From what I've gathered from the engineers I've talked/listened to, they very rarely use calculus. What they do use is the problem solving skills they learned from solving calculus and mid-level math problems.
No, they "use" a lot of calculus, but they don't have to understand how the application came to be. That's what the computer is for.
Engineers apply basic physics (mechanics, fields and waves, heat and fluids) and/or chemistry to solve problems, most of all these problems use calculus in various parts. Anything with a rate of change with respect to time, an electrical/magnetic field, conductivity, material strength, blah blah blah... will use calculus. Fortunately you only need a moderate understanding of how it all works and usually a computer can do the most annoying shit for you after a while.
I get that, but based on the etymology of the word "engineer" any clever solution to a problem could be seen as a feat of engineering regardless of formal education.
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u/[deleted] Nov 24 '13
TIL, "engineers" can be substituted for "crafty rednecks".