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Richard Feynman, the Challenger, and Engineering
An anonymous reader writes "When Richard Feynman investigated the Challenger disaster as a member of the Rogers Commission, he issued a scathing report containing brilliant, insightful commentary on the nature of engineering. This short essay relates Feynman's commentary to modern software development."
The Kansas City Hyatt Regency walkway collapse was an engineering problem. The contractor asked to take a shortcut (instead of threading a nut up a three story threaded rod, they asked to cut the rod and offset it several inches) and the engineers rubber-stamped it without checking what the ramifications would be. The engineering part was not originally flawed, but it was when they approved the change order.
I called it a mighty Sperm Whale, she called it Finding Nemo.
I agree, and tried not to summarize at all. Mostly I just tried to link what Feynman said to software, rather than make a fool of myself paraphrasing him. That's also why the entry is really short, and basically tells people to go read the source :)
cheers.
Apparently you've never taken engineering ethics. The first class I had to take as a general engineering major. Needless to say, I changed majors but still got a hell of a lot out of that ethics class. The parent was right. These were all cases of cutting corners, either in terms of cost or time. Managers wanted it done quickly and cheaply, whether that meant mixing concrete improperly, or buying sub-par materials, or just ignoring what the engineers are telling them. It always came down to about 95% managerial and the rest engineering error.
Absolute power corrupts absolutely. indymedia