21st Century Engineering by Anirudh Dhebar
June 2026
Three benefits of ‘inefficiency’
This column was motivated by the column, “The Beauty
of Friction” (The Financial Times, Feb. 5, 2026) and down-the-rabbit-hole search that followed. My first discovery
was several different references to the phrase “the beauty
of friction.” Second discovery: Most references alluded
to the engineer’s (and I suppose society’s) unrelenting
quest to eliminate friction in the pursuit of convenience,
simplification and efficiency. But at what cost?
You must be an IISE member to have full access to this content. Please log in at the top right corner of this Web page.
IISE members visiting this site for the first time must register. As part of this process you will create a user name and password. This is a one-time process that requires your member number.
If you are not a member, join IISE now and begin enjoying benefits immediately, including full access to ISE magazine.