Form follows failure.

Form follows failure.

A failed structure provides a counterexample to a hypothesis and shows us incontrovertibly what cannot be done, while a structure that stands without incident often conceals whatever lessons or caveats it might hold for the next generation of engineers.

No one wants to learn from mistakes, but we cannot learn enough from successes to go beyond the state of the art.

Engineering is achieving function while avoiding failure.

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.

Our expectations for a technology rise with its advancement.