“Science is about knowing, engineering is about doing.” -Henry Petroski
The terms “engineer” and “scientist” are sometimes used interchangeably, but it is important to note that there is a big distinction between the two. A scientist pursues knowledge and understanding of the world through observation, research, and experimentation. An engineer, in contrast, concentrates on creating solutions to real world problems. An engineer will surely use scientific knowledge as part of his or her process as a tool. You can think of the work of a scientist being the guide for an engineer. The more complicated the problem, the more helpful the information provided by scientific research will be in engineering a practical solution. There is certainly an overlap between the two fields, but it is the engineer who will be solving the problem while the scientist helps the engineer understand the cause of the problem.