Ring Ritual Reminds Engineers of Their Responsibility
Christina Agapakis:
One of my good friends is an engineer trained in Canada. I had noticed over the years that she always wears a plain silver ring on her pinky, but I never asked if it had any special meaning to her. Recently I learned that it’s her Iron Ring, something worn by all Canadian engineers on the pinky finger of their working hand to remind them of their responsibility to the public. When they write or draw, the ring hits the surface of the paper and the facets provide a “sharp reminder” of engineering ethics and the engineer’s obligation to make things that are useful and safe.