Assembling Big Data from Failures

By Henry Petroski

Engineers have developed detailed theories about structural life and load capacity by gathering and examining debris.

Engineering Technology

Current Issue

This Article From Issue

September-October 2018

Volume 106, Number 5
Page 270

DOI: 10.1511/2018.106.5.270

It is a given that astrophysicists must necessarily deal in astronomical amounts of information. But what of engineers? Are their typically earthbound endeavors—with occasional extraterrestrial excursions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond—any less complicated for dealing with things presumably many, many, many orders of magnitude smaller and simpler than the entire universe?

Double M2/Flickr/CC BY 2.0

To access the full article, please log in or subscribe.

American Scientist Comments and Discussion

To discuss our articles or comment on them, please share them and tag American Scientist on social media platforms. Here are links to our profiles on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

If we re-share your post, we will moderate comments/discussion following our comments policy.