December 1, 2013
1 min read
Add Us On GoogleAdd SciAmEngineering and Water, 1913 [Slide Show]
Civilization needs water. Our skill in engineering ways to use it, contain it, or get rid of it is one of the foundations of our society
By Daniel C. Schlenoff
On supporting science journalism
If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.
People need and use water in many forms. For farming, power, drinking, washing. And homes and cities need a way and a place to send the water after it has been used for all of those purposes, when its name changes to “sewage.” Water can be used for transport and commerce; sometimes it is a barrier as much as an open pathway. It is our skill as a people, working with iron and stone, that determines how useful water can be to us, for all of our uses.
In this slide show of images from the archives of Scientific American, we present some of the ways in which humans use, avoid, or build around, one their most precious commodities.
Subscribe to Support Independent Journalism
Great science journalism requires human expertise, time, effort and creativity. And it costs money. That’s why I and the journalists here at Scientific American hope you’ll join our community.
When you subscribe, you are supporting staff and freelance journalists who are passionate about telling science stories that are true, important and compelling. Our editors and reporters are often experts in their fields, which means they understand the nuances of big discoveries and can untangle the breakthroughs from the hype. With a subscription, you are also supporting rigorous fact-checking to ensure the words we publish are precise and accurate. And you’re supporting original illustrations, graphics and photos that bring you closer to an advanced laboratory, an ice sheet in Antarctica or a space mission in orbit. You’re helping us craft other types of high-quality journalism as well: Our newsletters are carefully written, edited and curated by staffers you have or will come to know and love. Our Science Quickly podcast is based on original reporting, collaboration with editors and scientists and exacting production.
Subscriptions keep this engine running so we can continue to deliver thoughtful, rigorous and independent science journalism to you. In an era of viral misinformation, this work is crucial. If you value what we do, I hope you’ll consider joining us as a subscriber