Page 5 - Engineering Career Guide for UT Austin

Feeding the World
Engineers look to improve how we live, from space stations to our dinner tables. While genetically engineering fruits and veggies may have you ask- ing why, altering the DNA of plants we eat can help them stay fresh longer and protect us from foodborne illnesses. Take the tomato, for instance. New genetic engineering techniques could make tomatoes more resistant to infectious fungi and bacteria, which means more ripe, juicy goodness for everyone to enjoy. And, with drought a concern all over the world, engineers are experimenting with ways to minimize the amount of water that important staple crops like corn and wheat require. By selecting for traits that increase the rate of photosynthesis, improve the depth of root growth, and decrease water evaporation through leaves, crops can be grown less resource-intensively. Greater efficiency in growing means more food for a growing world population.
Keeping Us Fit
Lots of exercise apps are acces- sible through your smartphone. But it’s not easy to get the visual feedback you need to know you’re training properly on a hand-held device. Enter the Mirror! When it’s turned off, it is indeed a full-length mirror. But switch it on and you’re face-to-face with a trainer who can lead you through a full class of yoga, cardio, boxing, and strength training. Equipped with cameras and speakers, Mirror enables you to see yourself, your instructor, and your classmates (if you’re doing a live class) as you work
out. In live classes, the trainer can even offer you feedback! Worried that the typically smudgy phone screen will block your view? The entire system is controlled by a companion app to keep the mirror fingerprint-free. And when you’re done working out, Mirror returns to serving as a simple mirror.
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