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Henry Petroski Quotes

American - Author | February 6, 1942 -

Science is about knowing; engineering is about doing.

Science Engineering Doing Knowing

Successful design is not the achievement of perfection but the minimization and accommodation of imperfection.

Achievement Perfection Imperfection

Everything we do is designed, whether we're producing a magazine, a website, or a bridge. Design is really the creative invention that designs everything.

Creative Bridge Design Website

As engineers, we were going to be in a position to change the world - not just study it.

Change Change The World World Study

Failure is central to engineering. Every single calculation that an engineer makes is a failure calculation. Successful engineering is all about understanding how things break or fail.

Failure Engineering Understanding How

Engineering is achieving function while avoiding failure.

Failure Engineering Achieving While

An over-reliance on past successes is a sure blueprint for future failures.

Future Past Sure Blueprint Failures

Relying on nothing but scientific knowledge to produce an engineering solution is to invite frustration at best and failure at worst.

Failure Knowledge Best Frustration

For as long as I can remember, I have been fascinated by things large and small. I wanted to know what made my watch tick, my radio play, and my house stand. I wanted to know who invented the bottle cap and who designed the bridge. I guess from early on I wanted to be an engineer.

Bridge Small Stand Remember Early

We call the fates of the Titanic and the Concordia - as well as those of the space shuttles Challenger and Columbia - 'accidents.' Foreseeing such undesirable events is what engineers are expected to do. However, design trade-offs leave technological systems open to failings once predicted, but later forgotten.

Space Design Engineers Events Leave

Successful engineering is all about understanding how things break or fail.

Engineering Understanding Break Fail

It is really want, rather than need, that drives the process of technological evolution.

Process Evolution Want Need Rather

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