YOU MIGHT HAVE AN ENGINEERING BRAIN AND NOT EVEN KNOW IT.

So we've created a quiz based on real-life experiences you have (or may have had).
Choose the answer that fits you best and find out if you're an engineer—and what kind of engineer you might be.

You're at a traffic light that is red for seemingly no reason.
What are you most likely to do?

1.  
   Imagine how the intersection could be redesigned and
   the traffic light controller reprogrammed for better traffic flow
    
2.  
   Look forward to the day when there is no need for traffic lights
   because networked intelligent vehicles drive themselves
    
3.  
   Try to calculate how much carbon monoxide all the vehicles
   at the intersection are emitting as they idle
    
4.  
   Wonder how the traffic slowdown at this light is
   affecting all the surrounding intersections
    
5.  
   Stare at the light and think
   "C'mon, c'mon, c'mon, c'mon, c'mon"
    

Which of the following things have you done?

1.  
   Enjoyed building things out of Lego bricks when you
   were a little kid (and still do, though you'd never tell anyone)
    
2.  
   Taken something apart to see how it worked and not been able
   to put it back together, making the owner of that thing extremely upset?
    
3.  
   Fixed something broken (like a fridge or a vacuum cleaner) or fixed
   something up (like a house or a Volvo)?
    
4.  
   Written a computer program
   that made your life easier?
    
5.  
   Said "There's nothing
   I can do about it"
    

When you think about what you want to do with your life, you—

1.  
   See yourself helping solve one of the world's important problems—
   like green energy, food distribution, disease, or climate change
    
2.  
   Imagine yourself changing
   the world somehow
    
3.  
   Would like to use that big brain of
   yours to help people in a practical way
    
4.  
   Would like to create some sort of giant structure to remind posterity
   that you existed—like one of the Pyramids or the Eiffel Tower
    
5.  
   Admit that you have no idea what you want to do—maybe, like, start,
   like, a canine waste removal business or something.
    

You're looking at a university curriculum
and see a class called "Calculus I." You—

1.  
   Feel slightly apprehensive
   but also intrigued
    
2.  
   Experience a moment
   of happy anticipation
    
3.  
   Think "Hmm, glad I already took AP Calculus—
   I'll be able to go right into Calc 2 when I hit college."
    
4.  
   Look to see what other math and
   science classes the university offers
    
5.  
   Are glad that you'll never need
   to take a class like that
    

You're touring a chocolate factory with your class.
What are you most likely to do?

1.  
   Notice how the machines are laid
   out for workflow efficiency
    
2.  
   Try to visualize how the machines
   are constructed to create the desired results
    
3.  
   Wonder at what temperatures and speeds
   the machines are set to make the chocolates turn out just right
    
4.  
   Be intrigued by the computer
   controls that run the entire process
    
5.  
   Be incredibly bored. Chocolates
   are for eating, not learning about
    

Do you play well with others?
Choose the hypothetical situation that best fits you.

1.  
   I tutor other
   students at school
    
2.  
   I rebuilt a 1972 Chevy Nova
   with my dad—does that count?
    
3.  
   Though I sometimes look upon my peers as carbon-based obstacles,
   I am willing to partner with them if I deem it necessary for success
    
4.  
   My WoW raiding party regularly
   kicks dragon butt. So, yeah
    
5.  
   Other people?
   They just slow me down
    

You're pimping out your ride with a new stereo system.
What are you most likely to do?

1.  
   Just want the new stuff to fade invisibly into your car. You'll appreciate the
   auditory quality more without a lot of flashing lights and brushed aluminum
    
2.  
   Purchase and install everything yourself, because there's no way the guy
   at Circuit City can do as good a job as you can
    
3.  
   Select the right equipment and determine the ideal speaker/subwoofer
   placement so your system is tuned to the vehicle's interior
    
4.  
   Make sure you get all possible auxiliary jacks and connectors so you
   can play MP3s, DVDs, CDs—the works
    
5.  
   Tell the car audio place to install the
   best they've got—just so it's loud
    

How do you feel about bicycles?

1.  
   Bicycles are a great way to get around.
   They don't pollute, and they provide exercise.
    
2.  
   Bicycles are fun
   to tinker with.
    
3.  
   Bicycles are OK, but they haven't changed in 150 years.
   They should have built-in electric assist motors and automatic derailleurs.
    
4.  
   I like bikes because without them there
   would be no "Downhill Domination" on PS2.
    
5.  
   This is a dumb question.
   I don't see how it's relevant.
    

What best describes your attitude toward school?

1.  
   I like my classmates, and in general I like the way school is structured for me to learn, though I would make certain improvements if I were an administrator.
    
2.  
   School doesn't have enough practical
   hands-on classes, like science lab.
    
3.  
   School is a fairly useful addition
   to my own experimentation.
    
4.  
   I wish I could take more classes that
   were useful to me, like software programming.
    
5.  
   I can hardly wait to get out of
   school so I can get a full-time job.
    

Which of the following best describes your
interests or hobbies?

1.  
   I'm interested in how people think and
   how they interact with their environment.
    
2.  
   I like to build things, jury-rig things,
   and fix things. I'm good at it.
    
3.  
   I'm interested in
   technology and electronics.
    
4.  
   I spend a lot of time on the computer.
   No, seriously. A. Lot.
    
5.  
   Is "hanging out"
   a hobby?