Sorry my last post was a bit harsh: I hit the post button before my thoughts had condensed on to e-paper.
Engineering is a combination of knowing lots of stuff: formulae, components, etc. and often finding the optimum compromise, between cost, delivery-time, and performance. There is also the aspect of finding novel solutions, but this is less engineering.
Engineering is both realising an imagined thing, and doing it efficiently, safely, properly (tested), and now ethically.
PHB cannot ask "Would you recommend putting a PX9 system on an R3 network?", because that would show lack of leadership and lack of knowledge. Also, the answer might be rather long as the engineer blinds the PHB with his brilliance.
Having encyclopedic knowledge of all things Dilbert, including the details of 19-year-old strips, while impressive, and possibly laudable, is of limited economic value. And is probably a negative factor in courtship rituals.