BMW

When we went to BMW I didn't really know what to expect but getting to see how the cars are assembled was absolutely incredible! By far my favorite part was learning about all of the steps taken to apply the paint. I found it interesting that they use ostrich features that are charged to paint the cars more efficiently.

I also found it interesting that there were so many robots that cost around a hundred thousand dollars or more depending on the features. However I was surprised to learn that most of the engine work was done by workers for bigger engines like the one in the Rolls-Royce. I also liked the fact that the cars had the micro chips that talk to the robots to tell it what features it has like the number of doors etc. I could only imagine how much the microchips increase productivity.

The BMW Experience

We got to visit BMW today and view their plant and showroom. They definitely keep their high end appearance with the atmospherics of the showroom. It has a very clean and modern look to it with a lot of white space. They show cased some of their newer and older cars to show where BMW started and where they are now. Another really cool aspect of the showroom was the motorcycles and sport bikes that you could sit on. I think it is really cool for people visiting that may never buy one, but it is also good for those who are looking to buy one, so they get to test them.
The plant tour was one of the best parts because we got to see the cars starting from a piece of metal to a beautiful car that just came off of the assembly line. I was most amazed at how large the plant was and how they can move the car parts throughout the different buildings while being built. In the buildings we walked through there were parts constantly moving in every direction. The tour guide told us that this way of operation was very efficient for making cars and as new technology continues to come out they will be looking for ways to make their manufacturing process even more efficient. Overall, seeing the BMW showroom and plant was very enjoyable and I learned a lot about the manufacturing of cars.

A Trip To The BMW

This past Monday, we took a trip to the BMW Welt and manufacturing plant here in Munich. I didn't really know what to expect when we first got there, I honestly thought we were just visiting the museum and the show room and that would be it. We ended up receiving a tour of the manufacturing plant along with free time to explore the Welt. I am usually not a car person, but I thought the manufacturing plant and being able to watch a car be created from start to finish was an amazing experience. I have never seen something like that before and I thought the entire process was intriguing. My favorite part was watching the color be applied to the vehicles. There was just something so entertaining about watching a silver frame of a vehicle go through a machine and watch it be sprayed with color. Overall I had a great time at the BMW plant and would definitely go again!

Munich Observatory

On Monday, May 30th, we went to Munich's Observatory. When we went to the planetarium, the room was lit brightly. Our guide then dimmed the lights to simulate the setting of the sun gradually revealing more and more stars as the sky became darker. Our guide then explained why great wonders can be seen away from the lights of the city. That really made me realize that the advancements of technology has its negatives. The bigger and bigger our cities get, the more light pollution hinders us from seeing the wonders of the sky. Now you can only observe them far away from the city. I found this thought very interesting since this course is on the history of science and technology. This night really opened my eyes to see the negative of the advancement of technology.

Bavarian Observatory

Even with rain and a cloudy sky the Bavarian Observatory was really cool. We got to see the night sky as it is truly supposed to look along with learning about the planets and some interesting information about them. To top it all off we saw a couple of telescopes, but due to weather we didn't get to use them.
     I really liked learning about planets and there differences about them. One example is that Jupiter is a giant cloud of gas and that if there is a surface is it pretty small. The cool part is that the scientific community  believes thereally might be metallic hydrogen near the center. I don't  Raju understand how this works but I find it fascinating. Overall our guides were really funny and interactive with the group making it a great experience!

Nanotechnology

Walking down into the nanotechnology room, we had no idea how interactive and encompassing it would be. It was absolutely amazing! It covered everything from research to manufacturing, and there was a section on carbon nanotubes. Having done research with carbon nanotubes as transistors this past year, it was fascinating to see them along with their manufacturing process as we made nanotubes at Platteville was different than the way they did. Overall, the exhibit had many interactive features such as: touch screen glass displays, booths to sit and listen in multiple languages about the history, and buttons to automate the machines! I definitely could have spent much more time in this exhibit!

Dachau

There aren't words that can describe the eerie feeling you get when you walk in the gates of Dachau. Hearing the stories growing up you really don't realize what a large scale everything was on, but everything was put into perspective Friday. The hardest part personally was seeing the crematorium. The guide told us that the prisoners building the second crematorium realized what they were building during the process. They recognized the gas chambers being put in and knew that only meant mass murder. To try and stop these from getting used, they built the structure as slow as they possibly could to try to delay the horror. Seeing humanity shine through, no matter how much the Nazis wanted to dehumanize them, was truly touching.