Absolutely Quote by Henry Petroski

“The definition of 'safe' is not strictly an engineering term; it's a societal term. Does it mean absolutely no loss of life? Does it mean absolutely no contamination with radiation? What exactly does 'safe' mean?”

Henry Petroski

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 2.7 out of 5 (8 ratings)

Absolutely Contamination Definition Does Engineering Exactly Life Loss Loss Of Life Mean Radiation Safe Societal Strictly Term

More by Henry Petroski

All conventional wisdom has an element of truth to it, but good design requires more than an element of truth - it requires an…

Henry Petroski

Image

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

Henry Petroski

Image

A failed structure provides a counterexample to a hypothesis and shows us incontrovertibly what cannot be done, while a structure that stands without incident…

Henry Petroski

Image

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.

Henry Petroski

Image

I employ case studies of failure into my courses, emphasizing that they teach us much more than studies of success. It is not that…

Henry Petroski

Image

Whether or not science can be applied to that mental construct [i.e. the designed entity] is a matter of availability. If there is body…

Henry Petroski

Image

Failures are much more dramatic than successes, and people like drama. I think this is why automobile races draw such crowds. People expect spectacular…

Henry Petroski

Image

The most amazing achievement of the computer software industry is its continuing cancellation of the steady and staggering gains made by the computer hardware…

Henry Petroski

Image

For as long as I can remember, I have been fascinated by things large and small. I wanted to know what made my watch…

Henry Petroski

Image

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

Henry Petroski

Image

The space shuttle was designed, at least in part, to broaden our knowledge of the universe. To scientists, the vehicle was a tool; to…

Henry Petroski

Image

Because they are so humbled by their creations, engineers are naturally conservative in their expectations of technology. They know that the perfect system is…

Henry Petroski

Image

Explore all 67 Henry Petroski quotes

More Absolutely quotes

I am absolutely my own biggest critic.

Lando Norris

Image

The way I look at it is, cancer research is absolutely nonpartisan. Cancer is very democratic in the sense that it attacks people regardless…

David H. Koch

Image

I was brought up by the English side of my family, who are very repressed and working class. Absolutely lovely, but very English.

Bat for Lashes

Image

Nobody ever wins by the cavalry coming to rescue you. It isn't a question of you're happy if you get married, or you get…

Maeve Binchy

Image

The game business arose from computer programs that were written by and for young men in the late 1960s and early 1970s. They worked…

Brenda Laurel

Image

If I was a man, I would be a drag queen. Honestly, I would. I absolutely love it.

Scarlett Moffatt

Image

There's very little about being in a functional-M.R.I. scanner that is natural: you are flat on your back, absolutely still, with your head immobilized…

Robin Marantz Henig