What Can Engineers Learn From History?

I love history.

I love learning about the people who came before us and built cathedrals, bridges, tunnels, and engines using the tools, materials, and knowledge available to them. I love reading about historical structures that still stand today, like the Brooklyn Bridge, the Pantheon in Rome, and the Panama Canal. 

These projects were built through ingenuity, creativity, and determination, and some of the engineering behind them continues to amaze us today.

I love learning about how humans took flight and flew through the skies, how engineers found ways to connect different parts of the country by rail, and how we transitioned from horse and carriage to automobiles to move people and goods more efficiently. 

I love learning about how we pushed beyond the boundaries of our world, traveled through space, and set foot on the moon.

History tells the story of how we, as a species, have evolved over time. Each generation learns from those who came before and builds upon the innovations that came before it. Some of that knowledge has even been lost along the way. Roman concrete, for example, was a lost art that have played a major part in certain ancient structures lasting for centuries. There is still so much we can learn from the people who came before us.

Since the development of the steam engine, technology and society have advanced at an incredible pace. That pace seems to be accelerating even further today with the development of AI. We have more tools and information available to us than ever before, yet it can be difficult to comprehend just how quickly the world is changing.

So, what does this all mean? Aside from how interesting history is, what can we learn from it in a world that moves so quickly? What can we do differently as we look toward the future?

Going back to a time when things moved more slowly may feel impractical when we are constantly trying to innovate and keep up with new technology. But one thing that amazes me when looking back through history is how many structures built centuries, and sometimes thousands of years ago, are still standing today. They remind us of the ingenuity and ambition of the people who built them.

Yet, we often plan and evaluate modern infrastructure around a service life of roughly 100 years. There are good reasons for that, including changing needs, maintenance, budgets, and the practical realities of designing infrastructure for the future. But it makes me wonder: Are we ambitious enough to think beyond our own lifetimes and build something that will serve generations to come?

I recently spoke with Michael Fisher, who shares a very big interest in history. While I enjoy history for the stories, the ingenuity, and the incredible things people accomplished, Michael looks at it from another perspective. He asks how we can learn from the projects of the past to become more ambitious and effective engineers today, especially now that we have access to so many more tools.

Through his podcast, Built to Change the World, Michael explores incredible engineering projects in England and the challenges engineers faced along the way. These projects required enormous coordination, creative problem-solving, and an understanding of materials and construction methods that were available at the time. Studying how they were delivered can reveal lessons that are just as relevant to engineers today.

History is not simply about looking back at what people accomplished. It is an opportunity to understand why they made certain decisions, what worked, what failed, and what we can do differently. Sometimes the lesson is to avoid repeating a mistake. Other times, it is to recognize that an idea once considered impractical can become possible when someone is willing to approach the problem differently.

As engineers, I think there are a few valuable lessons we can take from history.

Trust yourself. Some of the greatest engineering achievements began with someone asking whether there was a better way to do something. If you have an idea, trust that it is worth exploring. It may not work, and it may need to change along the way, but that does not mean it is not worth pursuing.

Don’t be afraid to fail. Failure is part of learning and innovation. History is full of projects that faced setbacks, unexpected challenges, and decisions that did not work out as planned. We should learn from those experiences rather than allow the possibility of failure to keep us from trying something new.

Make decisions, even when the outcome is uncertain. Engineering rarely comes with perfect information. Sometimes we have to make decisions based on what we know, understand the risks, and move forward. We will not always get it right, but we can learn from the outcome and use that knowledge to make better decisions in the future.

As engineering advances and technology makes it possible to work faster, we have to ask ourselves how we can use these tools effectively without losing the curiosity and creativity that drive innovation. AI may help us develop designs, analyze alternatives, and support decision-making, but the tools alone do not determine what we should build or why it matters.

The essential part of engineering is still you. Our curiosity, judgment, experience, and willingness to take on difficult challenges are what allow us to turn tools into meaningful solutions. We have an opportunity to learn from the ambition and ingenuity of the engineers who came before us while using today’s technology to push even further.

We should not simply be trying to build faster. We should be asking ourselves what we can build, how we can build it better, and what kind of legacy we want to leave behind.

Because the goal is not just to advance engineering. It is to create something that will make a difference long after we are gone.