An engineer solves technology problems by thinking things through.
I am sitting in a class administering a final exam right now and thinking about the problem of detached pages. It is not unheard-of for a page to pop off an exam between the time that a student completes it and the time it is turned in. If that happens to only one student in a given exam, it is easy to figure out. If it happens to two, it may be harder. So I have my students put their name on every page… The page that detaches itself most often is the last one in the stack. This happens for several reasons. First, a loose last page is harder to detect. Second, the back page gets stressed by table friction and the like. Third, the staple is inevitably punched from top to bottom. Most staple failures are around the tines, which are hidden in back.
The reason for punching top-to-bottom is historical: it is harder to build a manual stapler that goes the other way. However, the fancy electric stapling photocopier I use these days probably doesn't care much. It just staples the way it's always been done. Upside-down.
I'm not claiming any deep insight here. I guess I just find the places an engineering mindset takes me interesting. Especially when I'm bored. (B)