What most engineers would like to see implemented in Python is a new engineering notation identical to the one implemented in the omnipresent HP calculators.

Quoting from the HP-15C Owner's Handbook:
"- In engineering notation, the first significant digit is always present in the display. The number you key in after f ENG specifies the number of additional digits to which you want to round the display.
- Engineering notation shows all exponents in multiples of three."

Source + examples, see page 59: http://www.hp.com/ctg/Manual/c03030589.pdf

Most of the time, engineers are not after high precision. Ball park figures are good enough in a world where everything is built to a specified tolerance. For example, most electronic resistors feature 5% tolerance. Safety factors take care of the rest and assure a building will not collapse.

This should not be that difficult to implement?
I promise, every six months an engineer will stop by here asking for this. Instead of nagging, this could already have been implemented one way or the other. The large demand for this feature really warrants it. Thanks!