Welcome to a Very Short Introduction soapbox. A short talk lasting 15 minutes from an expert in the field. The talk is free and takes place in the Blackwell book tent.

David Blockley, former head of the Department of Civil Engineering at the University of Bristol, considers the role of engineering in the modern world, demonstrating its need to provide both practical and socially acceptable solutions, and explores how engineers use natural phenomena to embrace human needs.

Sponsored by Oxford University Press