaverage durchschnittlichcogeneration Kraft-Wärme-Kopplungcondensing boiler Brennwertkesseldemand Nachfrage, Bedarfemergency Not-, Notfallfreezer Tiefkühltruhehave sth. at one’s disposal, to über etwas verfügenliquefy, to • verflüssigenmount, to befestigen, anbringenobvious offensichtlich, deutlichprompt, to veranlassen, anregenrefrigerator Kühlschrankrequirement Bedarf, Anforderungresource Rohstoffsuccessor Nachfolgervet, to • überprüfen


Dieser Beitrag ist ein Auszug aus einem Artikel, der in Pictures of the Future, Ausgabe Fall 2008, erschienen ist. Die Veröffentlichung erfolgt mit freundlicher Genehmigung von Siemens. Mehr zu innovativen Heizsystemen unterwww.siemens.de

Exercises� Answers on page 44

B Significance�

Read quickly over the text and find the significance of the following numbers.

100� _____________________________38� _____________________________1� _____________________________2/3� _____________________________5� _____________________________

900� _____________________________90� _____________________________400� _____________________________4� _____________________________10� _____________________________

D Find�

Find words or phrases in the text which mean the opposite of the following words.

1 supply _________________________________2 falling _________________________________3 wasteful _________________________________4 huge _________________________________5 solidified _________________________________

6 unsuitable _________________________________7 hooks up _________________________________8 unclear _________________________________9 unimportant _________________________________10 predecessors _________________________________

The new device combines a condensing boiler for heat-ing and a Stirling engine for power production.

A True�or�False

Read the text and then decide if the following statements are “true” or “false”.

1 The current financial crisis has encouraged researchers to find new heating methods.

2 A conventional power plant is not as efficient as a combined heat and power system.

3 CHP technology was developed for single and multi-family homes. 4 Cold water contributes to the generation of electricity. 5 The CHP device does not always run in connection with the electricity network. 6 It takes a decade to justify the extra expense of installing a CHP

device in your house.

® true ® false

® true ® false

® true ® false® true ® false® true ® false

® true ® false

C Find�

Find words or phrases in the text which mean the same as the following words or phrases.

1 changed _________________________________2 used _________________________________3 traditional _________________________________4 restricted _________________________________5 producers _________________________________

6 making full use of _________________________________7 allow _________________________________8 network _________________________________9 guarantees _________________________________10 back up _________________________________


Digging out the Rock

The famous Mont Saint Michel, one of France’s major tourist attractions, is in danger of becoming a part of the mainland. With the help of a new dam, a nearby river will flush out millions of cubic metres of sand to save the island.

Der Mont Saint Michel, eine der größten Sehenswür-digkeiten Frank-reichs, droht zu verlanden. Mit Hilfe eines neuen Damms soll ein Fluss die Bucht freispülen und den Fels wieder zur Insel machen.

Hydraulic Engineering

Alle Bilder: Syndicat mixte Baie du Mont Saint Michel

Mont Saint Michel stands tall off the coast of France at the border between Normandy and Brittany. For centuries “the Rock”, as the locals call it, with its abbey and its characteristic spire, was an island of faith. But this is about to change. Not because there are fewer and fewer believers, but because within a couple of decades sediments will have built up in the sur-rounding mudflats and the tidal island will then permanently become a part of the mainland. When the major French tourist attraction, afar from Paris, is going to drown in sand and silt, something has to be done. And so, engineers have come up with a simple but nonetheless effective solution to ‘restore the maritime char-acter of Mont Saint Michel’, as the somewhat lengthy title of the project puts it.

The 70-metre tall granite rock was called Mont Tombe and accessible only during low tide by a four-kilometre walk across the mudflats when in 708 the Bishop of Avranches had a vision of the Archangel Michel. He set out to build a chapel on the rock and dedicated it to Saint Michel, thus giving the Mont its current name. Over the centuries, the island became home to a Benedictine abbey, stood strong as a fortress against the Vikings and the English, repelled many sieges and was even used as a high-security prison during the French Revo-

lution. In its turbulent history, the rising and ebbing tides and the streaming waters from the nearby mouth of the river Couesnon were the only constants.

But then a new threat arose: civilisation. Polders created pasture land from the sea, moving in to as close as one kilometre from the island. A causeway constructed in 1879 allowed permanent dry access to the island but restricted the free flow of water around it. The final blow came in the 1960s when a dam at the mouth of the river Couesnon was built to save the polders from flooding, but at the same time it weakened the flushing power of the river. Without streaming water to counteract the proc-ess, more and more sand and silt washed up and today Mont Saint Michel only becomes an island during especially high tides.

Hosing Down the Bay

So, in 1995 the French government and a mixed syndicate started to work on the problem, which ultimately comes down to digging away three million cubic metres of sand and silt – a task so gargantuan that the use of dredge boats surely is out of the question. What could they do? The solution is as simple as cleaning a muddy drive-

The dawn of the project: The new dam (rear) is almost finished while the old dam (front) serves only as a soon to be demolished bridge.


way after a heavy rainfall: You don’t scrape away the dirt with a teaspoon, you simply take a hose and wash it away. Only in this case the hose is the river Couesnon.

Since the currents in the Bay of Mont Saint Michel are a bit more complex than your aver-age driveway drainage, a thorough investiga-tion of the current situation as well as possible water management regimes and their impact on

the bay were paramount. The French engineer-ing company Sogreah built a giant 900-m2 scale model of the bay in three dimensions. For four years physical and computational simulations were done over and over again to get things right, since never before had a project on such a large scale been attempted. These simulations showed that by 2040 the Mont would be part of the mainland. Simulated solutions included de-molishing the causeway and the existing dam entirely or removing only the embankment of the river and converting the old dam. But in both cases the pressure of the hose, i.e. the flushing power of the river, was too weak.

Finally, the engineers and scientists came up with an idea that’s not unlike a toilet flush, where water slowly trickles into a cistern to be released in one big gush. The existing dam will be replaced by a new, wider one with eight sluices. These will work in both directions to allow filling and flushing. The dredged riverbed and a reservoir about four kilometres inland act as the cistern, storing water from the sea, which in this area can reach a tidal difference of up to 14 metres. During low tide the accumulated sea-water and pent-up river-water will then be released in a giant flushing action with enough strength to wash away the grassed silt and sand banks around the Rock. The engineers from BRL Ingénierie opted for classic sector-sluices, each operated by two hydraulic cylinders. Their circular form allows easy and quick opening and closing. During high tide the water will flow over the top of the sluices to limit the entry of sediment into the Couesnon canal and reservoir. By raising the floodgates, the water is released at the bottom of the dam taking the sediment right with it. A guiding and dividing dyke will ensure that the artificial flood will

abbey Kloster, Abteiaccess • Zugang, Eintrittaccessible • zugänglich, erreichbarattempt, to versuchenborder GrenzeBrittany Bretagnecauseway Dammstraßecistern • Spülkasten, Wassertankcurrent Stromdedicate, to widmen, weihendrainage • Entwässerungdredge boat • Baggerschiffdredge, to • ausbaggerndriveway Auffahrtdyke • Deich, Dammembankment • Böschung, Eindeichungfloodgate • Schleusentorflush, to • spülen, wegspülenfortress Festunggargantuan • gigantisch, riesiggush Guss, Schwallhose • Schlauchhose down, to • abspritzenimpact Einfluss, Wirkunginvestigation Untersuchungmainland Festlandmuddy schlammigmudflat Watt, Schlickopt for sth., to sich für etw. entscheidenparamount vorrangigpasture • Weidelandpent-up aufgestautregime • Verwaltung, Systemrepel, to • abwehren, zurückschlagenrestrict, to einschränken, beschneidenscale Maßstabscrape, to schaben, kratzensiege • Belagerungsilt Schlamm, Schlicksluice • Schleusesolution Lösungspire • Turmspitzesyndicate • Arbeitsgemeinschaftthreat • Bedrohung, Gefahrtidal • t Gezeiten-tide • Gezeit, Tidetoilet flush Toilettenspülung






enGine Lautschrift

After the restoration, a pier-like bridge will con-nect the island with the mainland.


always flow around either side of Mont Saint Michel. It is expected that half of the silt will be washed away within two years after the work is finished. Up to 80 percent will be gone by 2020.

A Bridge over Temporal Waters

But even then the Rock still wouldn’t be an is-land since it is currently connected to the main-land by a causeway and a parking lot. Therefore, the plan calls for the causeway to be demolished and replaced by a bridge. The one-kilometre long, pier-like bridge, designed by German architects Schlaich, Bergermann & Partner (see engine 2/2005 “Gentle Giants”) is only intended for pedestrians and a shuttle train, which will run between the Mont and the parking lot and visi-tor centre facilities located further inland.

Swirling water beneath a walk over the bridge will truly restore the sensation of reaching an island. To enhance this sensation even further, the bridge ends 120 metres short of the Mont, and the visitor has to cross a submersible ford. Depending on the tides, access is either through the main Porte de l’Avancée, a small side door or a footpath leading through the rocks. And on a few days a year, during really big tides, the Rock will be surrounded entirely by water, and access will be cut off completely, though only for about an hour at a time.

Unfortunately, it will take another six years before visitors can finally enjoy this almost meditative approach. While access to the island is guaranteed all the time, jackhammers and ce-ment mixers might currently spoil the experience. But the first milestone has been reached: The

new dam, built in two stages between coffer-dams, is finished and the old one has been torn down. A promenade deck for a perfect view of Mont Saint Michel will be installed in spring 2009. Work on the footbridge is going to start in 2010 and the whole project is scheduled for completion in 2014. By then, more than 160 mil-lion Euros will have been spent. What sounds like a lot is actually relatively cheap compared to the gigantic task of moving millions of cubic metres of sand and remodelling an entire bay. The same amount of money would buy a mere 40 kilometres of new highway. Although the future ‘high’ way to Mont Saint Michel is much shorter, it will not only restore its maritime character, but the slowed down approach might also restore its perception as an island of faith. n

Matthias Meier

approach • t Annäherung, Zugangcofferdam • Spundwanddammenhance, to steigern, fördernexperience Erlebnis, Erfahrungfacility Einrichtung, Anlageford Furtjackhammer Presslufthammermere • bloß, nurpedestrian Fußgängerperception Wahrnehmungschedule, to • festlegen, planensensation Gefühl, Empfindungspoil, to verderben, zerstörensubmersible • untertauchbarsurround, to umgeben, umschließenswirl, to wirbelntask Aufgabe, Unternehmentear down, to (torn, torn) • abreißen

www.projetmontsaintmichel.fr (engl./fr.) Sehr ausführliche Seite über das Projekt mit allen Hintergründen, aktuellen Informationen und einem Tagebuch der Arbeiten.

www.sogreah.fr (engl./fr.)Ingenieurbüro, das die Mo-dell- und Computersimulati-onen durchgeführt hat.

www.brl.fr (engl./fr.)Die Planer des neuen Damms an der Mündung des Couesnon.

www.sbp.de (dt./engl.)Das Ingenieurbüro Schlaich Bergermann & Partner hat die neue Brücke zum Mont Saint Michel entworfen.

www.bouygues-construction.com/73i/press.html (engl.)Kurzer Artikel zu den Bauarbeiten an den Schleusen.

www.topos.de/PDFs/1151936371.pdf (dt./engl.)Ausführliche Beschreibung des Projekts.

The mouth of the river Couesnon and Mont Saint Michel before and after restoration, in which the new dam (middle) plays a vital role.


Cross Culture Check

Six Situations in India

6 When you want to have food in India, which golden rule should you follow?

A Peel it, boil it or leave it!

B Food from the roadside is to be recommended.

C Water can be drunk anywhere and everywhere.

4 In your Indo-German team you are not in the position to give orders. If you wanted to set up a rule like “mobile phones have to be switched off,” how would you express it?

A You would tell your colleagues it is you who is getting disturbed with interruptions. If they don’t agree, you will get angry.

B You would explain the importance of the meeting and the successful com-pletion of the project for all of the participants. You would ask generally if they would agree to switch off the mobile phones. It is not you giving an order; this decision is made by all.

C If they don’t agree to switch off their mobiles, you will call the boss.

5 Why do Indians never say “no”?

A They don’t want to lose face.

B They never have an opinion.

C They don’t know any better.

1 Your sales manager needs to go to India for a meeting. His plan is to leave on Thursday and return on Saturday. Why is this not advisable?

A He will be too exhausted. For such meetings he should have a clear head and not be tired.

B In India building relationships is the most important thing. The busi-ness partner might invite him for a business lunch or introduce him to his network, and small talk can take quite a long time in India. It is impossible to do all this in one day. Priorities in India change quickly and, therefore, meetings are very often postponed at the last minute.

C In India, you never do business on a Friday.

3 During a team meeting, your Indian colleagues are busy answering phone calls and replying to emails. You are annoyed. How should you interpret this behaviour?

A Indians are impolite and are not interested in the meeting.

B They act according to their priorities.

C Indians are multi-tasking people who do many things at once. This should not be taken personally.

2 Your co-worker has to bring the sales figures by Monday. How do you start the sentence?

A You must bring the sales figures by Monday because …

B I would appreciate if you had the sales figures by Monday because ….

C If you don’t have the sales figures by Monday, you will get us in serious trouble because …

So manche Situa-tion erfordert im Ausland eine an-dere Reaktion wie zu Hause. Testen Sie Ihr Feingefühl im Umgang mit internationalen Ge-schäftspartnern.

1B: In India, nothing is done under time pressure, and deals are based on relationships. 2B: India is a land of indirect communications. The directness preferred by Germans can be taken personally. 3C: In India, it is perfectly normal to do several things at once. The disadvantage: Topics are not handled exclusively.4B: Only the person in charge is listened to. As such, this situation calls for a bit of diplomacy.5A: Communications in India are always concerned with saving and losing face. Indians also expect Germans to communicate in the same manner.6A: You should not drink tap water in India unless it has been boiled and filtered. Be careful with ice cubes, too!

Good Behaviour

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Author: Purvi Shah-Pulini, Com-Unic Unternehmensgruppe, www.com-unic.de

advisable empfehlenswertannoyed genervtappreciate, to schätzen, begrüßenduration Dauerexhausted erschöpftfigure Zahl, Kennzahl

interruption Unterbrechungparticipant Teilnehmerpeel, to schälenpostpone, to verschieben, vertagentap Wasserhahntopic Aufgabenstellung, Thema


Singapore – Tiny Powerhouse

Positioned right in the centre of the huge Asian market, Singapore has nonetheless strong bonds to the West. With its open and multicultural society, transparent policies and free trade agreements, it might be the perfect gate to this market.

Singapur liegt mit-ten im Zentrum des riesigen asiatischen Markts und hat dennoch starke Ban-de in den Westen. Mit seiner offenen und multikultu-rellen Bevölkerung, einer transparenten Politik und einem freien Markt ist es das ideale Tor in den Fernen Osten.

www.bfai.dewww.diplo.dewww.ixpos.deDie Standardanlaufstellen für das Auslandsgeschäft.

www.sgc.org.sg (engl.)Die Deutsch-Singapurische Industrie- und Handelskam-mer unterstützt den Handel zwischen beiden Ländern durch Marktanalysen, Vermittlung von Geschäfts-partnerschaften, Consulting und andere Dienste.

Business Partner

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Located only a few kilometres above the equator, Singapore probably has the world’s coldest air-conditioning and is one of those places where going to the cinema can land you with a cold. But then, Singapore has always specialized in contradictions. For a start, its Sanskrit name Singapura means Lion City, but since the lion is not native to the territory, it was most likely a tiger which inspired the name. Other nations toiled long and laboriously for complete independence, but Singapore decided to leave almost 150 years of British colonialism by becoming part of another political entity, the Federa-tion of Malaysia in 1963. The experiment was not successful and less than two years later, Singapore was booted out quite unceremoni-ously by its closest neighbour. With virtually no army to call its own and ministries that

were still in the making, it had to declare independence on 9 August, 1965.

The Federation of Malaysia has made great progress, but the tiny, resource-poor Singapore has prospered even more. Although one of the world’s smallest countries, it has become Asia’s second richest, after Japan. It clocks ten million tourist arrivals per year and is home to more than 7,000 multination-al corporations and 750,000 expatriates.

Many of these are German. Deutsche Bank has been around for 36 years, Siemens since 1970. In supplying pumping station mo-tors and power plants for the Public Utilities Board, Siemens has been an integral part of Singapore’s development. Bosch, Schenker, Bayer all have their regional, or research and development, hubs on the island. And although Singapore was a former British colony, the 152-year-old ‘Deutsches Haus’ is the oldest European social club in Singapore.

What is new about the German presence is an increasing number of small and medium-sized enterprises as well as a focus beyond the traditional industries of engineering and communications. It was C. Melchers who built Singapore’s newest icon, the Singapore Flyer, currently the world’s highest observa-tion wheel. Messe Berlin recently very suc-cessfully launched its debut ITB show here. “No other trade show site can offer a com-parable infrastructure: good international accessibility, short distances between all the main facilities, a modern trade show centre and 5,000 beds in five-star hotels, all no more than five minutes away on foot,” says Dr. Martin Buck, Director of Messe Berlin.

Buck is particularly impressed by the island republic’s strategic location between east and west, in between the burgeoning economies of China and India. Indeed, Changi Airport is connected to 190 cities and services 4,300 flights weekly. Within a seven-hour flight radius, Singapore has market access to some 2.8 billion people, in other words almost half the world’s population.

And this is on top of Singapore’s other strengths: an openness to foreign labour, transparent policies and regulations, strong intellectual property protection, investment protection, tax agreements and ever-expand-ing free trade agreements.

In 2006, bilateral trade between Germany and Singapore totalled 9.5 billion Euros,


and aggregate German direct investments in Singapore were more than 5.61 billion Euros. Singapore imports vigorously from Germany too, admirers as they are of all things Ger-man, from semi-conductor technology to kitchenware, from automobiles to beer.

A Truly Multicultural Society

Germans and Singaporeans often seem a mirror image of each other in their penchant for cleanliness, punctuality, technology and planning. “We share a fundamental ‘hands on mentality’ that has greatly shaped both countries: people in charge want to get things done and look for win-win situa-tions,” says Dirk von Fabeck, Director of HR Transaction Services at Infineon Singapore. German executives have described Singa-pore as ‘Asien leicht’ or ‘Asia light’. Some Singaporeans are flattered by that, others take secret offence. What it does indicate is Singa-pore’s chameleon ability to be anything to anybody and to make people feel at home.

This flexibility stems from the fact that Singaporeans are generally well-travelled. Many Singaporean executives have also studied or worked abroad. Rare would be the Singaporean without any experience of living, working or liaising with foreigners. One in four of the 4.84 million inhabitants is foreign.

On the other hand, the Chinese as a race are the Italians of Asia, what with their emphasis on family, food and tradition, and their love for intrigue, gossip and drama. And since most Singaporeans are also Chinese (76%), you can imagine the mingling of con-tradictory traits. One cultural difference lies in the attitude towards authority. “Germans tend to get ‘straight to the point’ and address issues on all hierarchical levels,” notes von Fabeck. “Singaporeans, on the other hand, have far greater concern for power distance between non-managerial and managerial functions and often play issues down or sim-ply keep quiet about minor issues.”

Sometimes ‘keeping quiet’ is a matter of respecting rank, valuing harmony or tradi-tion, or simply realising that not everything can be scientifically and logically explained. And thus, you’ll find a Singaporean Indian engineer trained in Australia who will accept marital match-making, or a Harvard-educated, Chardonnay-swilling Singaporean Chinese associate who has had his office mapped by a fengshui master. Not surprisingly, Asian businessmen from elsewhere find Singa-

poreans insufficiently Asian, while western businessmen find the East’s most western-ised partner to be occasionally inscrutable after all!

What helps, besides falling in love with the local cuisine – always a door-opener – is a willingness to be patient and open with the locals. And of course, bring a pullover or two! n

Ming Wong

Die Autorin Ming Wong ist interkulturelle Trainerin mit Schwerpunkt Singapur und Malaysia. Ihr Buch „A Business Travellers’ Handbook for Singapore“ erscheint im Frühjahr 2009 bei Stacey International, UK.

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www.gov.sg (engl.)Der Webauftritt der Regierung mit Hinweisen zum Geschäftseinstieg in Singapur

www.business.gov.sg (engl.)Portal mit Informationen über Gesetze, Bestimmun-gen, Lizenzen und alles andere rund um Handel und Gewerbe.

www.iesingapore.gov.sg (engl.)International Enterprise Singapore hilft heimischen Unternehmen dabei im Ausland Fuß zu fassen.

www.germanclub.org.sg (dt./engl.)„ Deutsches Haus“ ist der Club der Deutsch spre-chenden Gemeinde in Sin-gapur. Viele Tipps, Kontakte und Veranstaltungen von Chinesisch für Anfänger bis Yoga.

http://de.visitsingapore.com (dt.)Die offizielle Tourismusseite.

www.home-in-singapore.sg (engl.)Unterhaltsame Seite über das Leben, Studieren, Arbeiten und Erholung in Singapur mit vielen Videos und Berich-ten von Einheimischen.


GeschäftsurlaubDie Kombination von Geschäftsreise und anschließendem Erho-lungsurlaub klingt zwar verlockend, wirft in der Realität jedoch viele Probleme auf. Selbst bei vorsichtiger Planung gibt es einiges zu beachten.

Thema

Bild: iStockphoto

Es könnte so schön sein: Nach der Baustellen-abnahme in Taiwan, den Angebotsverhand-lungen in China oder der Produktpräsentation in den USA einfach noch ein paar Tage Urlaub an die Geschäftsreise anhängen, ja vielleicht sogar den Partner nachkommen lassen und sich gemeinsam vom Stress der letzten Tage erholen. Schließlich sind Flugreisen teuer und man ist ja ohnehin schon vor Ort. Auch der Ozonschicht und dem Klima würde es letzt-endlich gut tun. So logisch die Kombination aus Geschäftsreise und Urlaub dem Arbeitneh-mer auch scheinen mögen, so problematisch ist sie aus Sicht des Chefs, der Fiskus, der Versicherungen und der Visabehörden.

Handelt es sich lediglich um ein, an eine anstrengende und hoffentlich produktive Arbeitswoche angehängtes Wochenende, wird wohl auch der strengste Chef theore-tisch wenig dagegen haben. Dennoch gilt es neben der reinen Verrechnung von Urlaubsta-gen noch weitere, wichtige Fragen zu klären: Wird das Hotel gewechselt? Wer kommt für die Hotelkosten auf? Wie sieht es mit dem Versicherungsschutz aus? Wie wird die Zeit zwischen offiziellem Arbeitsende und Rückflug gegenüber dem Finanzamt vertreten? Dreht es sich nur um ein, zwei Tage, lässt sich sicher

eine Lösung finden, mit der alle gut leben können. Am einfachsten dürfte es wohl sein, den Aufenthalt „offiziell“ zu verlängern und die Urlaubstage durch eine interne Vereinba-rung zu „verrechnen“.

Jedes Ding hat seine Zeit

Längere Privat-Aufenthalte bereiten jedoch nicht nur mit der Verwaltung Probleme. Einen Mitarbeiter ins Ausland zu schicken, ist wohl das Teuerste, was sich ein Unternehmen leisten kann. Ergebnisse, Berichte und die Um-setzung des mit dem ausländischen Geschäfts-partner Besprochenen werden so schnell wie möglich erwartet und nicht erst nach weiteren zwei Wochen Urlaub des Entsandten. So schön es also wäre, den Pool und die Bar des schicken Hotels noch ein paar Tage in Ruhe genießen zu können, sollte man schon aus Verantwortung gegenüber der Firma davon absehen und Urlaub und Geschäftsreise klar trennen.

Anders sieht das natürlich bei Selbständigen aus, die die Verzögerungen nur mit sich selbst verantworten müssen oder nach dem Sonnen-baden am Meer oder der Museumstour noch


ein, zwei Stunden am Laptop arbeiten. Leider hat wie so oft das Finanzamt in der Regel etwas gegen die Vermischung von Arbeit und Freizeit. Unter Berufung auf das Aufteilungs- und Abzugsverbot gemäß Paragraf 12 des Ein-kommensteuergesetzes werden in der Regel alle Aufwendungen, sich nicht klar nach privat und geschäftlich trennen lassen, grundsätzlich gestrichen. So erkennen die Finanzbeamten zwar zum Beispiel Taxifahrten zur Firma das Geschäftspartners oder ein Geschäftsessen klar als Werbungskosten oder Betriebsausga-ben an, bei Hotelkosten oder dem Flug sieht es dagegen anders aus. Da es sich dabei mit um die größten Posten handelt, macht sich das finanziell nicht unerheblich bemerkbar.

Alles oder Nichts

Kein Wunder, dass sich da Widerstand regt und es zu Einsprüchen kam. Tatsächlich gibt es auch schon erste Urteile, die „Teilzeit-Ge-schäftsreisenden“ die Möglichkeit zur Auftei-lung ihrer Kosten zusprechen. Aber Vorsicht, dies sind derzeit noch Einzelurteile und eine Grundsatzentscheidung, die letztendlich eine Infragestellung des Aufteilungsverbots bedeuten würde, steht noch aus. Dennoch lohnt sich ein Versuch. Die Chancen stehen günstig, wenn der Urlaubsanteil gering ist und es sich nicht gerade um einen vierwöchigen USA-Urlaub nach einer kurzen Besprechung in Chicago handelt. Nicht ganz zu unrecht misstrauisch werden die Beamten, wenn die Geschäftsreise zu einem beliebten Urlaubziel geht oder der Partner mitkommt. Auf jeden Fall ist es wichtig, den geschäftlichen Teil der Reise möglichst genau zu dokumentieren, also nicht nur Belege sammeln, sondern auch Kon-gressprogramme, Eintrittskarten, Einladungs-schreiben, Protokolle und Abschlussberichte. Mit etwas Glück rechnet das Finanzamt dann die Reisekosten anteilig an.

Doch das Finanzamt ist nicht der einzige „Spaßverderber“. Auch Versicherungen können bei der munteren Vermischung von Geschäftsreise und Urlaub Probleme bereiten. Zwar machen allgemeine private Reisekran-kenversicherungen in der Regel keinen Unter-schied zwischen einem privaten oder einem geschäftlichen Auslandsaufenthalt, die Dienst- oder Geschäftsreiseversicherung des Arbeit-gebers aber sehr wohl. Ist der Dienst vorbei endet auch das Versicherungsverhältnis und ein Ausrutscher am Pool kann teuer werden. Hier empfiehlt es sich, die Versicherungsbe-dingungen genaustens zu studieren und sich im Zweifelsfall wie für einen ganz normalen

privaten Urlaub abzusichern. Dennoch bleiben Graubereiche und wer die Spitzfindigkeiten von Versicherungen bei der Anerkennung eines Versicherungsfalls kennt, sollte Verständ-nis für seinen Chef aufbringen, wenn er eine Kombination aus Dienstreise und Urlaub aus „versicherungstechnischen Gründen“ prinzipi-ell ablehnt.

Behördlicher Urlaub

Weniger Probleme bereiten da die Visabehör-den. So lange man im Besitz eines für den Zweck der Geschäftsreise gültigen Visums ist, und die dort eingetragene Aufenthaltszeit nicht überschreitet, sollte es keine Probleme geben. Umgekehrt aber schon. Wer sich mit einem reinen Touristenvisum beim Geschäfte machen erwischen lässt, kann je nach Gast-land in ernsthafte Schwierigkeiten geraten und zudem das eigene Unternehmen in Bedrängnis bringen. Selbst wenn ein Touris-tenvisum wesentlich leichter und vor allem schneller zu bekommen ist als eine offizielle Aufenthaltsgenehmigung für eine Geschäfts-reise, lohnt das Risiko nicht. Der Laptop und die Ordner in der Tasche sind verräterisch und können bei der Grenzkontrolle zu peinlichen Fragen führen.

Bleibt als Fazit die Erkenntnis, dass die Kom-bination aus Dienstreise und Erholungsurlaub zwar verlockend aber aus vielerlei Gründen wenig praktisch ist. Bleibt als Trost die Tat-sache, dass der Urlaub ohnehin doppelt so erholsam ist, wenn Laptop und Krawatte mal zu Hause bleiben. n

Matthias Meier


Ägypten – zwischen Arm und ReichÄgypten präsentiert sich in Touristenprospekten gern als Ansammlung von Pyramiden, Tempeln, Moscheen und Natur-schönheiten. Doch im Innern beherrschen Spannungen zwi-schen Arm und Reich, zwischen westlich orientiertem Lebenssti-le und islamischem Fundamen-talismus das Land am Nil.

Kultursprung

www.bfai.dewww.diplo.dewww.ixpos.deStandardanlaufstellen für das Auslandsgeschäft.

http://aegypten.ahk.de (de.)Die Deutsch-Arabische Industrie- und Handels-kammer steht deutschen und ägyptischen Unterneh-men bei der Markterschlie-ßung, Marktbearbeitung und Geschäftsanbahnung zur Seite.

www.egypt.travel (dt.)Das ägyptische Fremden-verkehrsamt mit allen wich-tigen Reiseinformationen.

www.kairo.diplo.de (de.)Die Internetpräsenz der deutschen Botschaft in Kairo.

www.mfa.gov.eg (engl.)Das ägyptische Außenmi-nisterium informiert über Politik und Wirtschaft.

www.sis.gov.eg (engl.)Der ägyptische Staatsinformationsdienst informiert über Politik, Geschichte und Soziales.

www.gtz.de/de/weltweit/maghreb-naher-osten/671.htm (dt.)Die Ägyptenseite der Ge-sellschaft für wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit.

Wie Besucher des Landes schnell bemerken wer-den, ist Ägypten von starken sozialen Gegensät-zen geprägt. Bittere Armut und großer Reichtum existieren hier nahe beieinander. Die große Kluft zwischen Arm und Reich hat im Land eine bereits mehrere Jahrtausende alte Tradition.

Mit dem Amtsantritt Präsident Sadats wurde schließlich ein neues wirtschaftliches und poli-tisches Kapitel ägyptischer Geschichte geschrie-ben. Zur Charakterisierung der neuen, bis heute andauernden Ära ägyptischer Geschichte wird oft der Begriff infitah (Öffnung) herangezogen, da der neue wirtschaftliche Kurs im wesentlichen die Integration des Landes in die kapitalistische Weltökonomie bedeutete.

Die neuen Wirtschaftsaktivitäten schufen schnell eine Klasse wirtschaftlicher Gewinner, von denen viele im unmittelbaren Freundeskreis des Präsidenten angesiedelt waren. Das Etikett „die fetten Katzen“ (al-utat as-samina) bezeichnete die neuen, oftmals in Mafiamanier mit Beste-chung operierenden Geschäftsleute.

Neben dieser Schicht der wirklich Reichen gibt es auch eine neue gehobene Mittelklasse im Land. Diese, häufig durch Migrationsaufent-halte im arabischen Golf zu Geld gekommenen Aufsteiger, bilden die potenteste Käufergruppe in Ägypten und haben dementsprechend großen Einfluss auf die Konsumtrends im Lande.

Neben den Countryclubs der Reichen und den modernen Appartementshäusern der neuen Mittelklasse in Nasr City gibt es dann auch die Re-alität der wirtschaftlichen Verlierer. Und diese sind zahlreich. Synchron zur Zunahme der Mercedes und BMWs im Straßenbild erfolgte die stetige Absenkung des Lebensstandards der zahlreichen im öffentlichen Dienst Beschäftigten sowie der Alten und Bedürftigen.

Ein anderes düsteres Kapitel für die Verlierer der wirtschaftlichen Öffnung des Landes ist die hohe Arbeitslosigkeit, vor allem in den Reihen der

Akademiker. Jedes Jahr produziert das Land un-gefähr eine halbe Million Hochschulabsolventen und damit bei weitem zu viel für den ägyptischen Arbeitsmarkt. Das stetig wachsende Heer von Arbeitslosen pocht nach wie vor auf sein Recht auf einen Arbeitsplatz in der überdimensionierten Verwaltung des Landes, die von vielen als ein Bermudadreieck von Millionen von Bürokraten betrachtet wird.

Deutsche aus ägyptischer Sicht

Die ägyptische Sicht des Deutschen trägt im Wesentlichen folgende Züge: Wichtigste Grund-tendenz ist die große Sympathie und der große Respekt, den die meisten Ägypter gegenüber Deutschland empfinden. So werden als posi-tive Merkmale deutscher Kultur sehr häufig „Mercedes“ und „Deutscher Fußball“ genannt.

In anderen Zusammenhängen wird man erfahren, dass die Deutschen in Ägypten als fleißig, sauber und ordentlich gelten. Häufig wird in Gesprächen die ägyptische und die deutsche Kultur kontrastiert. So hört man typischerweise, dass in Ägypten alles sehr schmutzig, dagegen in Deutschland alles sehr sauber sei. Es wird dann häufig ein Postkartendeutschland beschrie-ben, das ins Reich der Fantasie gehört – ebenso wie das Postkartenägypten, das in den Werbe-prospekten der ägyptischen Tourismusindustrie heraufbeschworen wird.

Ein weiteres Stereotyp, das in Ägypten ge-genüber Deutschen sowie Europäern allgemein besteht, ist das der moralischen Laxheit. Während die Deutschen einerseits als „fleißig“ und „or-dentlich“ in hohem Ansehen stehen, werden sie andererseits als „unmoralisch“ zum Gegenstand negativer Bewertung.

Ein anderes – in Ägypten weit verbreitetes – Vorurteil gegenüber Europäern ist deren


Ägypten – zwischen Arm und Reich

Ägypten ist ein Land mit Geschichte (v. l. n. r.): Der Souk von Assuan, die Pyramiden in Gizeh, der Tempel von Philae in Assuan, Kairo bei Nacht und die weiße Wüste im Norden von Farafra. (Alle Bilder: Bertrand/Ägyp-tisches Fremdenverkehrsamt)

Dieser Kultursprung ist ein kurzer Auszug aus dem Buch Kulturschock Ägypten von D. Jödicke und K. Werner, erschienen im Reise Know-How Verlag unter der ISBN 3-8317-1223-9. Die Veröffentlichung erfolgt mit freundlicher Genehmigung des Verlags. www.reise-know-how.de

vermeintlicher Reichtum. Während man hier den realen Kern des Vorurteils in den tatsächlich vorhandenen wirtschaftlichen Unterschieden zwischen Ägyptern und Europäern finden kann, so übersteigt die Vorstellung der meisten Ägypter die tatsächlichen Unterschiede bei weitem.

Höflichkeit

Überflüssig zu sagen, dass man mit höflichem Verhalten auch in Ägypten weiter kommt als ohne. Das Problem ist jedoch, dass sich deutsche und ägyptische Höflichkeitsnormen teilweise voneinander unterscheiden.

Höflich sein (muaddab) ist besonders für die gebildeten Ägypter eine sehr wichtige Tugend im Umgang miteinander. Diese bezieht sich auf die Kleidernormen, d. h. moderate körperbedecken-de Kleidung für Männer und Frauen sowie einen ruhigen und gepflegten Umgangston miteinan-der. Ein Unterschied zwischen beiden Ländern ist, dass in Ägypten die hierzulande aus der Mode geratenen männlichen Tugenden des Kavaliers nach wie vor hoch im Kurs stehen.

Bei Einladungen in eine ägyptische Familie bringt man ein Gastgeschenk mit, um sich für die entstehenden Kosten und Mühen erkenntlich zu zeigen. Dies sollte bei muslimischen Familien möglichst kein Alkohol sein! Stattdessen sind Desserts wie Törtchen, Plätzchen, Bonbons etc. sehr willkommene Mitbringsel. Der Gast sollte sich nicht wundern, wenn das vom Konditor kunstvoll eingepackte Mitbringsel vom Gastgeber scheinbar ignoriert und im Beisein des Gastes nicht geöffnet wird. Diese scheinbare Ignorieren bedeutet nicht, dass das Geschenk nicht gewür-digt wird.

Anders bewertet als in Deutschland wird in Ägypten generell der Konsum von Alkohol, der in der Öffentlichkeit bei weitem nicht den Raum ein-

nimmt wie in Europa. Während es hierzulande vielerorts als „normal“ gilt, sich einen (zu viel) hinter die Binde zu gießen, wird ein solches Ver-halten in Ägypten als unkultiviert empfunden. In islamisch-fundamentalistischen Kreisen wird der Alkohol gar als eine der größten Sünden (haram = verboten) bewertet, die ein Mensch in seinem Leben begehen kann.

Mimik und Gestik

Zur Höflichkeit gehört auch das Beherrschen gewisser Mimik und Gestik. Als erste Regel für höfliches Benehmen gilt, dass beide Geschlech-ter – Frauen und Männer – auf der Straße idealerweise den Blick senken. Auch gilt eine aufrechte Körperhaltung und ein gemessener Gang sowohl bei Frauen wie auch bei Männern als ideal.

Zu Missverständnissen mag führen, dass in Ägypten das Handzeichen für „Habe bitte etwas Geduld“ (die Finger und der Daumen der rechten Hand werden kegelförmig zusammen-geführt und die Hand dann rhythmisch bewegt) mit der italienischen Beschimpfung „Du Arsch-loch!“ identisch ist. Dies zu wissen, erspart einem unter Umständen eine Menge Ärger.

Ebenfalls irritierend für Reisende kann es sein, dass viele Ägypter, wenn sie das Gegenüber nicht verstehen, den Kopf schütteln. Dies ist nicht als Verneinung einer Frage gemeint, son-dern signalisiert schlichtes Unverständnis.

Allgemein kann man sagen, dass Ägypter es lieben, ihre Worte durch Mimik und Gestik zu unterstützen. Vor allem die Hände werden gerne zur Unterstützung der Stimme gebraucht. Der Besucher braucht also nicht mit ausla-denden Gesten und bewegter Mimik zu geizen. Als temperamentvoller Mensch ist man hier unter seinesgleichen. n


Lifting Nature’s BlueprintEngineers are now taking a leaf out of nature’s book to find design solutions to their problems.

Immer häufiger schauen sich heute Ingenieure den Bau-plan der Natur an, um Lösungen für ihre Probleme zu finden.

Biomimetics

It was while picking burdock burrs out of his dog’s fur that inspiration struck for Swiss engineer Georges de Mestral. It occurred to him that the hooked design of these burrs, originally evolved to aid pollination, was so effective at attaching them to loops of fur that it might prove a useful mechanism for joining things together. It was an insight that led to what is arguably the most successful example of biological mimicry in the history of engineering – Velcro.

More than half a century later, Velcro has become a multi-million dollar industry while biological mimicry – or biomimetics – is more popular than ever amongst engineers. By turning to nature, to lift ideas from the flora and fauna around us, engineers are now finding new ways to create anything from smart materials to intelligent buildings.

And why not? Human ingenuity may well be unsurpassed when it comes to solving problems, but why spend years designing a solution when nature has already done the hard work? The fact is that having evolved

over the course of 3.6 billion years, designs from nature have by definition stood the test of time. Quite simply, they work.

Sometimes referred to as bionics – al-though this is now more commonly as-sociated with the design of prosthetic body parts – biomimetics itself is by no means a new idea. People have been taking inspira-tion from nature for thousands of years. The familiar tall columns that adorn Greek temples were originally designed to emulate the load-bearing shape and properties of tree trunks.

Surface Structure

Similarly, Leonardo da Vinci spent consider-able time studying the flight of birds before coming up with his famous designs for flying machines, helicopters and parachutes, even though it would be hundreds of years before anyone would appreciate just how insightful these designs were. And when the

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www.velcro.com (engl.)Vor genau 50 Jahren wurde Velcro, im Englischen synonym für Klettverschluss, als Handelsmarke registriert. Infos zu Geschichte und Produkten.

www.lotus-effekt.de (dt.)Webseite von Prof. Dr. Wilhelm Barthlott zu seiner Entdeckung des Lotus-Effekts mit Literatur zum Thema und weiterführenden Links.

www.architectsforpeace.org/mickprofile.php (engl.)Vita und Projekte von Mick Pearce, dem Architekten des Eastgate Centres in Harare.

www.arup.com/feature.cfm?pageid=292 (engl.)Seite des ausführenden Ingenieurbüros zum Eastgate Centre in Harare.

www.edenproject.com (engl.)Internetpräsenz des Eden Projekts in Cornwall.

www.ngrimshaw.co.uk (engl.)Architekturbüro von Nicholas Grimshaw, dem Architekten des Eden Projekts und der geplanten Entsalzungsanlage in Las Palmas.

www.seawatergreenhouse.com/gran_canaria.htm (engl.)Informationen zu dem Projekt einer Entsalzungsan-lage, dem Water Theatre, in Las Palmas.

www.triz-journal.com (engl.)http://etria.net (engl.)TRIZ Journal und die europäische Vereinigung geben Einblicke in dieses Problemlösungsverfahren.

www.bath.ac.uk/mech-eng/biomimetics/projects (engl.)Institut für Biomimetics & Natural Technologies an der Universität Bath mit dem im Text erwähnten TRIZ System.

www.materialbeliefs.com/collaboration/julian-v.php (engl.)Video eines Interviews mit Julian Vincent über Biomimetik.

Wright brothers eventually took to the air in the early 20th century, their gliders and planes were designed to be steered not by using the flaps and ailerons found in modern aircraft, but rather using a mechanism of wing-warping to steer by altering the shape of their wings, much like birds do.

More recently, though, biomimetics has proved most popular among material scien-tists. For instance, many paints, fabrics, roof tiles and windows already on the market mim-ic the remarkable self-cleaning properties of the lotus leaf. In some cultures, the lotus plant is a symbol of purity because of its tireless ability to repel dirt, despite flourishing in such muddy waters. But it was not until 1982 that German botanist Wilhelm Barthlott discovered how the plant manages to pull off such a stunt.

Barthlott found that the surface of the lotus leaf is made up of very densely packed micro-scopic bumps and ridges that make it difficult for the surface tension of water droplets to be broken. As a result, water can’t stick to the leaf and runs off the surface, taking any dirt with it. By copying this kind of microscopic surface structure in other materials, it becomes pos-sible to achieve the same effect with man-made products.

Complex Molecules

Another favourite for material scientists is the humble gecko, which can walk on walls and ceilings without the help of any kind of secreted adhesive. They manage this thanks to microscopic spatula-shaped hairs – called setae – on the pads of their feet. These setae themselves divide into even smaller hair-like structures at their tips. When viewed under a microscope, even the smoothest glass has a surface resembling a rough terrain of bumps and indentations. By conforming to such micro-scopic surface features, the setae have evolved to maximize the amount of contact the gecko’s feet are able to make with any surface.

The ‘stickiness’ comes from incredibly weak forces called Van der Waals forces that exist between molecules. Individually these forces are tiny but, because there are so many points of contact between the millions of setae and the surface, their collective effect is sufficient to hold the lizard’s weight.

Using micro-fabrication techniques nor-mally used to make computer chips, it is now possible to copy these structures to make dry adhesives for anything from band-aids to robots that can scale walls. And, yes, there is even potential and interest in making some

sort of a ‘Spiderman suit’ capable of support-ing the weight of a human.

At an even smaller scale, scientists are now trying to synthesize and copy some of the most complex biological molecules in existence. The aim is to emulate the molecular antennae that allow plants to capture light particles, or photons, so efficiently as part of the photosynthetic process. If successful, sci-entists hope that such biomimetic molecules could increase the efficiency of solar cells many times over.

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But perhaps one of the most rapidly growing and most ambitious areas of biomimetics now lies in the way we design buildings. In a bid to make large-scale structures more functional and energy efficient, architects and civil engineers have now also started copying ideas from na-ture. The Eastgate Centre, for example, in Zim-babwe’s capital city of Harare, has been built with a novel passive ventilation system that uses a network of vents and flues similar to those built by termites to keep their mounds cool.

And Grimshaw’s, the architectural firm behind the Eden Project in Cornwall, UK, have used the fog-basking beetle (Onymacris unguic-ularis) as inspiration for an ingenious desalination

plant. Living in the water-scarce desert, this beetle uses a clever trick to extract water from moisture-laden air roll-ing in from the Atlantic. It hides underground during the day and comes out at night when its dark body is relatively cool compared to the ambient night air. This difference causes the mois-ture in the air to condense on its back, whereupon it lifts its rear to let the water trickle down to its mouth. Grimshaw’s plant, which is part of plans to redevelop a harbour in Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, would pump warm sea water over a series of tall vertical gills, on which much of the water would evaporate as warm sea air passes over them. As this now moisture-dense, salt-free air continues its journey, it passes a series of vertical pipes through which cold deep-sea water is pumped, causing the clean water to condense and trickle down to collectors.

If built, the plant, which is also designed to serve as a water theatre powered largely by wind turbines, would not only look spectacu-lar, but would also be capable of supplying the 70,000 square meter harbour complex with clean water while using barely a tenth of the energy of a traditional desalination plant.

It is ideas such as this that have encouraged biomimetics expert Julian Vincent at the Univer-sity of Bath in the UK to start compiling a data-base of ‘biological patents’. The idea is to create a resource, known as TRIZ (an acronym of a Russian phrase meaning ‘the theory of solving inventor’s problems’), which engineers will be able to search to find natural solutions to their engineering challenges. According to Vincent, all too often the success of biomimetics largely comes down to serendipity. Hardly surprising, given the limited knowledge most engineers have of biology. But with TRIZ the hope is that engineers will no longer have to be dependent upon biologists – or luck – to access the wealth of ingenuity nature has to offer. n

Dieser Beitrag erschien ursprünglich im Generate Magazine, Issue 06. Die Veröffentlichung erfolgt mit freundlicher Genehmigung der GEA Group.www.geagroup.com

The Eden Project in Corn-wall, UK, is a global gar-den for the 21st Century, a gateway to a sustainable future, and a dramatic setting in which to tell the fascinating story of mankind’s dependence on plants.

ambient umgebend, Umgebungs-ambitious • anspruchsvoll, ambitioniertbid Versuchchallenge Herausforderungcompile, to erstellen, erarbeitendesalination • Entsalzungencourage, to bestärken, ermutigenevaporate, to verdunstenflue • Belüftungsschachtgill • Kieme, Lamelleingenious • raffiniert, ausgeklügeltinventor Erfindermoisture Feuchtigkeitmound • Hügelnovel • neuartigpipe Rohrscarce • knapp, spärlichserendipity • glücklicher Zufallsupply, to versorgen, belieferntrickle, to träufelnvent Entlüftung, Abzugsöffnung

wissen kšnnen handeln

Der Spezialist für

Technical English &BusinessCommunicationISD ist seit Ÿber 25 Jahren Partner fürUnternehmen, deren Mitarbeiter weltweitdurch sicheren Auftritt und kommunikativeKompetenz überzeugen.

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Vocabulary

Autor David Mackie ist Freelance In-Company Trainer und Dozent für Wirt- schaftsenglisch an der EBS. Mail: [email protected]

Die englische Sprache ist reich an bildhaften Redewendungen. Wir stellen die Wichtigsten, nach Themen sortiert, vor. Diesmal: Redewen-dungen aus der Welt des Gerichts und des Rechts.

Legal Idioms

to clear your name

to prove you didn’t do something, that you’re not guilty

He was accused of bribing a business part-ner, but managed to clear his name and he can now continue in his position.

you don’t have (haven’t got) a leg to stand on

not having enough evidence/facts to sup-port your case, or to back up what you’re saying

Peter thinks he’s got a good case. But realis-tically, all the facts are against him. Believe me, he hasn’t got a leg to stand on.

to go by the book

to follow or stick closely to the rules

I wouldn’t take any risks when it’s a ques-tion of health and safety. Let’s just go by the book and we won’t get into trouble.

to bail someone out

to help someone out of a problem

It looked like he wouldn’t meet the dead-line on time, yet again, but his colleagues bailed him out at the last minute.

the jury’s still out on that

a decision has not been made, you haven’t made up your mind yet

What do I think of our new colleague? Well, the jury’s still out on that one. He hasn’t impressed me yet, but there’s still time.

to give someone the benefit of the doubt

if you’re not sure if someone is genuine or not, but can’t provide any reasonable evidence to make a decision, you accept what is being said or done

I’m not sure whether your concept is really going to work, but I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt.

to lay down the law

to tell people what to do, even if they don’t want to, to set the rules

The new Head of Department really laid down the law when she took over. Every-thing’s changed now.

to throw the book at someone

to criticise and/or punish someone very heavily

He made too many costly mistakes. He was called before the Board of Directors and they really threw the book at him.

to jump to conclusions

to make too quick a decision

I think you might be wrong. You don’t know all of the facts yet. Maybe you’ve jumped to conclusions.

to come clean

to admit you’ve done something wrong, to tell something you’ve been keeping secret

I think you should come clean about those documents you lost.

Bild

: iSt

ockp

hoto


Learning by DoingLearning a language usually involves following a lot of rules and memorising many words. In this grammar review, however, there won’t be many of the former, but plenty of the latter. Oh, I nearly forgot practicing – there will some of that, too. We’ll do all this by looking at the gerund.

Durch das einfache Anhängen der Endung -ing an ein Verb entsteht im Englischen das Gerundium. So einfach die Regel, so vielfältig die Ein-satzmöglichkeiten. Ein Überblick.

Grammar Review

Bild: photocase.com

Why no rules? Simply because there aren’t really many rules as such which govern when to use the gerund as opposed to the infinitive. We will look at a few rules but many people think using the gerund is more about having a feeling for the language to-gether with a good memory, of course. Why memory? Because what you’ll find here is a list of different ways to use the gerund, and it’s probably easier to learn the examples just as if you were learning vocabulary.

How many gerunds did you spot in the opening paragraph? There are five, and two in the heading. The gerund is formed by adding ‘-ing’ to the basic form of the verb, which is the same as the participle in any progressive tense. It can be used as the subject or object of a sentence, after a prepo-sition, after certain verbs, or after certain combinations of verbs/nouns and preposi-tions. Here we have some of the most com-mon uses of the gerund and we can look at these with the help of a few examples from the texts in this issue.

Let’s start with the gerund as the subject/ob-ject of a sentence:• Tracking user behaviour and information

flows is a crucial basis of decision-making for every successful online business.

• Building heavy vehicles able to transport 115-ton antennas is not a problem for the company.

• Marrying (the cargo) was performed at the railheads.

• The mission changed from meeting the daily minimum to delivering the maxi-mum tonnage possible.

If a verb follows a preposition, it is in the gerund form:• By enabling us to understand complex

matters, it opens up many opportunities. • So you didn’t wear it again after returning

at 6.30?• I went to empty the pockets before hang-

ing the jacket in the wardrobe.• They work 300 metres in the air without

thinking of the danger.• On reaching a radio beacon at the begin-

ning of each of the corridors, …• Pit A is all about proving up the system.

It is often found together with certain ‘con-necting’ phrases:• Human ingenuity may well be unsurpassed

when it comes to solving problems.• In addition to moving antennas around

the pads, the transporters also have to climb steep hills.

• Other examples include: because of ..., instead of ..., in spite of ...

Prepositions are often combined with an adjective, and these are also followed by the gerund:


• They are interested in making some sort of a ‘Spiderman suit’ capable of support-ing the weight of a human.

• Other examples include: good/bad at doing something afraid of doing something famous for doing something excited about doing something proud of doing something worried about doing something

There are a number of verbs which are al-ways followed by the gerund. As mentioned above, there are no rules to say which verbs these are, you simply have to learn them. It’s probably easier to learn them including the ‘doing something’, then you should remem-ber to use the gerund.• Leonardo da Vinci spent considerable

time studying the flight of birds.• I can’t remember anyone bumping into

me. • Simulated solutions included demolish-

ing the causeway and the existing dam entirely.

• These will work in both directions to al-low filling and flushing.

Verbs which concern liking or disliking tend to fall into this category:• like doing something• love doing something• dislike doing something• hate doing something• detest doing something• enjoy doing somethingOthers include: • avoid doing something• imagine doing something• involve doing something• can’t help doing something• consider doing something• deny doing something• practise doing something• admit doing something• appreciate doing something• suggest doing something

Some verbs are followed by prepositions, and these also take the gerund form.• There was nothing to stop the Western Al-

lies from flying supplies in.• I’m to blame for jumping to conclusions.Plus:• carry on doing something• complain about doing something• apologise for doing something• concentrate on doing something• consist of doing something

• insist on doing something• rely on doing something• succeed in doing something• think of doing something• look forward to doing something• to be used to doing something• prevent someone from doing something• accuse someone of doing something

Some nouns combined with prepositions also require a gerund:• The famous Mont Saint Michel is in dan-

ger of becoming a part of the mainland.• Rare would be the Singaporean without

any experience of living, working or liaising with foreigners.

• A design discipline with a focus on visu-alizing facts and figures is more needed today than ever before.

• This portion of the spectrum holds the key to understanding a great variety of fundamental processes.

Others include:• chance of doing something/something

happening• difficulty in doing something• (no) point in doing something• possibility of doing something• reason for doing something• way/method of doing something

I did say we would do some practice, too. So, after reading through the list of examples again, try to do the exercise without look-ing back – learning by doing, as the heading says. No cheating!

accuse, to beschuldigenappreciate, to • schätzenbeacon • Bakecheat, to mogeln, schummeln complain about, to sich beschweren überconsider, to erwägenconsist of, to bestehen auscrucial • äußerst wichtigdeny, to • leugnen, anstreitendetest, to • hassengovern, to bestimmeninsist on, to bestehen aufmarry, to hier: zusammenfügenrailhead Endbahnhofrely on, to sich verlassen aufspot, to erkennenthe former ersterethe latter letzteretrack, to verfolgenunsurpassed • unübertroffenwardrobe Kleiderschrank


Fill in the gaps with the correct form of the verb in brackets. Be careful! They may not all be gerunds, you might have to use an infinitive. You may also have to add a preposition. You will find the answers below.

1 The company is thinking ________________ (restructure) the whole production process.2 The new design enables the user ______________________ (navigate) more easily.3 The client expects us ______________________ (deliver) the goods within 4 weeks.4 The reason ______________________ (use) aluminium housings is that it reduces the

weight by almost 30%.5 ______________________ (compile) a quality manual involves ____________ (examine)

every process and sub-process in great detail.6 The sluice works in both directions to allow fast _______ (fill) and___________ (empty).7 The machine is able ______________________ (manufacture) 400 units per hour.8 The desalination plant is capable _______ (supply) the 70,000 m2 area with clean water.9 It is essential to prevent the motor ______________________ (overheat).10 The Chinese don’t like ______________________ (make) decisions quickly. They tend

______________________ (avoid) ______________________ (take) too many risks.11 It was necessary ______________________ (stop) the controversial advertising campaign

as there was a serious danger ______________________ (lose) a lot of customers.12 The management hopes ______________________ (save) all of the 3,000 jobs at risk by

______________________ (introduce) a 4-day week.13 We offered _______ (do) the testing but they insisted ________ (use) their own facilities.14 We look forward ______________________ (hear) from you soon.15 Instead ________________ (build) our own plant, we have decided ___________ (enter)

into a joint venture with a local firm.

Grammar Review


Practice

compile, to erstellendesalination plant Entsalzungsanlage

housing Gehäusesluice • Schleuse

Lösungen

Grammar Review1. The company is thinking of restructuring ...2. The new design enables the user to navigate more easily.3. The client expects us to deliver the goods ...4. The reason for using aluminium housings is ...5. Compiling a quality manual involves examining ...6. ... to allow fast filling and emptying.7. The machine is able to manufacture 400 units per hour.8. The desalination plant is capable of supplying ...9. It is essential to prevent the motor from overheating.10. The Chinese don’t like making decisions quickly. They

tend to avoid taking too many risks.11. ... necessary to stop ... a danger of losing a lot ...12. The management hopes to save all ... by introducing ...13. We offered to do the testing but they insisted on using ...14. We look forward to hearing from you soon.15. Instead of building ..., we have decided to enter into ...

Advanced Learners1. perform (ausführen) 2. evaluate (bewerten)3. liaise (zusammenarbeiten)4. authorities (Behörden)5. implement (einführen)6. issues (Angelegenheiten)7. acquired (erwerben)8. maintained (pflegen)9. supplier (Lieferant)10. appraisal (Bewertung)11. scheduling (Ablaufplanung)12. participated (teilnehmen an)

Crossword1. altitUde2. bluepriNt3. compIle4. noVel5. oxygEn6. scaRce 7. acceSsible8. desalInation9. resTrict10. emploYee11. custOm12. Flashlight

13. runwAy14. prosPects15. gaP16. utiLise17. indIcate18. challEnging19. graDe20. taSk 21. stoCk22. maInland23. agreEment24. coNcise25. sourCe26. sluicE27. asseSsment

In Short

C1. transformed2. utilized3. conventional4. limited5. manufacturers6. exploiting7. permit8. grid9. ensures10. auxiliary

D1. demand2. growing3. efficient4. miniature5. liquefies6. appropriate7. disconnects8. obvious9. significant10. successors

B100 The number of watts the CHP device uses.38 The percentage of the energy contained in fuel that is

used by a conventional power plant1 The amount of electrical energy generated by the device.2/3 The fraction of electricity needs in a four-person house-

hold provided by the CHP device.5 The time needed to amortize the added cost of the device. OR The number of kilowatts of heat produced by the

Stirling engine burner.900 The number of watts that can be used directly in the home.90 The percentage of the energy contained in fuel that is

used by a CHP system.400 The number of households where the device is being tested.4 The average number of people living in the households

in question.10 The minimum number of kilowatts that an auxiliary

burner can add.

A1. false2. true3. false4. true5. true6. false


False Friends


Falsche Freunde sind all jene Wörter, die häufig verwechselt werden oder uns aus dem Deutschen vermeintlich be-kannt vorkommen, im Englischen jedoch eine ganz andere Bedeutung haben. Einige davon finden Sie auf dieser Seite.

Er hat die Fehler in der Kalkulation über-sehen.

He overlooked the calculation errors.

He oversaw the calculation errors. to oversee = (über)wachen

Mr Jackson will oversee the installation of the new assembly line.

Diese Einstellung scheint mir ziemlich kurios.

That seems to be a rather strange attitude.

That seems to be a rather curious attitude.

curious = neugierig

I’ll be curious to find out what the next steps are.

Die Direktion sitzt im obersten Stock. The management have their offices on the top floor.

The direction have their offices on the top floor.

direction = Richtung

They are currently travelling in the direction of London.

Die Farbe wird auf das Gehäuse gesprüht.

The paint is sprayed onto the device.

The colour is sprayed onto the device. colour = Farbton

Our corporate colours are blue and yellow.

Ein gewisser Stil wird in einer solch mondänen Stadt erwartet.

A certain style can be expected in such a worldly/fashionable city.

A certain style can be expected in such a mundane city.

mundane = eintönig, langweilig

The top management is not interested in such mundane things as cleaning services.

Über den Preis können wir leider nicht verhandeln.

Unfortunately, we cannot negotiate the price.

Unfortunately, we cannot negotiate the prize.

prize = Preis (Belohnung, was gewonnen wird)

There was a $100,000 prize for the best environmentally friendly innovation.

Die Raucherecke befindet sich links am Ende des Flurs.

The smoking area is on the left at the end of the corridor.

The smoking area is on the left at the end of the floor.

floor = Fußboden

The office has a floor space of approximately 65 m2.

Es wird viel Geld kosten, die gewünschten Änderungen zu realisieren.

It will cost a lot of money to implement the desired changes.

It will cost a lot of money to realise the desired changes.

to realise = begreifen

If I had realised what it would cost, I would never have started the project.


account for, to begründenachievement • Errungenschaft, Leistungapplication Bewerbungapply, to hier: geltenassessment • Beurteilungbold fett gedrucktcluttered überhäuft, unordentlichconcise • kurzgefasstconsider, to hier: halten fürcredibly glaubwürdigcrucial • entscheidenddismissal • Entlassung

The Story of Your LifeA Human Resources (HR) manager responsible for recruiting is reported to have an average of 90 seconds to make an initial, and often crucial, assessment of an application; ninety seconds which could be the difference between a new job opportunity and the waste-paper basket. Therefore, it is essential that your application documents are clear, precise and eye catching. Here we take a look at an example of a typical Curriculum Vitae.

Gerade mal 90 Se-kunden nimmt sich ein Personalleiter Zeit, um sich von einem Bewerbung einen ersten Ein-druck zu verschaf-fen. Umso wichtiger ist ein klarer und übersichtlicher Lebenslauf. Ein Beispiel.

Advanced Learners

The Curriculum Vitae (CV) is to all intents and purposes the story of your life and it is the only real way you can show a potential employer how your life, in particular your working life, has developed so far. So, it’s important to get it right. In this article we will concentrate on a British-style CV as it would prove too complicated to look in detail at the differences between the various formats around the world. In America, for example, a CV is generally restricted to academic positions. For any other jobs, you would write a resume, which has a different style and layout.

When it comes to layout, or design, of a CV, many people have their own ideas of what it should ‘physically’ look like, - it’s really a ques-tion of taste and aesthetics. The most important thing is that the information is clearly presented and that the overall ‘look’ is not too cluttered. What you consider to be the key information (e.g. previous employers, university education) should be in bold print so the reader can imme-diately pick out what might be of interest. Other-wise, how you layout the page is essentially up to you. However, your document should not exceed two pages if possible; just remember the above-mentioned 90 seconds.

There are also no real ‘rules’ as such for what should be written. There are, however, generally accepted recommendations, some of which differ from a typical German ‘Lebens-lauf’. A CV, for example, does not require a

photograph (this also applies in particular when writing a resume for the US on account of very strict discrimination laws, and many recruiters might even shy away from a CV/resume which includes a picture). The personal data in a CV is kept to a minimum, again, in many cases, to avoid discrimination. All that is really neces-sary is your name, date of birth (not even this in the States), and your contact details. Finally, in Germany, it is common to sign and date the ‘Lebenslauf’ at the end, but this is not the case with a CV.

As far as the information in the document is concerned, apart from a few minor devia-tions, it is relatively consistent, no matter where in the world you are: personal details, work experience, education, special skills, achieve-ments, hobbies/interests. The order depends largely on which stage of your career you are currently at. If you have just, or fairly recently, graduated from university, the details of your education will probably appear first as work experience will more than likely be restricted to internships. If, however, you are well into your working life, then your work experience will be of more interest to a future employer.

The information given in a CV should, naturally, be correct. Any falsified data will most likely be discovered eventually and can lead to instant dismissal. This also holds for any gaps you might have in your professional life. It is considered important to have a ‘gap-free’

duty Pflicht, Aufgabeexceed, to überschreitengap Lückegraduate, to Hochschulabschluss machenhands-on praktischhold hier: geltenHuman Resources Personalwesenon account of wegenrequire, to benötigenrestrict to, to begrenzen aufshy away, to vor etw. zurückschreckento all intents and purposes im Grunde genommen


Vocabulary check! Read through the CV and find words which mean the same as the following (Answers on page 44):

Practice

The Story of Your Life


CV. However, if you do have a period of time you cannot cred-ibly account for, it is better to leave it out. If you are invited to an interview, it can be explained there.

The information should be delivered in as concise and clear a manner as possible and using ‘active’ verbs helps to do this: ‘responsible for the introduction of spare parts database’ should be replaced by ‘introduced spare parts database’; ‘duties included the prepa-ration of hands-on product presenta-tion workshops’ by ‘prepared hands-on product preparation workshops’; ‘inter-ested in gospel sing-ing, member of local choir’ by ‘member of a local gospel choir’.

What follows is an example of a CV. Of course, it is not possible to include all possibilities in one CV, but I do hope this will go a long way to help you update, rewrite, or compose your own CV. Once you have read it, you can also check some of the vocabulary used in the CV. n

NAME Peter BRÜHLADDRESS Blücher Strasse 25 55020 Mainz, GermanyTELEPHONE (+49) 6131 472217EMAIL [email protected] OF BIRTH 15 April, 1975

Work Experience

July 2005 – present Elster GmbH, Mainz-Kastel, Germany

Deputy Head In-House Test Centre Organise, perform and evaluate test procedures; liaise closely with national

and international calibration authorities; prepare and implement

quality assurance proceduresMarch 2003 – June 2005 Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma KG, Ingelheim, Germany

Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) department

Prepared and implemented HSE standards;

trained employees in handling HSE issues June 2000 – February 2003 IBM Ltd, Frankfurt, Germany Quality Assurance (QA) Updated QA manual; acquired working knowledge of SAP software

August 1998 – May 2000 Measucon Ltd, Falkirk, Scotland Quality Control Department Tested incoming goods; maintained spare parts database;

assisted in improving supplier appraisal system Education

Sept. 1994 – June 1998 University of Kaiserslautern, Germany

Degree: Mechanical Engineering Major focus: Work Scheduling, Environmental Management,

Production Technology Thesis: Energy Management Sept. 1987 – May 1994 Goethe Gymnasium (Grammar School), Mainz

Abitur (A-Level, university entrance qualification)

Main subjects: physics, mathematics, Grade 1.3 (“Very good”)Further Qualifications Certificate in Quality Control Management, TüV R. Pfalz

Certificate in Production Data Management, FH Mainz

First-Aid Certificate (Advanced) Skills

Languages English: fluent, written and spoken

Participated in 6-week intensive language course

in York, England (June-July 1998) Spanish: working knowledgePC skills MS Word, PowerPoint, Excel, SAP, Access, MS Project, Visio

Leisure Interests

Sports Cycling, volleyball (possess valid trainer’s licence),

snowboarding, soccer (committee member of local soccer club)Local politics Active member of local town councilMusic Play the trombone in a big band

1 do, carry out 2 analyse and find conclusions3 cooperate 4 the people who fix the rules 5 put into action 6 matters, questions

7 gained, collected8 looked after, kept up-to-date 9 where you get your materials from 10 assessment 11 planning, timetabling 12 took part in


Actions Speak Louder than Words

Communicating takes up a great deal of our lives, both privately and at work. For most people that means speaking or writing. How-ever, what many people forget is that a large part of communica-tion is body language, and the message that gives may be more powerful than the spoken words.

Kommunikation be-steht aus mehr als nur gesprochenen oder geschriebenen Wörtern. Dass die Körpersprache ein großer und wich-tiger Teil der Kom-munikation ist, wird leicht vergessen.

Business

Bild

: Mei

er

Estimates vary as to how much communica-tion consists of body language or non-verbal communication, but whether it is 90 per cent or 60 per cent, the fact is, it plays an important role and should not be dismissed lightly. Consider why learners of English often find telephone calls more difficult than a face-to-face conver-sation. It is because they are missing the help given by facial expressions and hand gestures.

Mostly, we are not aware of what our faces, hands or legs are doing when we speak. Never-theless, messages are being sent simultaneously on two levels, and if the non-verbal cues do not match the spoken message, misunderstandings may arise. People tend to believe the non-ver-bal message over the spoken one. You may have the best product on the market but if, in a presentation, your body is giving the message that you can’t be trusted, that you look shifty or insecure, then the audience may not believe what they are hearing but, rather, what they are seeing. Even greater misunderstandings may arise when doing business internationally, and an awareness of cultural differences is neces-sary to avoid not only misunderstandings but to be sure that you haven’t unintentionally insulted your business partner

Types of Body Language

GesturesThe amount of gestures used varies from culture to culture, and the same gesture can have different meanings in different countries. Nodding of the head to signify “yes” and shaking it from side to side to signify “no” may be un-derstood in many countries, but in Bulgaria, for example, it is the reverse. The “thumbs up” sign meaning “good” or “OK” may be a universal sign for pilots and is often used by hitchhik-ers, but in Iran or Nigeria it is a vulgar gesture which could get you into trouble.

Facial ExpressionsA smile, raised eyebrows, a frown, or yawn all convey information to the recipient. While there is evidence that their meanings are similar in many cultures, there is still room for misunder-standing. In many Asian countries, the smile is not only used to express happiness or pleasure but also to cover up embarrassment. Constant smiling may give the message that you are not serious; yawning without covering your mouth may be considered impolite.

Eye contactHow do you feel if someone doesn’t look you in the eye when talking to you? Western cultures see eye contact as positive, and you may not trust or want to do business with someone who avoids it. However, some Asian, African and South American countries avoid eye contact to show respect. The next question is how long or intense the contact should be. Arab cultures have prolonged eye contact since eyes are the “windows to the soul” and reflect truthfulness. This might be disconcerting to British people, who do not like being stared at.

PostureTo be avoided at all costs is showing the soles of your shoes in Saudi Arabia, Egypt and parts of Asia. The sole of the foot or shoe is considered to be the lowest and dirtiest part of the body, and it is very insulting to show it. You should also never move an object using your foot. Sitting cross-legged in Thailand is considered improper, and in some countries when men cross their legs when seated, it is interpreted as being effeminate.

TouchWhere we touch, who we touch and when we touch depends very much on where you come from. Some countries are much more touch-ori-ented than others, but each culture has a clear concept of what parts of the body one may or


Autorin Judith Fortey ist Free-lance In-Company Trainerin und Dozentin für Wirtschafts-englisch an der EBS. Mail: [email protected]

may not touch. In Korea, it is very disrespect-ful to touch someone’s head, even the head of a child, because that is where the soul lies. Islamic cultures generally don’t accept touching between genders but it is perfectly acceptable for the same sex to do so, and it would not be uncommon for two men to walk down a street in Saudi holding hands. This simply signifies a friendship and would never have homosexual connotations as might be the case in parts of Eu-rope or North America. In Islamic and Hindu culture, it is considered a social insult to be touched by someone’s left hand. The left hand is used for toilet functions and is therefore con-sidered dirty. The handshake may be becom-ing a global greeting in business, but how you shake hands is a different matter. In Germany, a good firm handshake is appropriate but would be considered aggressive in the Middle East, where a gentle grip is used. Most Europeans find a limp handshake unpleasant. In Russia, a greeting may begin with a firm handshake fol-lowed by a big “bear hug”.

ProximityYour personal space, or “bubble”, refers to the distance you feel comfortable with between yourself and others. For Americans and many Europeans it is approximately an arm’s length between you and the person you are talking with. People from Latin America or the Mid-dle East stand much closer together, and if you were to move away from them during a conver-sation, they might consider you unfriendly. Be-tween Arabs of the same sex, there is essentially no such thing as acceptable personal space. Arab culture emphasises the need to “share the breath” of your companion.

ParalanguageBody Language is only one part of non-verbal communication. Paralanguage, which includes the volume, tone, pitch and intonation as well as characteristics such as laughing, crying or shouting, also varies across cultures and can send different messages. Loudness indicates strength in Arabic countries but would be inap-propriate in Asia. Go to any football game in Europe and you will hear whistling as a sign of discontent whereas in America it usually con-veys approval. If you are being entertained in India, be prepared to hear belching after a meal, which is a sign that the food was good and you are expressing your appreciation. In China, spit-ting in public is acceptable because it is ridding the body of waste.

There are many other non-verbal influences at work when it comes to communication. Si-lence is also a form of communicating and is ac-

ceptable and causes no discomfort in Japan, but the North American would most likely jump in to fill the silence. For Arabs, body odours are nor-mal and natural whereas there is a billion dollar industry in the US providing products to mask such unpleasant and objectionable odours!

Knowing that different messages are being sent and received due to the various non-ver-bal aspects of communication is particularly important when doing business internationally. Nevertheless, however much you have pre-pared for a foreign assignment, do not forget that communication takes place between indi-viduals and not cultures. People do not neces-sarily behave in the way the books tell us, but if you go with an open mind and are prepared to respect the differences, it will go a long way to building a good relationship. n

avoid, to vermeidenbelch, to rülpsenbody odour • Körpergeruchbubble Blaseconvey, to • mitteilen, beförderncue • Hinweisdisconcerting beunruhigenddismiss, to ablehneneffeminate • weibischembarrassment •

Peinlichkeit

eyebrow Augenbrauefrown Stirnrunzelngesture • Geste, Handbewegunghitchhiker Anhalterimproper missbräuchlichinsult so, to jmdn. beleidigenlimp schlaffmask verschleiernnod, to nickenobjectionable •

unangenehm, störend

pitch • Tonhöheprolonged • anhaltendproximity • Näherecipient • Abnehmerrid, to befreienshake, to schüttelnshifty gerissen, gewandtsignify, to andeuten, bezeichnensole Schuhsolesoul Seelespit, to spuckenstare, to glotzentrust, to vertrauenunintentionally unabsichtlichyawn • Gähnen






enGine Lautschrift


Leaving an Answerphone

Message

This is Alexandra Paterson calling for David Harvey.

Hier ist Alexandra Paterson. Ich habe eine Nachricht für D. Harvey.

I’m calling about … Ich rufe an wegen …

Maybe you can get back to me. Vielleicht könnten Sie/könntest Du mich zurückrufen.

Maybe you could call me back when you get a chance.

Vielleicht könnten Sie/könntest Du mich bei Gelegenheit zurückrufen.

I think you have my number but, just in case, here it is again. It’s …

Ich glaube, Sie haben meine Num-mer, aber falls nicht, gebe ich sie Ihnen noch einmal. Sie lautet …

I’ll be in the office until 4 o’clock if you want to call me.

Ich bin bis 16.00 Uhr im Büro, falls Sie mich zurückrufen möchten.

Speak to you soon. Bis bald.

Dealing with Orders

We acknowledge receipt of your order.

Wir bestätigen den Erhalt Ihres Auftrags.

I would like to confirm receipt of your order of 25th January.

Hiermit bestätige ich Ihren Auftrag vom 25. Januar.

Thank you for your order for 53 units à € 13.50.

Vielen Dank für Ihre Bestellung von 53 Stück à €13,50.

We can confirm that your goods have been shipped.

Wir bestätigen, dass Ihre Waren versandt wurden.

Due to exceptional demand, these items are temporarily out of stock.

Wegen außerordentlich großer Nachfrage sind diese Artikel vorübergehend nicht auf Lager.

We hope to be able to ship your order within 14 days.

Wir werden Ihre Bestellung hof-fentlich innerhalb von 14 Tagen versenden.

You can track the shipping details on our website.

Sie können den Versand Ihrer Bestellung auf unserer Website verfolgen.

@

Unsere Redewen-dungen erleichtern Ihnen das Telefo-nieren, Brief- und E-Mail-Schreiben und Präsentieren.

Introducing Visuals

If you take a look at this chart, … Wenn Sie diese Grafik anschauen,…

Have a look at this flow chart. Schauen Sie sich bitte dieses Fluss-diagramm an.

As you can see here, … Wie Sie hier sehen können, …

The graph shows … Diese Grafik zeigt …

I’d like to draw your attention to this table.

Ich möchte Sie auf diese Tabelle aufmerksam machen.

To illustrate that point, I’d like to show you this.

Um das zu verdeutlichen, möchte ich Ihnen Folgendes zeigen.

Let’s visualise that with a look at …

Lassen Sie uns das veranschauli-chen, indem wir …

Phrases


Crossword


Vokabeln lassen sich nicht nur mit Karteikasten und Oktavheft pauken. Wie wär‘s denn mal mit einem Kreuz-worträtsel?

CrosswordWhat is the mysterious X? All of the words in the puzzle can be found in the articles in this issue. See if you can complete the crossword to find where in Potsdam you can study Interface Design. You can find the answers on page 44.

1. Height, for example at which a plane flies.

2. A detailed plan or drawing.

3. To put together, e.g. information.

4. New, different, maybe unusual.

5. What we need to breathe.

6. When there is not very much of some-thing, it can be described as _____.

7. You can easily get to it, so it is easily __________.

8. Process of taking the salt out of something.

9. To limit.

10. A person who works for a company.

11. __________-made means something is made in accordance with the specifications of an individual.

12. You can use this to help you see at night, another word for torch.

13. Where a plane takes off and lands.

14 Outlook for the future; a good education gives you good __________.

15. An empty space, maybe in a text?

16. To use.

17. To show.

18. If something is difficult to do, it is __________.

19. The slope of a hill, expressed in percentage.

20. A job to be done.

21. Inventory, what’s in your warehouse.

22. Not an island.

23. A contract or an understanding between parties.

24. Short and exact.

25. The origin of something.

26. This stops or regulates the flow of water, a kind of a gate.

27. An evaluation or a judgement.

X

The Case of the Missing WalletEgbert is on a business trip in London. Unfortunately, a wallet with his passport in it goes missing, and he is now at a police station to report the loss.

On the Move

Bild: Barbara Kohm

Egbert, der Ingeni-eur, ist beruflich viel unterwegs. Immer wieder schlittert er dabei in Situationen, die uns nur zu be-kannt vorkommen. Gerüstet mit den Vokabeln und Rede-wendungen dieser Rubrik werden Sie diese Situationen das nächste Mal mit Bravour meistern.


Policeman: Can I help you, Sir?Egbert: Yes, I’d like to report a missing wallet.Policeman: Missing? Have you lost it or was

it stolen?Egbert: That’s the problem, I’m not really

sure.Policeman: Let’s go step by step. How much

was in the wallet?Egbert: How much what?Policeman: How much money?Egbert: There wasn’t any money.Policeman: OK. No money in the wallet, so

what was in it, Sir?Egbert: Oh, you’ve misunderstood. Or rather,

it’s my English. It wasn’t a wallet for money but for documents, like a passport. It was leather and sort of opened like a book, with a pocket on either side.

Policeman: Sorry, I’m to blame for jumping to conclusions. I know exactly what you mean. So, could you tell me what was in the wallet?

Egbert: Yes, the important things are my passport, my identity card, my driving licence and an American express card.

Policeman: And when did you last have it?Egbert: Well, I know I had it yesterday. I’m

here on business for a few days and after a meeting, I put in a couple of business cards that I’d been given and which I didn’t want to lose. Then I put it back into my jacket pocket.

Policeman: Is it the jacket you’re now wear-ing?

Egbert: No, it was a different one.Policeman: And was it an outside pocket or

on the inside?Egbert: An inside breast pocket. I always

keep it there.Policeman: And what did you do for the rest

of the day?Egbert: I was taken out to lunch but I didn’t

take off my jacket. After that, as I had no more business appointments, I dropped my briefcase off at the hotel and then went shopping. That was around 3 o’clock, and I returned to my hotel about six thirty. I hung the jacket on the back of a chair, and it wasn’t until much later that I realised the wallet was missing.

Policeman: So, you didn’t wear it again after returning at 6.30?

Egbert: No. I worked for about an hour and then ate in the hotel restaurant. But I was wearing a cardigan and not a jacket.

Policeman: And when did you realise it was no longer there?

Egbert: Quite late yesterday evening. I went to empty the pockets before hanging the

jacket in the wardrobe and found it wasn’t there. Obviously I looked through all my luggage. I don’t have a lot with me, just a small suitcase and my briefcase. But I know it was in my jacket pocket.

Policeman: Whereabouts did you go shop-ping?

Egbert: Well, I strolled around the West End. Regent Street, Oxford Street, Bond Street.

Policeman: Were you wearing your jacket the whole time?

Egbert: Apart from when I tried on a coat. But I never left it lying around. It was in the changing room and I was just outside looking in a mirror. No one could have stolen it then, and it was hanging up so I don’t think it could have fallen out. I called in at the shop on my way here, but it hadn’t been handed in.

Policeman: Were you in any crowded places?

Egbert: Well, it seems to me that Oxford Street is always crowded. Selfridges was also very busy.

Policeman: Mmm. Both Oxford Street and Selfridges are popular with pickpockets for that very reason. Also, there are a lot of tourists who are easy targets.

Egbert: It did cross my mind that it was sto-len. But it’s hard to believe that I wouldn’t have felt something. I can’t remember anyone bumping into me.

Vokabeldownload: www.engine-magazin.de/extrasappointment Terminbriefcase Aktenkofferbump into so., to jdn. anrempelncardigan • Strickjackechanging room Umkleidekabinecross one’s mind, to jdm. einfallen, jdm. in

den Sinn kommen drop sth. off, to etw. ablieferneasy target leichtes Zielhand sth. in, to etw. aufgeben, abgebenI’m to blame Ich bin Schuldidentity card Personalausweisjump to a conclusion, to voreilig Schlüsse ziehen,

vorschnell urteilenluggage Gepäckmirror Spiegelpickpocket Taschendiebpocket Taschestroll, to bummelnsuitcase Kofferwallet • Portemonnaiewardrobe • Kleiderschrank


On the Move

Autorin Judith Fortey ist Free-lance In-Company Trainerin und Dozentin für Wirtschafts-englisch an der EBS. Mail: [email protected]

Policeman: You’d be surprised, sir. They are professionals – if one can call them that. Many operate in gangs and know all the tricks of the trade.

Egbert: Are there really so many?Policeman: London is a big city; it attracts

thieves from all over the country, if not the world. Some have been caught in ac-tion on CCTV. In one case I remember, a watch was stolen off a person’s arm and they had no idea it had gone.

Egbert: Actually, I remember something similar happening at a theatre, but the pickpocket was a magician and it was a member of the audience who was the victim.

Policeman: The trick is that your attention is distracted by something else happening, often by a member of the gang, and your wallet is gone in the blink of an eye.

Egbert: The more I think about it, the more certain I am that it was stolen.

Policeman: In that case, you had better fill out a form. If you’d just take a seat over here, we can do this on the computer.

Egbert: Thank you.Policeman: First of all, I will need some

personal details, your name and address, and then a description of what has been stolen.

Egbert: I also have the number of my pass-port and the date it was issued and the expiry date.

Policeman: That will be very helpful. Most people don’t think of keeping a copy of the details.

Egbert: To be honest, neither did I. Fortu-nately, my secretary had the details and so I phoned her first thing this morning.

Policeman: Well, at least you have them.

They complete the form together.

Policeman: Have you already cancelled the American Express card?

Egbert: My secretary was going to do that for me. But I have to go to the German embassy to report it there. I’ll need some proof of identity to show at Heathrow and in Germany. If only I’d kept my ID card in my normal wallet, as I usually do, then I could have used that.

Policeman: It’s much easier to travel within the EU these days. By the way, do you have the address of the German embassy?

Egbert: Actually, that was going to be my next question.

Policeman: I’ll look it up on the internet for you. It’s 23 Belgrave Square, so the

nearest tube stations are Sloane Square, which is on the Circle line, or Hyde Park Corner on the Piccadilly line. There’s also a telephone number. I’ll just jot down the details for you.

Egbert: Thank you, that’s really helpful.Policeman: It does say on the web page that

you should phone for an appointment.Egbert: I’ll risk it and go on the off chance

that they will see me. I’ve cancelled my appointments for today as I guessed it would take some time.

Policeman: Here’s a copy of the report with the reference number. You will be receiv-ing a letter confirming the reported theft. It is a standard letter and, as you have been the victim of a crime, it will offer the possibility of counselling or joining a victim support group.

Egbert: Goodness me. I’m not sure we have that in Germany. Well, thank you very much for your help.

Policeman: You’re welcome. And by the way Sir, your English is excellent. n

audience • Publikumcancel, to sperren, absagencounselling • Beratungdistract, to ablenkengoodness me du meine Gütejot down, to notierenon the off chance auf gut Glückproof Beweissupport group Selbsthilfegruppeto be honest ehrlich gesagttricks of the trade einschlägige Trickstube U-Bahnvictim Opfer



Leeside of Business

A Matter of Endurance

leesi

de

Anthony LeeSenior LecturerCentre for Business Languages, ebsE-Mail: [email protected]

Looking out of my window and seeing a cold, grey day, I couldn’t help but feel that it was a reflection of the world at the mo-ment. Pick up a newspaper or switch on the news and it’s all gloom and doom. If it’s not falling markets, folding companies, and ris-ing unemployment, then it’s either terrorist attacks or natural disasters. One might be led to think that life’s somewhat of an endurance test for many at the moment. Then I received an email which got me thinking about what endurance means.

It’s not unusual to receive emails from friends who are going to participate in a par-ticular walk or marathon and at the same time raise money for a charity. For the sponsor it is quite easy. There’s usually a web page to click on where you can find out details of the event and, if you decide to support the person, you can painlessly enter credit card details and the amount you are willing to donate, and then you can sit back feeling good – without having to get sore feet. The email from my nephew, which I opened this week, asked me to support two of his friends, who have entered for the 2009 Marathon des Sables, or Marathon of the Sands, and who are hop-ing to raise £20,000 for charity. My interest was aroused because it takes place in the Sahara desert; a region close to my heart. After university, having worked for a year to raise money, I set off for Africa. I had no clear idea of where or how I would travel but part of my journey involved spending four days crossing the Sahara from Algiers, in Morocco, to Agadiz, in Niger. My trans-port was an open truck full of sacks of dates, which I sat on top of. Not only had I paid for the transport but also food, which meant that if a desert antelope was spotted, it meant meat for dinner, and the truck would zoom off after it leaving me clinging on for dear life. As the “roads” were just hard, rocky tracks, it was not only an adventure for an idealistic 23 year old, but also a bit of an endurance test. However, having now researched the Mara-thon des Sables, I realize that what I experi-enced was child’s play in comparison.

This six-day, 240-kilometre (5½ mara-thons) endurance race across a section of the Sahara desert in southern Morocco takes place in March or April each year – a time

when temperatures can reach 50°C. It was started in 1986 by a Frenchman who wanted to share his experience of travelling in the Sahara. Since then, there has been over 7,000 competitors; the youngest 16 years old and the oldest 78! Women make up 14% of the competitors. However, it is not just a case of walking or running at a speed between 3 and

14 kilometres per hour, you also have to carry everything you need, apart from water and a tent, in a rucksack on your back: that means food, clothes, medi-cal kit, and sleeping bag. Water is rationed to 9 litres a day and is handed out at checkpoints.

Although over the years only one person has died (which I find incredible), there are amazing examples of courage and survival. In 1994, an Italian police officer got lost in a sand-

storm and wandered several hundred kilome-tres off course. He lived for 9 days on a diet of boiled urine and dead bats, and lost 13 kilos. Amazingly, he returned to Morocco twice more to compete. Most competitors have to endure painful visits to the “Doc Trotters”, a medical team provided by the organisers, to have severe blisters removed with a scalpel and iodine. And the race website warns that a competitor will be disqualified if they require more than one intravenous drip.

Enduring physical discomfort is only part of it. Mental endurance is every bit as, if not more, important. The will and determination to keep going requires strong emotional and mental stamina. Maybe this stamina is the answer to how we should react to the present flood of bad tidings in the world today.

arouse, to erweckenbad tidings schlechte Nachrichten bat Fledermauscharity Wohltätigkeits-

organisationcling on, to festhaltendate Datteldonate, to spendenendurance Ausdauergloom and doom Düsterkeit und

Untergangsstimmungintravenous drip Infusion

Gelesen & Gehört

Xenophobiker sind Menschen, die sich vor allem Fremden fürchten. Insofern umschreibt der Xenophobe’s guide to the Germans seine Ziel-gruppe genau, denn das kleine Bändchen will seinen Lesern einfach nur die Furcht vor diesen komischen Deutschen nehmen. Interessanterweise sind beide Autoren Deutsche, die jedoch schon lange in England leben. Daher können sie nicht nur eine kritische Nabelschau betreiben, son-dern auch einen gesunden Blick von außen auf uns Deutsche werfen.

Mit erkennbarem englischen Humor erklären die Autoren unsere nationale Identität, unsere Werte, Verhalten, oder gar unseren Sinn für Humor, von dem böse Zungen behaupten, dass er gar nicht exis-tiert. Darüber hinaus gibt es ganz praktische Hinweise zum Essen und Trinken, Gesprächen und Gesten sowie dem Geschäftemachen. Das Büchlein eignet sich so nicht nur als nicht ganz ernst gemeintes Ge-schenk (siehe Humor) für ausländische Kollegen oder Geschäftspartner, sondern auch fürs Selbststudium unter dem Gesichtspunkt: Erkenne dich selbst. mm

Angstnehmer

Xenophobe’s guide to the Germans (engl.)S. Zeidenitz, B. BarkowOval BooksISBN 1-902825-29-2

Kurs Ost nahmen Andreas Hülsmann und seine Frau Claudia und erkundeten im Hinterhof der ehemaligen Sowjetunion die „Stans“, all jene im Westen fast unbekannten Länder wie Turkmenistan, Usbekistan, Tadschikistan oder Kasachstan. In vier Monaten fuhren sie mit ihren Motorrädern 17.000 Kilometer tief nach Zentralasien hinein, folgten der sagenumwobenen Seidenstraße, durchquerten das Pamir Gebirge und erreichten schließlich über die Endlosigkeit der kasachische Steppe Sibirien.

Die schönsten Momente dieser einmaligen Motorradreise sind nun in einem Bildband zusammengefasst. Auf über 150 Seiten kann der Leser den Hülsmanns nach Samarkand, zum Gaskrater von Darwarza, in die Jurten Kirgisiens und zu all den anderen Zielen ihrer Reise folgen. Die Einleitungs- und Bildtexte sind übrigens sowohl in Deutsch als auch in Englisch gehalten, so dass sich der Bildband nicht nur zur Pflege des ei-genen Englischs, sondern auch hervorragend als Geschenk für Motorrad fahrende, ausländische Geschäftspartner eignet. mm

Im Osten viel Neues

Kurs Ost (dt./engl.)Andreas HülsmannTouratechISBN 978-3-941007-00-0www.touratech.de

Sie lauern an jeder Ecke, die „falschen Freunde“ und andere, gerade von Deutschen gern gemach-te Fehler im Englischen. Sätze wie „Strychnine is a dangerous gift“, „This theory is new for me“ oder „We live 900 metres over sea level“ mögen zwar vertraut klingen, sind aber leider falsch.

Gerade um diese typisch deutschen Englisch-fehler und ihre Vermeidung kümmern sich die Lehrbücher der Reihe Word Power for Germans. Hier geht es um falsch Freunde, richtige Präpositi-onen, ähnliche Aussprache und um den richtigen Einsatz von Wörtern für die es im Englischen mehrere Vokabeln gibt, wie z. B. Haus = house, home, building. Gedacht als Lehrwerk eignet sich die Reihe mit den ausführlichen Lösungsbüchern jedoch auch gut zum Selbststudium. mm

Die Macht der Worte

Word Power for GermansKunze, Woxbrandt, RowdenBeaver BooksISBN 3-926686-26-X

Ohne Schokolade

Hueber Hörbuch (CD)Joanne HarrisHueberISBN978-3-19-209560

Hörbücher sind sicher die beliebteste Methode sein Englisch ohne große Anstrengung, sozusa-gen zwischendurch, aufzufrischen. Besonders angenehm ist es mit diesen beiden Kurzgeschich-ten von Joanne Harris, die vielen sicher noch von ihrem Bestseller „Chocolat“ bekannt sein dürfte. In „Faith and Hope go shopping“ brechen zwei alte Damen aus dem Altersheim aus, um das Leben noch einmal zu genießen. „Breakfast at Tesco’s“ erzählt von der Freundschaft einer Su-permarktangestellten und einer alten Dame.

Beide Geschichten sind sehr langsam und deutlich gesprochen, in einfachem Englisch gehalten und können im beigefügten Taschen-buch mitgelesen werden. Leider fehlt eine Voka-belhilfe. mm


Linksverkehr

www.hotforwords.comEs gibt nichts, was es nichts gibt. Das gilt insbesondere für das Internet und diese Seite ist ein Beweis mehr dafür. Auf Hot for Words erklärt Marina Orlova mit russischem Akzent und sehr freizügigem Dekolleté die Ethymologie, sprich Herkunft, englischer Wörter. Der Zweck heiligt die Mittel mag sich die studierte Philologin gedacht haben, als sie sich entschloss nicht im grauen Kostüm sondern in Hotpants und knappen Tops über den Ursprung von Wörtern wie nightmare, palindrome, duck tape oder hor-ny (ja, auch das) zu philosophieren. Bleibt nur die Frage, ob übermäßige Hormonpro-duktion bei Männern dem Lerneffekt nicht entgegenwirkt.

http://oneminutelanguages.comEnglisch ist zwar eine Weltsprache, aber in manchen Regionen sollte man zumin-dest ein paar Wörter in der Landessprache beherrschen. Dazu gehören sicher China, Russland, Japan und – so hat es zumindest manchmal den Anschein – Deutschland. Hier hilft die Webseite One Minute Lan-guages mit kurzen Podcast, die allerdings meist etwas länger als die Namen gebende eine Minute sind. Hier lernt der Zuhörer die allerwichtigsten Redewendungen. Ein paar Worte in der Landessprache reichen meist schon aus, um sein Gegenüber zu beeindru-cken und ein gutes Klima für ein weiteres Gespräch in Englisch zu schaffen. Weitere Einminutensprachen sind Katalanisch, Dä-nisch, Französisch, Irisch, Luxembourgisch, Norwegisch, Polnisch und Rumänisch.

http://dev.europeana.euDie Idee war gut, zu gut. Zum Zeitpunkt unseres Redaktionsschlusses war die Seite der Europeana noch wegen Überlastung geschlossen. Einfach zu viele interessierten sich für diese „Kultur-Wikipedia“ der euro-päischen Museen. Die Macher der Webseite haben es sich zum Ziel gesetzt, Kunstschät-ze europäischer Museen in einem virtuellen Internet-Museum allen zugänglich zu machen. Ohne extra nach Rom, Paris oder London fahren zu müssen, sollen Besucher zukünftig auf bis zu sechs Millionen Bilder, Filme, Ton- und Schriftdokumente zugreifen können – und das in allen großen Sprachen der EU. Ein lobenswertes Projekt.

Mal kurz eine E-Mail schreiben, das kann auf Englisch schon mal länger dauern. Wie lautet die richtige Anrede? Was klingt formell und was eher informell? Welche Unterscheide gibt es bei Mails in die USA und nach Großbritannien? Welche Etikette gilt beim elektronischen Schrift-verkehr? Zum Glück gibt es das kleine, handliche Bändchen „E-mails in English“, das kurz und prägnant Antworten auf all diese Fragen und noch viele andere mehr gibt.

So bekommt der Leser zum Beispiel Tipps für griffige Betreffzeilen, den sinnvollen Einsatz von Kopien und Blindkopien sowie den Umgang mit Anhängen. Hinzu kommen Vorlagen für alle gängigen Geschäfts-situationen von A wie Appointments bis T wie Thanks, ein Verzeichnis von Abkürzungen und Stolperfallen. Leider ist das Buch bis auf ein paar Vokabeln komplett in Englisch gehalten und daher für all jene, die im Englischen unsicher sind, nicht ganz so mühelos zu benutzen wie der Klappentext verspricht. Zumindest ein zusätzliches deutsches Inhaltsver-zeichnis wäre hilfreich gewesen. mm

Mail mal

E-mails in English (engl.)Sander M. SchroeversHaufeISBN 978-3-448-08815-1

Wer außerhalb des allgemeinen technischen Englischs nach Lehr- und Lernmaterial für ein spezielles Fachgebiet sucht, muss sich meist, wenn überhaupt, mit einem Fachwörterbuch begnügen. Zumindest die Geo-wissenschaftler dürfen jetzt aufatmen. Technical English for Geosciences ist zum einen ein klassisches Lehrbuch rund um das Fachenglisch für Geowissenschaftler, das sich mit seinen vielen Übung durchaus zum Selbststudium eignet.

Aufgrund seiner umfassenden Themenauswahl eignet es sich zudem zur Auffrischung des eigenen Grundlagenwissens und als begleitendes Fachlehrbuch. So befassen sich die einzelnen Einheiten unter anderem mit Geotechnologie, Felsmechanik, Plattentektonik, Vulkanen, Tsunamis, geothermischer Energie, Bohrtechnik, Hydrogeologie, Erdbeben, dem Grundwassersystem, Wasserkreislauf oder der Abwasserbehandlung. Für alle, die sich mit diesen Themen befassen, ist das Buch sicher eine prima Gelegenheit, das eigene Fachenglisch aufzufrischen und vielleicht noch etwas dazu zu lernen. mm

Erdiges Englisch

Technical English for GeosciencesBrigitte Markner-JägerSpringerISBN 978-3-540-68614-9


Out of Thin Air

Sixty years ago, the Soviet Union’s blockade nearly brought Berlin to its knees. With the help of constant, tirelessly innovative effort, the west’s airlift kept the city alive.

Vor sechzig Jahren hat die Blockade der Sowjetunion Berlin beinahe in die Knie gezwun-gen. Doch durch die Luftbrücke, einen Kraftakt voll innovativer Ideen, konnte die Stadt am Leben erhalten werden.

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Every air traveller has seen light wands – those glowing Plexiglas rods at the ends of flashlights that guide taxiing airliners – but few realize that they were an important weapon in the Cold War. Sixty years ago, an Air Force-enlisted man developed the wands to communicate through the thick German fog with the planes of the Berlin airlift. The 2.5 million citizens of the western sectors of the divided city emerged from those dark months thanks in part to technologi-cal innovations, like the light wand, that are still in use today.

The crisis arose in the aftermath of World War II, when bomb-shattered Berlin lay more than a hundred miles inside the Soviet-occupied zone of Germany. The three Western powers had access to the city only by canal, a single rail line, one highway, and three narrow air corridors.

On June 24, the Soviets cut off all the high-ways and train lines to Berlin on the grounds of “technical difficulties.” The 15,000 tons of goods that had been imported daily were blockaded. The Soviets also shut off the fraction of West Berlin’s power supply – roughly half – which they controlled. Three-quarters of the world’s fifth-largest city was suddenly hostage in a war of wills between East and West. The Soviets expected the Berliners to rebel against the Western Allies rather than face the hardships of an embargo.

Things seemed bleak for the West. The use of military force on the ground was out of the question, for it would surely have started World War III. But there was nothing to stop the Western Allies from flying supplies in, except for the sheer audacity of the thought. Supply an enormous city with food and fuel using only airplanes? It was unheard of.

The Air Force Can Deliver Anything

The West wasted no time. The day after the blockade was announced, General Clay called Gen. Curtis LeMay, commander of the United States Air Force in the European theatre. “Curt,” he asked, “do you have any planes that fly coal?” LeMay was astonished but responded, “The Air Force can deliver anything.”

Of all the supplies necessary to sustain the metropolis, fuel, specifically coal, was the most precious. While the city needed at least 1,400 tons of food each day, it also needed 2,000 tons of coal and kerosene in the summer, and 3,100 in the winter. But no one had ever shipped coal by air before.

The prospects for a successful airlift to supply the beleaguered city seemed slim at best. Yet, in theory it was possible. If a sufficient number of the most modern transport aircraft available,

Along three narrow air corridors the so-called candy bombers flew every-thing into Berlin – coal, hardware and occasionaly even sweets.


the 10-ton-capacity C-54, were assigned to the effort, and if a logistical system could be devised to dispatch them, fully loaded, to Berlin at a rate of one every three minutes, 24 hours a day, the minimum needs of the city could be met. Just!

But the primary cargo, coal, was proving intractable. Dust seeped through the bags that it was packed in, covering the crews and the insides of the aircraft with a sooty grime. It fouled instruments, shorted electrical circuits, turned hydraulic fluid into taffy, and abraded the aircraft’s control wires. The problem remained unsolved until one ingenious aircrew member discovered that a wide hose, thrust through a porthole into the aircraft’s slip-stream, could vacuum out much of the fine coal dust that swirled around the interior in flight.

Early in the airlift, LeMay’s staff thought they had a solution to the problem of coal delivery. They envisioned a scheme in which the coal would be dropped directly from the bomb bays of B-29s. The first and only experiment with this method was a fiasco. The soft lignite gained speed as it rained from the bomber and shat-tered on impact, pulverizing it into a fine dust. The base commander announced to the press, with classic military understatement, that bomb-ers would not be used in further such deliveries because “there might be a wastage of coal.”

Gen. William H. Tunner described the airlift as a “real cowboy operation” just before he

assumed command on July 29. Tunner had a simple philosophy: Either his men were work-ing, or they were resting up between shifts. Rather than have his airmen drift around getting orders, signing forms, checking mete-orological information, and picking up coffee at the canteen, he arranged for officers and a mobile canteen unit to meet each plane on the runway. Ground delay time immediately dropped.

Simple Solutions for a Big Problem

During their first two weeks, Tunner and his staff put a myriad of such seemingly simple solutions in place. A derelict Luftwaffe base at Oberpfaffenhofen – promptly dubbed ‘Over-huff-and-puffen’ by the overworked mechan-ics assigned there – was reopened as a mainte-nance facility so that aircraft could be checked in detail after every 200 hours of flight time.

At the same time, ground was broken for a sorely needed third airport at Tegel, in the French section of Berlin. The work was done almost entirely by hand, since most modern grad-ing equipment was too large to fit into a C-54. Then, a member of Tunner’s staff recalled an incident during the construction of air bases for antisubmarine patrols from Brazil during the war. An Army civilian employee had deftly

a myriad of • unzähligabrade, to • abreiben, abscheuernaftermath • Folgen, Nachspielairlift Luftbrückeassign, to zuteilen,

abkommandierenassume, to • übernehmen, annehmenastonished erstauntaudacity • Verwegenheit, Mutbay hier: Schachtbeleaguered • mitgenommen, belagertbleak düster, trostlosbreak ground, to d. ersten Spatenstich m.deftly geschickt, flinkdeliver, to liefernderelict • verfallen, aufgegebendevise, to entwerfen, ausdenkendispatch, to abschicken, abfertigenemerge, to • herauskommenenvision, to • ausmalenflashlight Handlampefoul, to verschmutzengrade, to hier: planierengrime • Schmutzhardship Härte, Nothose • Schlauchhostage Geisel






enGine Lautschrift

Wer mehr über die Berlinblockade und die Luft-brücke erfahren will, dem sei das Buch vom Autor unseres Artikels, Michael D. Haydock, empfohlen: City Under Siege: The Berlin Blockade and Airlift, 1948-1949, erschienen bei Brassey’s unter ISBN 978-1574882643.

incident Begebenheit, Ereignisingenious • genial, raffiniertintractable heikel, unlösbarlight wand • Lichtstab lignite • Braunkohlemaintenance Wartung, Instandhaltungmetropolis • Großstadtporthole Lukeprecious • kostbarprospect Aussichtrod Stangerunway Startbahnseep, to durchsickern, durchströmenshatter, to zertrümmern, zerschlagenslim dünn, armseligslip-stream Fahrtwindsooty rußigsorely needed bitter benötigtstaff • Mitarbeiterstab, Belegschaftsupplies Lieferungen, Nachschubsustain, to erhalten, aufrechterhaltentaffy Toffee (klebrige Masse)taxi, to • rangierenthrust, to schiebentirelessly • unermüdlichunderstatement Untertreibungwastage Verlust, Verschwendung


cut up bulldozers, rock crushers, and graders into manageable pieces, flown into primitive jungle airstrips with them, and welded them back together. According to legend, a team of FBI agents located the welder, H. P. Lacomb, working in a junkyard in the Midwest, and he was soon on his way to Germany to practice his unique craft.

All these accomplishments, along with the clear summer flying weather, meant that by Thursday, August 12, the total cargo lifted into Berlin daily by America and Britain had reached 4,700 tons. The minimum daily re-quirement had been reached for the first time.

Chief of operations, Col. Robert (“Red”) Forman, and his chief pilot, Lt. Col. Sterling Bettinger, closeted themselves in a conference room at Tempelhof. With cardboard cut-outs of C-54s dangling from coat hangers attached to strings festooned around the room, they worked out, in miniature, a complex aerial ballet that would make the airlift a preci-sion operation. The plan they presented to Tunner called for aircraft to depart in blocks, with a plane taking off every three minutes, supplied with the departure time of the three

flights immediately ahead and behind. The northern and southern corridors would be used for lifts into the city. The central cor-ridor, which was the shortest and had no mountains to cross, would accommodate all return flights. On reaching a radio beacon at the beginning of the ingoing corridors, each pilot had to announce his exact time by radio, allowing other aircraft in the block to adjust their speeds to maintain an exact three-minute interval between planes.

New Concepts in Shipping

Since every airplane had to be fully utilised, a policy of marrying cargoes so each carried its full capacity of 10 tons was instituted. A cargo of pasta, for example, would occupy the entire cargo space of a C-54 but weigh only 6 to 8 tons. Experts mixed the cargo, substitut-ing a few sacks of much heavier sugar for some of the pasta, to bring the total weight up to 10 tons. Marrying was performed at the railheads, so each of the trailers arriving at the air base carried exactly a 10-ton load.

Dieser Artikel ist eine stark gekürzte Fassung eines Beitrags aus dem Invention & Technology Magazine, Aus-gabe Fall 1998 Volume 14, Issue 2. Die Veröffentlichung erfolgt mit freundlicher Genehmigung von American Heritage Publishing. Der vollständige Artikel findet sich unterwww.americanheritage.com/articles/magazine/it/1998/2/1998_2_42.shtml

www.verkehrswerkstatt.de/luftbruecke (dt.)Umfassende Webseite zu Blockade und Luftbrücke mit historischen Dokumenten.

www.luftbrueckenmuseum.deWebauftritt der Erinnerungs-stätte Luftbrücke als Teil der Militärgeschichtlichen Sammlung der Technischen Schule der Luftwaffe 3.

www.defenselink.mil/home/features/2008/0508_berlin/index.html (engl.)Aufwändige Seite des ame-rikanischen Verteidigungsmi-nisteriums zum 60 jährigen Jubiläum der Luftbrücke.

www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/films/1945to1951/filmpage_ba.htm (engl.)Historische Wochenschau über die Luftbrücke.

www.fraport.de/cms/presse/dok/294/[email protected] des Frankfurter Flughafens zum 60. Jahrestag der Luftbrücke.

accommodate, to aufnehmen, unterbringenaccomplishment Errungenschaft, Leistungaerial Luft-airstrip Behelfsflugplatzallotment Zuteilung, Zuweisungapproach, to heranrückenbeacon Funkfeuer, Bakeblast Düsenstrahlbunk bed Stockbettcache Warenlagercardboard Karton, Pappecargo Frachtcloset, to • sich zurückziehen,

um eine vertrauliche Besprechung zu haben

coat hanger Kleiderbügelconcede, to zugeben, eingestehencontribute, to beisteuern, beitragencraft Kunsthandwerk, Gewerbedangle, to baumeln, hängendepart, to abfliegendeparture Abflugdesperate verzweifeltestablishment Einrichtung, Schaffungexhaust • Abgasfacilitate, to • erleichtern, fördernfailure Misserfolg, Versagenfestoon, to • mit Girlanden behängenforecast, to vorhersagengrader Planiermaschinehardstand befestigter Abstellplatz

implement, to einführen, anwendeningenuity • Einfallsreichtuminterchange Austauschjunkyard Schrottplatzmarry, to hier: zusammenfügenmerge, to vereinigen, verbindenoccupy, to einnehmen, belegenout-of-commission ausrangiertprecursor • Vorläufer, Wegbereiterrailhead Endbahnhofrelentless unnachgiebigreminder Erinnerung, Mahnungrequirement Bedarf, Anforderungretail Einzelhandelscaffold • Gerüstscheduling • (Zeit-) Planungshipping Versand, Speditionshortage Mangel, Knappheitstock Vorrat, Bestandstockpile, to aufstocken, bevorratentangible • greifbar, konkrettracking Verfolgentrailer Anhängerunprecedented •

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That way only a single trailer had to pull up to each plane.

The Transportation Corps officers worked out of trailer offices that were wallpapered with charts. Some charts gave the location of airport hardstands, while others showed quantities of stockpiled supplies and cargoes awaiting shipment. The principles of cargo allotment and tracking that evolved during the Berlin airlift rapidly found their way into the civilian shipping industry. Adapted to computer programs in the electronic age, they still serve as guides for such shippers as UPS and Federal Express and for retail giants like Wal-Mart.

Wal-Mart and other massive retail opera-tions also rely on electronic data interchange (EDI), whose precursor was developed to facilitate shipments during the airlift. Maj. Edward Guilbert was Tunner’s traffic man-ager, and he realized that one of the most time-consuming aspects of the airlift was paperwork. Supplies often arrived in Berlin only to sit untouched because the ground crews didn’t know what to do with them. Guilbert suggested that a simple, standard-ized code be implemented and that messages be sent ahead to identify incoming cargoes. The system was primitive but effective, and today large retailers can’t function without it.

American ingenuity continued to solve thousands of such pressing problems. When the number of mechanics assigned to the airlift grew, a shortage of work stands – the metal scaffolds they climbed to gain access to the engines – developed. A cache of metal Luftwaffe bunk beds was located and welded together to create them. With the approach of winter, icing on the wings of planes awaiting takeoff developed into a dangerous situation. Mechanics mounted the engines from out-of-commission jet fighters on the backs of trucks and drove them from plane to plane, using the exhaust blast as de-icing equipment.

The British and American efforts merged on October 15, 1948, and the mission changed from meeting the daily minimum to deliver-ing “the maximum tonnage possible.” The British had many fewer planes and men to contribute, but their air bases in northern Ger-many were closer to Berlin. Eventually, airlift planes would fly from eight bases in the Brit-ish zone and only two in the American zone.

The need to forecast the weather as it ap-proached from over the Atlantic led to the establishment of the most extensive meteoro-logical service yet developed, with hundreds of ground stations in a chain that stretched from the continental United States to Ice-

land, Greenland, and Europe. Together with these, dozens of weather ships at sea as well as an array of observation aircraft and bal-loons all reported to Airweather Central at Rhein Main. Daily, three-day, four-day, and long-range forecasts were produced with unprecedented accuracy. This was vital to the scheduling of the airlift operations and its techniques, and many of its veterans soon found their way into the civilian world.

The Soviets conceded their failure, and a joint announcement was made that the blockade would end on May 12, 1949. The relentless procession of planes in the Ber-lin skies went on, building up the stock of supplies in the city in case the agreement collapsed. When it didn’t, the airlift wound down, and it ended on September 30, 1949. In all, 276,926 American and British flights had carried more than 2.3 million tons of goods into Berlin.

Today, the light wand in the hand of an airport ground crew member remains a small and tangible reminder of the desperate days of the Berlin airlift. n Michael D. Haydock

The airlift memorial (left) has been dubbed ‘Hunger-harke’ (hunger rake). Next to it stands a C 47, the main carrier of the airlift.

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Interchangeable PartsDie Idee der Massenfertigung von exakt gleichen und damit austauschbaren Teilen ist gerade einmal 100 Jahre alt. Den Anfang machte, wie so oft, das Militär.

History Audio File

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Prof. Dr. John Lienhard, University of Houston

Dieser Text ist Teil der Radioserie „Engines of Our Ingenuity“ und wird hier mit freundlicher Genehmigung des Autors und der Radiostation KUHF wiedergegeben. Den Originaltext und weitere 2400 Kurzberichte über die Geschichte der Technik finden Sie unter www.uh.edu/engines

Regelmäßig neu auf www.engine-magazin.de: Eine Episode der Technikgeschichte aus der Reihe „Engines of Our Ingenuity“ – komplett mit Text, Vokabelhilfe und Audio-Datei zum kostenlosen Download.

Manufacturing with machine-made, interchange-able parts isn’t the same as the modern assembly line. Interchangeability had to be well devel-oped before we could begin mass-producing goods. The idea of interchangeability goes back to Gutenberg’s invention of precision type. Clock-makers had started making certain parts interchangeable in the 18th century. And Ameri-cans like to credit Eli Whitney with inventing the idea in 1803 to make muskets.

But, for the first whole product whose parts could be interchanged, historian Ken Alder takes us to Paris in 1790. Gunsmith Honoré Blanc had made a thousand muskets and put all their parts in separate bins. He called together a group of academics, politicians, and military men. Then he assembled muskets from parts drawn at random from the bins. By then, Jefferson had already visited Blanc’s workshop and written back to America about the method.

Jefferson was president when Eli Whitney duplicated Blanc’s demonstration 18 years later. No one realized it then, but Whitney was faking it. He’d carefully hand-crafted each part so they’d fit together. Whitney sold the govern-ment a huge contract for four thousand mus-kets. He took eight years to deliver them and then the parts weren’t interchangeable after all.

But other Americans went on to make the method work. Before the Civil War, we had rifles with parts that could be swapped. After the war, we began making complex merchandise like sewing machines and typewriters with inter-changeable parts.

So what became of Blanc and his method? The answer’s a surprise. For one thing, Blanc wasn’t first to make muskets this way. Various French makers had worked on the idea since 1720. Furthermore, Blanc went into business and, by the time Whitney made his demonstra-tion, was producing 10,000 muskets a year for Napoleon.

Then, in 1806, the French government sacked the whole process. Why? By using unskilled labour, Blanc’s method had made manufactur-ers independent of government control over the old crafts. The government raised the arcane argument that workers who don’t function as a whole can’t produce harmonious products.

They simply declared that Blanc’s method wasn’t working and they scrapped it.

Meanwhile, America built upon Whitney’s scam. By 1850, English visitors back from Ameri-ca described what they now called the American System of Manufacture. When they told the French about our use of interchangeable parts, they found the French military had never even heard of it. The French had buried it completely!

The story grimly reminds us that technol-ogy doesn’t progress in simple logical ways. Our choices depend on a hundred subjective matters, and they are only thinly influenced by what works best. n

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enGine erscheint vierteljährlich jeweils im letzten Monat des Quartals.

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onellen InhaltSprachwissen- Anthony Lee, Judith Fortey, David Mackie, schaftliche Zentrum für Wirtschaftssprachen an der Betreuung: European Business SchoolLayout: Reinhard Foerster (verantwortlich)Titelgestaltung: Ammann, GestaltungAnschrift: Havelstraße 9, 64295 Darmstadt

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10 Tips to Improve Your Writing

1. Avoid alliteration. Always.2. Parenthetical remarks (however relevant) are unnecessary.3. One should never generalize.4. Comparisons are as bad as clichés.5. Don’t be redundant; don’t use more words than necessary; it’s highly superfluous.6. Be more or less specific.7. The passive voice is to be avoided.8. Who needs rhetorical questions?9. Take the bull by the hand and avoid mixing metaphors.10. Do not put statements in the negative form.

The Last Straw


Computers are useless. They can only give you answers.

Pablo Picasso

More Virtual Wisdom

The infinite monkey theorem states that a million monkeys hitting keys at random on a million typewriters will almost surely type a given text, such as the complete works of Wil-liam Shakespeare. Come to think of it, there are already a million monkeys on a million type-writers, and the Internet is nothing like Shake-speare. Anonymous

Programmers are in a race with the Universe to create bigger and better idiot-proof programs, while the Universe is trying to create bigger and better idiots. So far the Universe is winning.

Rich Cook

There’s an old story about the person who wished his computer were as easy to use as his telephone. That wish has come true, since I no longer know how to use my telephone.

Bjarne Stroustrup

A computer lets you make more mistakes faster than any invention in human history – with the possible exceptions of handguns and tequila.

Mitch Radcliffe

Programming is like sex: one mistake and you’re providing support for a lifetime.

Michael Sinz

This is the latest touch-screen tablet from Redmond.

It supports two-finger gestures for rotating and zooming...

...four-finger gestures for moving windows around...

...and 15-finger gestures for re-booting.

avoid, to vermeidengesture Gesteidiot-proof idiotensicherimprove, to verbesserninfinite unendlichinvention Erfindungparenthetical eingeschobenprovide, to sorgen für, liefernsuperfluous überflüssigsupport Unterstützungsupport, to unterstützentypewriter Schreibmaschine

Pass it on*


> > >»*Weitersagen: Leser werben Leser«

Ich habe einen neuen Abonnenten geworben und wähle dafür folgendes Geschenk:

❏ Cross Culture – Benimm im Ausland

❏ Trying to Save Piggy Sneed – Hör-Buch

Dieses Geschenk wird mir nach Zahlungsein-gang der Abonnement-Rechnung zugestellt.

Name: _________________________________

Vorname: _______________________________

Straße/Hausnummer: _____________________

PLZ/Ort: ________________________________

Telefon: _________________________________

Datum: _________________________________

Unterschrift: _____________________________

❏ Ja, ich möchte engine regelmäßig im Abonnement beziehen. Schicken Sie mir bitte 1 Jahr lang engine (4 Ausgaben) zum Vorzugspreis von

€ 32,– frei Haus. Falls ich nicht 6 Wochen vor Ablauf des vereinbarten Bezugszeit-raumes kündige, verlängert sich mein Abonnement um jeweils 1 weiteres Jahr.

❏ Ich zahle bequem und bargeldlos per Bankeinzug.

Bankleitzahl: _______________________ Konto-Nummer: _______________________

Geldinstitut: ______________________________________________________________

❏ Überweisung nach Erhalt der Rechnung

Meine Adresse:

Name: ____________________________ Vorname: ____________________________

Straße/Hausnummer: ______________________________________________________

PLZ/Ort: _________________________________________________________________

Telefon/Telefax: ___________________________________________________________

Datum: ____________________________ Unterschrift: __________________________

Einfach faxen an: Hoppenstedt Publishing GmbHengine-Aboservice, 64295 Darmstadt, Fax: 0 61 51 / 3 80 - 9 93 66

4/2008

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European Business SchoolInternational University · Schloss Reichartshausen

Die European Business School (EBS) – Nr. 1 in derBewertung von Personalchefs und Studenten*.Die EBS steht für akademische Exzellenz, Unternehmergeist und kulturelleVielfalt.Das Studium bietet integrierte Auslandsaufenthalte an einer von 150 Partnerhoch-schulen, hervorragende Kontakte zurWirtschaft und vermittelt wissenschaftlichfundiertes Know-how mit starkem Bezug zur Praxis. Die EBS ist die Top Plattformfür exzellente Berufsaussichten.

We develop leaders! *Wirtschaftswoche

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Informationen über Studienfinanzierungsmodelleund Stipendien finden Sie auf unsererWebsite.

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