“As to methods, there may be a million and then some, but principles are few. The person who grasps principles can successfully select their own methods. The person who tries methods, ignoring principles, is sure to have trouble.” – Harrington Emerson
This quote showed up on my radar thanks to another of James Clear’s weekly emails, and it’s satisfyingly relevant to the discussion we’ve had over the past few weeks.
It’s the one truth you should always keep in mind. Among all this comparison of solving methods and analysis tools, what truly determines your success is understanding the principles behind the question you’re trying to answer, and the principles underlying your tools.
One engineer can use STAR-CCM+ for years, but unless they have a firm grasp on what’s actually going on under the hood of the software and what the results are telling them…honestly, they’re just making pretty pictures. And it’ll be tough to pull reliable findings out of the solutions.
On the other hand, another engineer could complete an entire initial aircraft design using only hand calculations and empirically-derived guidelines. The difference here is they understand the principles of aerodynamics so deeply, they feel the right answers in their bones.
These are exaggerated cases, but you get my drift. Don’t immediately jump into any particular software, especially if it’s being touted as the “most advanced” or “most accurate” or anything similar.
Understand the principles first. Understand the physics that matters for the question you’re trying to answer.
Only then will you be able to pick the best tool for the job.