With women accounting for only 20% of registered architects in Britain and 8% of professional engineers, the incoming president of the Royal Academy of Engineering has a compelling idea to encourage more women to enter the fields: give girls legos.
"Dame Ann Dowling, who later this year will be appointed the first female president of the Royal Academy of Engineering, believes that if girls were encouraged to play with toys such as Lego, more of them might go on to pursue careers like hers (less than 8% of professional engineers in Britain are women and only 20% of registered architects)," writes Rachel Cooke.
A recent book that explores the connection between building for play and building for pay gives weight to the impact that construction toys can have on career goals and creative development.
"It isn't only a person's future taste that is influenced by construction toys. Nor is it one's basic understanding of how a bridge might need to be supported or a tower underpinned, things you learn from Lego without even realising it," adds Cooke. "It is one's sense of possibility."
FULL STORY: How Lego could build your daughter's career
Construction Toys: The Building Blocks of Design Culture
A recent book explores the ways in which the world's ubiquitous construction toys - Lincoln Logs, Legos, Meccano, etc. - have impacted budding architects, and proposes a connection between building for play and building for pay.
Shifting the Male Perspective on City Planning
Urban spaces and transportation system are largely designed and managed by men, but cities are starting to recognize the unique challenges women and children face.
NHTSA to Introduce New Female Crash Test Dummy
Modern crash test dummies have advanced features that account for different body types and genders, but government regulators have been slow to adopt the technology.
Analysis: Cybertruck Fatality Rate Far Exceeds That of Ford Pinto
The Tesla Cybertruck was recalled seven times last year.
National Parks Layoffs Will Cause Communities to Lose Billions
Thousands of essential park workers were laid off this week, just before the busy spring break season.
Retro-silient?: America’s First “Eco-burb,” The Woodlands Turns 50
A master-planned community north of Houston offers lessons on green infrastructure and resilient design, but falls short of its founder’s lofty affordability and walkability goals.
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Analysis: Cybertruck Fatality Rate Far Exceeds That of Ford Pinto
The Tesla Cybertruck was recalled seven times last year.
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