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12 Aralık 2023, 20:32
Can The Unforeseen Become An Unforeseen Opportunity.
Life's Apprentice.
Where the swirl of a kilt can close a deal.
I am in my final year as an apprentice engineer with a prestigious defence company working in their applied physics department and I am also in the last year of my college academic studies. For next year I am trying to win a scholarship from my company for a University degree in engineering physics of materials. I am a bit of a maths buff and love doing maths that surround the physics of molecular fission, that's why I chose my subjects. It's what I am good at and complements my questionable social skills as I am a bit geekish.
Without a scholarship I would find it difficult to fund my University studies. My parents are all for me going to University, like my older sister Shona who is currently studying Graphic Art at University. Although both my parents are working they struggle financially each month to make ends meet, my salary helps but would be lost if I went to University without a scholarship.
My name is Hamish, I have short red spikey type hair, like the fun loving cartoon character, and blue eyes, five foot eight, a bit over weight, I drink too much beer and eat too many burgers and pizzas. Not very outwardly going, always dreaming about what I would like to do and where I would like to go.
The project I am working on is a design concept proposal for a new generation Nuclear Steam Raising Plant, NSRP, for an impending submarine build program, for a foreign client. Although I am still a junior design engineer I have been given the job to do the initial mathematical design model surrounding the physics of molecular fission of the reactor. Normally they would give this job to a senior design architect but they are all tied up on a problem with a current reactor operation.
Although doing almost one hundred thousand interconnecting calculation, even on a computer is quite daunting, I really enjoyed doing it. Three weeks of work and it was completed, the estimators could now work out how much it would cost to make. The marketing and tender engineers could now also do their bit. The head design architect had checked and approved my design it in concept form. I was now back on more day to day projects and my college work at nights.
It was during this tendering project that I met Peter who was a retired naval nuclear attack submarine Captain, now retired and working for industry. Normally I would not interface directly with someone so senior but they were shorthanded. Peter by reputation was difficult and uncompromising to work with, as the Captain of a submarine costing over a 100 billion he was used to getting his own way always, his word was law and was always correct irrespective.
I was the total opposite unsure of myself, seeking confirmation that what I had done was correct, we got along remarkably well and he knew his nuclear physics and could challenge me and add too what I said or proposed constructively. I was assigned to his tender team full time until the tender was submitted, working out of their plush Marketing suit. During this time I was introduced to a number of company Directors, being noticed would help with my application for a University scholarship.
A month later I was back in my open plan office, which badly needed new furniture and a lick of paint, working on more mundane but still interesting jobs. During this time I was doing my cramming for my final college exams, Peter as a way of saying thanks for helping out with the now submitted tender. I could use his tender authors to prepare and professionally present my final exam dissertation, every mark counts when you are looking for a scholarship.
The week after my final exam's I was back in the office, but with very little work to do, the company was a bit short of work, there was also talk of layoffs. When Peter came in and asked me could I look at some calculations unofficially and handed over three flash drives. All marked Secret. I said yes, the secret bit whetted my curiosity.
There was a problem with a reactor spiking on a submarine that was currently at sea on patrol. Others in the company design team were looking at it, but he also wanted me to look at the calculations from a forensic standpoint. This meant I had to do manual checking of over 10,000 calculation formula. To a geek this was mathematical heaven. I worked every night to about ten at night, including weekends, for almost ten days.
I found out what was wrong, nothing with the reactor but the computer calculation formula contained an embedded error, simply put the computer formula took a single trace element reading and squared the number instead of taking the square root of it before applying it to a subsequent calculation. Creating, from a super compounding error, an apparent spike in a single reactor trace element reading which could imply the reactivity was about to potentially fall out of balance. Not a good thing. To find this error I had to go through and recalculate the complete gaziantep bayan eskort (http://www.gaziantepgazetesi.com/) reactor physics manually with a slide ruler, that's what geeks do question Status Que.
I phoned Peter to tell him I may have an answer, five minutes later with my calculation log book's I was in his office, door closed explaining what I found. He instantly understood what I said, apparently he had started out as a submarine reactor engineer.
The following day I was sent down to explain what I found to the senior engineer for nuclear submarines, a Dr De'ath, apparently a French name but to me he was always Dr Death, he was also an incredibly subdued and likable person. My calculation log book's were retained and I was reminded that I couldn't tell anyone about my findings including my employer. They would be notified through official channels. Sort of James Bond stuff.
A few weeks passed the senior design architect's became free and took an interest in my concept design calculations for the companies new generation of NSRP. Apart from a few questions I was kept on the fringe of developments, very frustrating but that's an apprentices life.
Out of the blue I received a call from Peter's secretary could I go to a sales meeting tomorrow as a technical assistant to Peter. Although I had been accepted by the University for my chosen course, an endorsement from the head of Nuclear Engineering for the Government seriously helped me. However, the decision on my company's financial University sponsorship had not yet been made. Me going to University all hinged around that, I said I would go, I was told to report to the marketing suit in the morning and as I would be away for three or four days so pack a case.
I arrived at marketing with my borrowed suite case in hand the next day. Waiting for me was three large sealed blue plastic boxes full of tender documents and a driver to take me to an exclusive venue, the Eucalyptus Club
Life's Apprentice.
Where the swirl of a kilt can close a deal.
I am in my final year as an apprentice engineer with a prestigious defence company working in their applied physics department and I am also in the last year of my college academic studies. For next year I am trying to win a scholarship from my company for a University degree in engineering physics of materials. I am a bit of a maths buff and love doing maths that surround the physics of molecular fission, that's why I chose my subjects. It's what I am good at and complements my questionable social skills as I am a bit geekish.
Without a scholarship I would find it difficult to fund my University studies. My parents are all for me going to University, like my older sister Shona who is currently studying Graphic Art at University. Although both my parents are working they struggle financially each month to make ends meet, my salary helps but would be lost if I went to University without a scholarship.
My name is Hamish, I have short red spikey type hair, like the fun loving cartoon character, and blue eyes, five foot eight, a bit over weight, I drink too much beer and eat too many burgers and pizzas. Not very outwardly going, always dreaming about what I would like to do and where I would like to go.
The project I am working on is a design concept proposal for a new generation Nuclear Steam Raising Plant, NSRP, for an impending submarine build program, for a foreign client. Although I am still a junior design engineer I have been given the job to do the initial mathematical design model surrounding the physics of molecular fission of the reactor. Normally they would give this job to a senior design architect but they are all tied up on a problem with a current reactor operation.
Although doing almost one hundred thousand interconnecting calculation, even on a computer is quite daunting, I really enjoyed doing it. Three weeks of work and it was completed, the estimators could now work out how much it would cost to make. The marketing and tender engineers could now also do their bit. The head design architect had checked and approved my design it in concept form. I was now back on more day to day projects and my college work at nights.
It was during this tendering project that I met Peter who was a retired naval nuclear attack submarine Captain, now retired and working for industry. Normally I would not interface directly with someone so senior but they were shorthanded. Peter by reputation was difficult and uncompromising to work with, as the Captain of a submarine costing over a 100 billion he was used to getting his own way always, his word was law and was always correct irrespective.
I was the total opposite unsure of myself, seeking confirmation that what I had done was correct, we got along remarkably well and he knew his nuclear physics and could challenge me and add too what I said or proposed constructively. I was assigned to his tender team full time until the tender was submitted, working out of their plush Marketing suit. During this time I was introduced to a number of company Directors, being noticed would help with my application for a University scholarship.
A month later I was back in my open plan office, which badly needed new furniture and a lick of paint, working on more mundane but still interesting jobs. During this time I was doing my cramming for my final college exams, Peter as a way of saying thanks for helping out with the now submitted tender. I could use his tender authors to prepare and professionally present my final exam dissertation, every mark counts when you are looking for a scholarship.
The week after my final exam's I was back in the office, but with very little work to do, the company was a bit short of work, there was also talk of layoffs. When Peter came in and asked me could I look at some calculations unofficially and handed over three flash drives. All marked Secret. I said yes, the secret bit whetted my curiosity.
There was a problem with a reactor spiking on a submarine that was currently at sea on patrol. Others in the company design team were looking at it, but he also wanted me to look at the calculations from a forensic standpoint. This meant I had to do manual checking of over 10,000 calculation formula. To a geek this was mathematical heaven. I worked every night to about ten at night, including weekends, for almost ten days.
I found out what was wrong, nothing with the reactor but the computer calculation formula contained an embedded error, simply put the computer formula took a single trace element reading and squared the number instead of taking the square root of it before applying it to a subsequent calculation. Creating, from a super compounding error, an apparent spike in a single reactor trace element reading which could imply the reactivity was about to potentially fall out of balance. Not a good thing. To find this error I had to go through and recalculate the complete gaziantep bayan eskort (http://www.gaziantepgazetesi.com/) reactor physics manually with a slide ruler, that's what geeks do question Status Que.
I phoned Peter to tell him I may have an answer, five minutes later with my calculation log book's I was in his office, door closed explaining what I found. He instantly understood what I said, apparently he had started out as a submarine reactor engineer.
The following day I was sent down to explain what I found to the senior engineer for nuclear submarines, a Dr De'ath, apparently a French name but to me he was always Dr Death, he was also an incredibly subdued and likable person. My calculation log book's were retained and I was reminded that I couldn't tell anyone about my findings including my employer. They would be notified through official channels. Sort of James Bond stuff.
A few weeks passed the senior design architect's became free and took an interest in my concept design calculations for the companies new generation of NSRP. Apart from a few questions I was kept on the fringe of developments, very frustrating but that's an apprentices life.
Out of the blue I received a call from Peter's secretary could I go to a sales meeting tomorrow as a technical assistant to Peter. Although I had been accepted by the University for my chosen course, an endorsement from the head of Nuclear Engineering for the Government seriously helped me. However, the decision on my company's financial University sponsorship had not yet been made. Me going to University all hinged around that, I said I would go, I was told to report to the marketing suit in the morning and as I would be away for three or four days so pack a case.
I arrived at marketing with my borrowed suite case in hand the next day. Waiting for me was three large sealed blue plastic boxes full of tender documents and a driver to take me to an exclusive venue, the Eucalyptus Club