🏗️ Why the Brooklyn Bridge Was Basically Marvel Phase One

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Hello Fellow Engineers!

Welcome to Real Civil Newsletter - the only newsletter where the Brooklyn Bridge gets compared to a Marvel crossover, camouflaged dogs outsmart the internet, and free copies of Cat God Ranch fall from the heavens like divine furballs.

This week we’ve got giveaways (yes, free games, because engineers love efficiency), a Brooklyn Bridge deep dive (featuring stubbornness, decompression sickness, and an MVP wife who basically ran the show), plus links to the wildest new tech that architects still can’t take credit for.

Oh, and Paddy the dog is back, camouflaged better than half the bridges in Britain. Think you can spot him?

Let’s dive into it 👇

This week, we’re giving away TWO copies of Cat God Ranch! 🐱✨

If you’ve ever dreamed of raising divine felines, managing a ranch full of chaos, and proving your worth to the almighty Cat God, this is your moment to shine (and maybe get scratched).

And now, the moment you’ve been waiting for… 🥁

🏆 jac122583🏆
🏆 robin.snellinx1🏆

Check your email for your game key and prepare to worship, herd, and ranch like never before! 🙏🐾

Missed out? Don’t worry, more giveaways are on the way!

Want a shot at the next one? Vote for a bridge in the poll in this email! 🌉🔥

👷‍♂️ Truss Me, I’m an Engineer…

Avengers: Brooklyn

Today we’re rolling back the clock to 1883, when New York pulled off one of the boldest engineering projects ever: the Brooklyn Bridge.

This wasn’t just a bridge; it was basically the Marvel movie crossover of 19th-century engineering feats. At the time, nothing like it had ever been attempted. It was the longest suspension bridge in the world, stretching nearly 1,600 feet, and it looked like it was held up by pure stubbornness.

The story behind it is wild:

• John Roebling, the original engineer, died before construction even started.

• His son Washington took over but was sidelined by decompression sickness after working in the caissons.

• Then Emily Roebling, Washington’s wife, stepped in, studied the plans, and became the on-site leader. She wasn’t officially the chief engineer, but let’s be honest, she was running the show.

From a technical standpoint, this bridge was a flex:

• Steel cables were cutting-edge technology at the time.

• Those stone towers? Sunk deep into the riverbed using pressurized caissons, like giant diving bells.

• The bridge combined engineering precision with a design that still looks iconic nearly 150 years later.

Now, sure, architects will tell you how beautiful the bridge is, and they’re not wrong. But behind that beauty is a masterclass in engineering grit, math, and probably a lot of swearing.

The takeaway: The Brooklyn Bridge is still standing strong, still in use, and still proving that when engineers put their heads together, the results last centuries.

⚡ Cool Links

🏗️ 3D Printed Concrete Finds Its Footing
The construction industry is finally taking 3D-printed concrete seriously. Next step: printing a bridge that actually stands up without an architect sketching a “vision board.”

🔬 Tiny Metalenses Could Transform Cameras
Researchers built new “metalenses” smaller than a human hair that could change how cameras work. Imagine engineers reinventing Instagram selfies , architects could never.

🌊 Stone Living Lab Tackles Coastal Resilience
Engineers are literally building nature-based defenses against rising seas. Architects, meanwhile, are still arguing about whether glass or steel looks prettier.

🏙️ Modern Engineering Feats in Construction
From gravity-defying skyscrapers to bridges that make rollercoasters jealous, a reminder that engineers build it while architects just doodle it.

🎮️ Gaming News

🐾 Baby Steps Is Literally About Learning to Walk
Every leg movement is manual. Yes, a walking simulator where walking is the hardest thing. Proof that engineers will gamify anything.

🚀 Wobbly Life Goes to Space in 1.0 Update
Now featuring asteroid mining, zero-G gardening, and detective work in orbit. Basically Cities: Skylines but if your mayor tripped over his shoelaces.

🏗️ City Builders Are Absolutely Stacked This Month
Eight new city-builder/simulation titles dropping this September. Too many choices? Just pick the one with the least architect input.

⚙️ Kaizen: A Factory Story
Puzzle-automation indie where you build assembly lines and get graded globally. Basically, Factorio but with peer pressure.

🧪 Sojourner under Sabotage
A browser game where you debug sabotage using unit tests. Finally, a game that proves engineers can even turn testing into fun.

⚡ MythMatch , Greek Gods Meet Tech Bros
Take Mount Olympus, add corporate greed, and rebuild civilization with merge mechanics. Zeus is basically just an architect with lightning , so it tracks.

🎲 Civil Draft TTS Sneak Peek

Can’t wait for your Civil Draft orders? This’ll keep you going.

The official Tabletop Simulator version of Civil Draft is in final testing, and we’ll be making an announcement very soon. In the meantime, here’s a first look at the new PlayMatt and shiny coin accessories (available for preorder in November).

We’ve put a ton of love into this - it’s had a proper engineer’s touch. There’s even a Build button that auto-discards materials and rotates your engineers for you. Smooth, efficient, and way less paperwork.

Consider this your early-access snack while the main course is almost ready.

🐕‍🦺 Paddy’s Corner

Only 0.01% of people can see my camouflaged dog...

Only 0.01% of people can actually spot my camouflaged dog, Paddy…

Think you’ve got eagle eyes? Prove it.

Check out the full video and see if you can find him

👾 Indie Game of the Week:

When your office job includes roundhouse-kicking toddlers and tossing coffee mugs at coworkers, you know it’s Indie Game of the Week time. ☕🥋

Watch me climb the corporate ladder one groin-kick at a time in Stick It To The Stickman, HR would not approve.

Full chaos and accidental CEO promotions right here 👉 Watch on YouTube.

It’s time for a Bridge Review!

Alright folks, buckle up, because today we’re reviewing one of the OG heavy hitters in bridge history: The Iron Bridge, built in 1779 over the River Severn.

Now, this wasn’t just a bridge. This was the first large bridge in the world to be made entirely of cast iron. Imagine the confidence (and mild insanity) it takes to say: “Yeah, I know people have been using stone and wood for thousands of years… but what if we melted down an entire forest worth of frying pans and built a bridge out of that?”

Spoiler: it worked. And it’s still standing.

Engineering Feats 🚀

• First of its kind: literally the blueprint for every metal bridge that came after.

• Cast iron segments were fit together like a giant Meccano set. No one had ever done it on this scale.

• Stability? It’s been carrying people for nearly 250 years, despite being designed before structural analysis was even a proper thing. These guys basically guessed the math… and nailed it.

The Verdict ⚖️

The Iron Bridge is pure engineering muscle with historical significance off the charts. No wasted flair, no pointless spires, no “modern art interpretation” nonsense. Just iron, bolts, and guts.

Final Score: 9.3/10