Life Without Bits

About the Authors

The National Academy of Engineering (NAE), one of the three academies that comprise the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) [NAE, 2025], serves as an important advisory body to the U.S. federal government on matters involving engineering and technology. Established under the same 1863 congressional charter that created the National Academy of Sciences (NAS), the NAE brings together experts from academia, industry, government, and the nonprofit sector to provide consensus-based guidance on complex national challenges. This paper provides an overview of the NAE's organizational structure, membership selection process, and study methodologies, with a focus on its contributions to the energy domain. Particular attention is given to areas such as oil and gas, unconventional hydrocarbons, carbon capture and storage (CCS), and environmental safety. Numerous members of the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) have been elected to the NAE, underscoring the importance of petroleum engineering in national science and engineering leadership. A dozen past Presidents of SPE are NAE members, as are scores of leading researchers and business leaders. While election to the NAE is widely recognized as a prestigious career milestone, the Academy's core function remains service-oriented—conducting studies and offering independent, expert advice to policymakers. The study process within NASEM is reviewed here, including notable examples such as safety recommendations following the Deepwater Horizon disaster [Arscott and Moreau, 2020], technical guidance on the Hubble Space Telescope repair [NRC,2005], formulation of fuel economy standards [NRC, 2002], and ongoing work on abandoned and orphaned wells [NASEM, 2025a]. The NAE's commitment to diversity across institutional sectors—academia, industry, government, and nonprofit (GNP) organizations—is paired with an emphasis on leadership, innovation, and engineering's broader societal impact [Meehan, 2015a], [Miller, 2019]. The paper also includes the author's reflections on participation in NAE initiatives and discusses how petroleum engineers can contribute more actively to the NAE's mission, including through efforts such as the Department of the Interior-sponsored study on orphaned and idled wells.

The International Institute of Knowledge Innovation and Invention (IIKII) is an institute that promotes the exchange of innovations and inventions, and establishes a communication platform for international innovations and researches. In 2019, IIKII cooperated with the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Tainan Section Sensors Council to hold IEEE conferences such as IEEE ICIASE 2019, IEEE ECBIOS 2019, IEEE ICKII 2019, ICUSA-GAME 2019, and IEEE ECICE 2019. This Special Issue entitled “Selected Papers from IIKII 2019 conferences” aims to select excellent papers from IIKII 2019 conferences, including symmetry in physics, chemistry, biology, mathematics, and computer science, etc. It selected 21 excellent papers from 750 papers presented in IIKII 2019 conferences on the topic of symmetry. The main goals of this Special Issue are to encourage scientists to publish their experimental and theoretical results in as much detail as possible, and to discover new scientific knowledge relevant to the topic of symmetry.

This paper presents a feature comparison between the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Long Term Evolution (LTE) Release 8 and Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.16m and preliminary system performance comparison. As Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) mobile broadband air interfaces, LTE and IEEE 802.16m are both International Mobile Telecommunications-Advanced (IMT-Advanced) technologies. LTE and IEEE 802.16m, which both make use of Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) channels, have their own features and advantages. This paper compares some features between LTE and IEEE 802.16m in terms of frame structure, effective bandwidth, Hybrid Automatic Retransmission Request (HARQ) and Modulation and Coding Scheme (MCS), which is a valuable replenishment to the former work. The system simulation results show that LTE and IEEE 802.16m achieve similar performance although they are different communication evolution systems from different specification work groups.

As part of the Very High Speed Optical Networks (VHSON) Demonstration Program, a simulator has been developed. The Scalable Coherent Interface Network Interface Functional Simulator (SCINIFS) addresses the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) standard 1596-1992 for the Scalable Coherent Interface (SCI). In addition, SCINIFS addresses the evolving work of IEEE project P1596.6, entitled SCI Real-Time (SCI/RT). The SCI/RT project addresses extensions to IEEE Standard 1596 that seek to enhance SCI's utility for real-time fault-tolerant computing applications. SCINIFS addresses the functional behavior and performance of SCI/RT nodes when connected in a ring. The development of the simulator, early results and future work to model SCI switches are described.

This Innovative Practice full paper presents a software system which purpose is to be used to compose online laboratory experiences.Online Laboratories have improved their reliability and interoperability thanks to innovative developments proposed in recent years. New companies in this area have proposed novel interaction mechanisms such as the inclusion of immersive graphic user interfaces as well as the possibilities for access laboratory experiments as a service, having the alternative of just paying for the laboratory services demanded, for an specific class or for individual users. In terms of technology it is now possible to have multiple laboratory instances running from a single laboratory infrastructure or laboratory station. In terms of standardization, big efforts have been made by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and the community of Online Laboratories to release in 2019 the first standard 18762019 - IEEE Standard for Networked Smart Learning Objects for Online Laboratories.The software system presented in this work uses a set of available resources including virtual laboratories (simulation based), local laboratory equipment, remote laboratories, laboratory activities, assessment definition and learning content (text, audio, video, etc). The system provides to the users a friendly set of tools to compose their laboratory experiences, following the IEEE 1876-2019 standard definition. The output composed laboratory experiment is saved as a Smart Laboratory Learning Object (SLLO) including mechanisms to be self-adaptable according to variables such as laboratory activities difficulty level, user previous results on the same or similar laboratory activities, and user expertise in the topic (determined based on information retrieved from the Learning Management System LMS).

John Vig, one of the candidates for president of the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers), supports embargoed OA. From his campaign page on OA: The page includes comments from IEEE members and Vig's replies. Vince Rosati asked how Vig would prevent "a serious loss [of revenue] to IEEE".

Now that the market for electrical apparatus has become global, there are efforts underway to compare standards with an intent to harmonize these standards. The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) has made strides in this area. Specifically, the Electric Machinery Committee (EMC) of the IEEE Power Engineering Society is at the forefront of the IEEE harmonization effort. This paper gives some historical background and summarizes the details of this effort.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to assess the efficacy of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Xplore digital library search engine to return relevant materials on information visualization pedagogy literature and to recommend search strategies to assist the digital library academic readership improve the efficacy of their search tasks. Furthermore, the results are of interest to general readers using similar digital repositories. Design/methodology/approach An initial scoping review using EBSCO Discovery services returned the number and accessibility of sources and publications-based various Boolean searches. A revised search strategy focused the search to IEEE publications as the primary source of visualization research. A corpus of keywords were extracted from the 44 relevant articles and analyzed for relevance, keyword trends and contexts of use. Findings Keyword analysis results show visualization education research is confounded by several information retrieval issues: relevancy, incomplete taxonomy, non-standard lexicon, diverse disciplines and under-representation. Recommendations include: search strategies, alternative digital collections, a potential opportunity for research in information visualization pedagogy to address this gap in an emerging field and the need for more effective interactive tools to assist with keyword selection. Research limitations/implications The study focused on the IEEE publications as the primary source of visualization research. Practical implications A repository of visualization education research that is easily findable and relevant benefits both faculty using information visualization in their teaching and academics whose work must be disseminated to the broadest audience. Strategic keyword selection, interactive keyword tools or more robust thesaurus will enable IEEE Xplore digital library users to optimize their interaction with the system. Furthermore, results suggest a need for more research in information visualization pedagogy. Originality/value This is the only study to uniquely assess the efficacy of the IEEE Xplore digital library database system to retrieve relevant visualization education literature based on keyword search.

Over the past several years a growing focus on improved electrical safety has arisen. A better understanding of both electrical shock and arc flash hazards faced by personnel working on or near energized equipment has led to consensus standards such as the NFPA-70E. These standards deal primarily with safe work practices - designed to identify and quantify the hazard, then assure that personnel are clothed with appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) to reduce the risk. Consensus opinion among safety experts is that the best method to reduce the risk of injury is by designing the hazards out. The next frontier in reducing electrical injuries will arise from improved designs of electrical products which mitigate hazards by design. One primary product area of interest is the low-voltage motor control center used for control of motors rated 1000 volts and below. In process applications such as cement, pulp and paper and petroleum and chemical plants, maintenance personnel often find it necessary to work on, or near, energized motor control centers while performing maintenance and operational activities. This paper will review work in progress by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Working Group 1683 ldquoStandard for Motor Control Centers Rated up to 1000 volts with Requirements Intended to Reduce Injuriesrdquo Working Group. This group was initially formed by the IEEE Industry Applications Society Petroleum and Chemical Industry Committee and is working on ideas to improve the functional design and test requirements for motor control centers rated up to 1000 volts ac 50/60 Hz with specified safety and reliability features. The paper will briefly review the emerging standard and advise engineers that are interested in how to get involved to offer inputs for improving the standard. Information on new safety based low-voltage motor control center designs that have been recently introduced by several manufacturers will be reviewed. The review will show how the industry is responding to the product need articulated by the user community and the IEEE 1683 Working Group for product safety by design.

Numerical calculations of exposure to magnetic field of operators of suspended hand-operated resistance welding guns were performed using the own homogeneous, flexible human body models CIOP-MAN of the 95th and 5th percentile of adult men dimensions (185 and 164 cm in height), in 16 exposure situations with various postures of operator - typical for automotive factory. An assessment concerned calculated values of an induced electric field (E in ) in the brain and the heart - according to the ICNIRP (International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection, 2010) and the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, 2002). The results show applicability of flexible human body models in exposure evaluation based on E in values, even homogeneous. The values of E in in the brain and the heart are up to 34% higher when calculated following ICNIRP requirements than the values calculated following the IEEE method. The values of a welding current producing a B-field in the heart area of 100 µT/50Hz (i.e. the exposure limit for cardiac pacemakers users provided by ACGIH (American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists, 2016) and CENELEC standard (European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization)) are in the range of 0.43–1.6 kA, which is significantly lower than the typical current used in the industry (5–15 kA). Cardiac pacemaker users should not operate welding guns, as a result of the individual risk assessment required by the European directive on workers' protection (Directive 2013/35/EU).

The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) is the largest professional engineering society in the world. With over 250,000 members, the IEEE represents the fields of electronics, computers, and electrical power engineering. Given its size and prominence, it is not surprising that the IEEE chose to celebrate its 100th anniversary in 1984 in a big way. To record its accomplishments for posterity, the institute sponsored two book-length histories-The Making of a Profession by A. Michal McMahon and Engineers & Electrons by John D. Ryder and Donald G. Fink. In addition, to make the history of electrical engineering better known to its members and to the general public, the institute had its Center for the History of Electrical Engineering prepare a poster exhibit. Titled A Century of Electricals, this exhibit is a mix of rich images, of lively text, and of provocative topics and thus is a fitting way for this major society to celebrate its centennial.

You may have heard or recall that SPE was originally part of what is now the American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical and Petroleum Engineers (AIME). In 1985, SPE and the other three AIME member societies, the Society for Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration (SME); The Minerals, Metals, and Materials Society (TMS); and the Association for Iron and Steel Technology (AIST), became separately incorporated from AIME. AIME, founded in 1871, was one of the first national engineering societies established in the United States. In 1904, AIME and two other engineering societies—the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) and the American Institute of Electrical Engineers—formed what is now called the United Engineering Foundation (UEF) to advance the engineering arts and sciences for the welfare of humanity. UEF received a gift of $1 million from Andrew Carnegie to build a common headquarters building in New York City and house their joint and sever-al libraries. By 1958, two other engineering societies had joined UEF: the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE). SPE is the largest engineering society among the AIME member societies, but by no means as large as some of the UEF founder societies. For example, the successor organization to the American Institute of Electrical Engineers, IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers), is the world’s largest technical professional association with roughly 450,000 members. Both AIME and UEF founder societies have awards for which SPE members are eligible. Some of these are exclusive to SPE and administered by SPE award committees. They are familiar names: the DeGolyer and Lucas awards, and Honorary Membership. Others are available to SPE members as well as those belonging to one of the four AIME member societies. These include the Charles F. Rand Memorial Gold Medal, honoring distinguished achievement in mining administration, including metallurgy and petroleum Robert Earll McConnell Award, which recognizes beneficial service to mankind by engineers through significant contributions that advance a nation’s standard of living or replenishes its natural resources Rossiter W. Raymond Memorial Award, given for the best paper written by a member under age 35

The topic of this presentation is what is IEEE (the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers) today, its mission and vision, as well as the most important facts about this world's largest professional association in the field of engineering. After that, the focus will be on the 46 year-long history of the presence of IEEE in the former Yugoslavia region and especially on the development and current state of the IEEE Serbia and Montenegro Section.

Providing quality of service (QoS) for real time applications over wireless local area networks is becoming a very challenging task due to the diversity of multimedia applications. Concurrently, there are numerous wireless local area networks WLAN(s) devices that are rising today. In the current paper, we focus on Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11n because it was designed to support a high data transmission rate (towards 600 Mbps). It is based on frame aggregation schemes that accumulate many subframes to be transmitted into a single larger frame. Thus overheads are reduced, efficiency and throughput are improved. However, it increases delay particularly for low rate applications. In fact, when the queue is empty, the medium access control layer (MAC) has to wait other packets to arrive in the queue to construct the whole aggregated frame. Moreover, if flows are not served, they will be accumulated in the queue causing an increased delay. To overcome these limitations, we propose a new dynamic frame aggregation (DFA) scheduler to provide QoS satisfaction to real time services. DFA schedules flows based on urgency delay and waiting delay, then it dynamically adjusts the payload size of aggregated frame. Conducted simulations prove that the proposed DFA scheduler provides QoS delay and throughput guarantee, and it reduces the number of dropped packets. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.