Fire Quote by Andy Weir
““As usual, I'm working with stuff that was deliberately designed not to burn. But no amount of careful design by NASA can get around a determined arsonist with a tank of pure oxygen.””
About This Quote
Source Interview: Author Q&A, 2021
Even with careful design, determined sabotage can overcome safety measures, highlighting human ingenuity and risk.
In simple terms: Design can’t stop a determined saboteur.
Key Takeaway
Plan for human error and sabotage.
Themes
safety
design
human error
risk management
Mood
cautious
analytical
Type
technical
philosophical
When to use this quote
- spacecraft design
- industrial safety
- risk assessment
Key Concepts
engineering ethics
failure modes
human ingenuity
Questions to Reflect On
- What safeguards can anticipate malicious intent?
- How do you balance safety with innovation?
A Different Perspective
Overemphasis on design may ignore human factors.
![“[Non-flammable? Challenge accepted.] [Alan], I texted, [arson is bad.] [It's in the spirit of academic inquiry! It's SCIENCE!] ['Science' is not a legal defense.] [Damn them.]” quote by KD Sarge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/72f/kd-sarge-90844_science_non-flammable-challenge-accepted-alan-i_673142.jpg)
![“Next came the Patent laws. These began in England in 1624; and, in this country, with the adoption of our constitution. Before then [these?], any man might instantly use what another had invented; so that the inventor had no special advantage from his own invention. The patent system changed this…” quote by Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/449/abraham-lincoln-88_adoption_next-came-the-patent-laws-these-began-in_1828.jpg)
