Henry Petroski, a Professor of Duke University’s Pratt School of Engineering is prolific author who won Washington Award 2006 for his accomplishments in making engineering theory and practice understandable to the general public. The Awards is one of the oldest and most prestigious engineering awards in the United States. The first recipient of it was Herbert Hoover (1919), an experienced engineer who became the 31st president of the United States; then a pioneer of aviation, Orville Wright (1927), Henry Ford, founder of Ford Motor Company (1944), Hyman Rickover, developer of the first nuclear-powered submarine (1970), astronaut Neil Armstrong (1980) and Robert Langer (2005), who studies and develops polymers for use in drug industry.
Henry Petroski
The BBC filmed a documentary, based on Petroski book “To Engineer is Human”; Publication “Design Paradigms” was ranked in 1994 by Association of American Publisher, the best book about engineering. Petroski’s works have been translated in many languages. He published his articles in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Wall Street Journal, and is also a columnist for the magazine, American Scientist. He has appeared many times as a guest of radio programs on National Public Radio and TV shows, such as Today America and News Hours.
A scientist or an engineer?
In the 50’s, during the space race era, when a rocket was launched in orbit successfully, the media praised the scientists. Conversely, when the rockets failed, they blamed the engineers – said prof. Petroski – That is an indicator how the society sees those two different professions but also what status they held.
How different are these two professions; engineers versus scientists? Well, engineers concentrate on making use from scientific discovery and scientists are interested in discovery by itself. But their goals are the same; through innovations; they change our life and our world.
Nowadays, in the United States there are a lot of talks about innovations. The American government informs that they will be heavily investing for the support in science. That is another misunderstanding – complained Petroski – Science is on one area and innovation is on the other but between them are engineers. He states that locating funds in scientist research, and by passing engineering, wouldn’t be successful and continues using the many historical examples.
During the Roman times, engineers were behind the construction of bridges and aqueducts, which had united the country in a consistent and efficient body; behind municipal sewer systems and Roman baths. The industrial revolution is greatly indebted to the engineers who introduced the concept of mass production that allowed selling the goods at affordable prices; not to mention today’s household items which have become part of our daily existence, such as the electric light, washing machines, and refrigerators.
Commonly it is believed that the scientists are behind a discovery and engineers are moving them into practice. In fact, very often discoveries have a name of engineers, and even as history shows, the greatest discoveries did not necessarily belong to the researchers. A stream engine is an example that was discovered by engineers and years passed when science described and understood this discovery.
Through the failure to successful project
Professor Petroski argues that the failure could be an engine of innovation. It is because success gives us a confidence and peace of mind that we are on the right track and in the euphoria; we do not ask why. Failure, although we do not love them and pray that they do not happen to us – explained Petroski - show our limitations. Failure is a minefield that is easy to locate and analyze. Reaching for an extreme and spectacular example; Titanic was a real lesson. Society claimed that the boat was unsinkable and they focused on their effort to make it faster and much more efficient mode for transportation. Why bother the ballast the boat with lifeboats? The investigation after the crash clearly showed that the Titanic did not have enough lifeboats to rescue survivors.
Petroski’s book, “The Engineer is Human”, was featured in a collection of 100 best business publications of all time. Reviewer, Todd Sattersten, said that it contains many meanings which not only engineers can relate to, but also the business world. A failure should not depreciate the entrepreneurs as well as engineers but they have to learn from it. Doors should not being close to those who have made the initial failure. The business world also learns from failures like stock market collapses.
Petroski is also an author of books whose subjects are of items that we use every day, such as pencils or toothpicks. These clever stories are written with a sense of humor and are considered masterpieces. Regarding the creative mind of Charles Forster, the inventor of the toothpick, Petroski wrote: he was a marketing genius who might have sold a side of beef to a vegetarian. And further continuing his story about a toothpick that conquered the world and the consumers became the inventors of its additional uses. Like the one as a symbol of status. It was a common observation of the time that many of the young men standing in front of a good hotel chewing toothpicks were suggesting they had eaten in its fine dining room, when in fact they could not afford to do so.
The combination of his deep analysis of his subject matter, along with his charming storytelling skills, put a spell on the captive audience. Petroski’s sense of humor is very similar to Mark Twain, who he likes to quote. Asked why he became an engineer, he answered with a smile – it was 1957 when I started college and Sputnik was launch to the orbit. Blame it on Sputnik!