Engineering, like poetry, is an attempt to approach perfection. And engineers, like poets, are seldom completely satisfied with their creations. They notice, even if no one else does, the world that is not quite le mot juste, or the hairline crack that blemishes the structure.
Henry PetroskiAny design, whether its for a ship or an airplane, must be done in anticipation of potential failures.
Henry PetroskiFailure is Central to engineering. Every single calculation that an engineer makes is a failure calculation.
Henry PetroskiNo one wants to learn from mistakes, but we cannot learn enough from successes to go beyond the state of the art.
Henry Petroski