the entire time that brunel was active- early to mid 1800s- was one of the most scientific/engineering productive eras ever. I've spent a lot of time studying England and Germany during this era and it's really amazing to see how the work banged out during the industrial revolution really established the framework of our modern lives.<p>Some things have changed for the better- for example, London and Berlin during this time were so smoke-clogged that people could barely live there. The industry got moved to the countryside eventually.