Stupid things Engineers have said

Or: how not to engineer

​Usually, we want to know how to be a global engineer – one who has mastered the attributes of engineering expertise and understands how context can affect both the development and application of those attributes. That way we can become an engineer of excellence who can work anywhere.
But there’s also value in knowing what not to do. And that’s the focus of this article.
I’ll take three cases of engineers saying stupid things throughout history. Then I’ll take a shot at why they blundered. From that, we can learn how not to fall into the same traps.
So let’s get started.
 
Julius Sextus Frontinus (Roman engineer and Superintendent of Aqueducts)
“Inventions reached their limit long ago, and I see no hope for further development.”
1st Century CE
From the haughty position of the 21st century, we can certainly say Julius was spectacularly wrong. Not only have inventions continued, but our understanding of science has advanced enormously since his time.
What’s more, he seemed blind to the fact that other parts of the world – China, India, the Andean civilizations of South America, to name a few – were also developing unique technologies.
Julius simply couldn’t imagine that better worlds or better systems could exist.
The lesson? Don’t ever become content. Always assume the world is full of problems waiting for solutions.
 
Boeing Engineers
“Mass production methods from the automotive industry are not applicable to aircraft.” (paraphrased)
World War II
During WWII, the United States needed to outproduce Germany and Japan in aircraft – especially bombers. At the time, it took around 200 times as many people to build an aircraft as it did a car, and the cost (per weight) was about 35 times higher. So it made sense to look at automotive-style production for planes.
But many aeronautical engineers dismissed the idea. Aircraft, they said, required tighter tolerances, exotic materials, and more “finesse.” Even German engineers thought this kind of mass production was impossible.
Of course, history proved them wrong.
And yet, even today, I hear similar resistance when Lean, Agile, or other well-established methods are suggested in industries that see themselves as “too complicated” to used these new methods.
What’s the real reason for this. I would say it is usually ego and laziness: we don’t want to admit gaps in our knowledge, and we don’t want to put in the effort to learn by trying something new.
The lesson? Stay motivated to try new ideas and see if they make things better.
(Side note: Charles E. Sorensen from Ford thought mass-producing aircraft would be easier than it was. He was overly optimistic. But if we made a list of engineers who underestimated how hard something would be, it would include you, me, and pretty much every engineer who has ever lived. Denialistic optimism might even be an essential engineering trait.)
 
Richard Gerstenberg (then Chairman of General Motors)
“Well, I have looked into this design [Compound Vortex Controlled Combustion], and while it might work on some little toy motorcycle engine, I see no potential for it on one of our GM car engines.”
1973
This was about Honda’s CVCC engine, developed to reduce pollution. When Honda tried to convince U.S. automakers to adopt the technology, Gerstenberg gave this response. Others in the U.S. also claimed it would reduce performance due to differences in cylinder size and geometry.
In response, Honda acquired a Chevy Impala, fitted it with CVCC, and sent it back for testing. The poplar story goes that it outperformed the unmodified Impala across the board. In truth, the results were more mixed – but the system clearly had promise and should never have been dismissed so lightly.
Why was it dismissed? Some argue it was because Honda was such a small player at the time. Which I think is related to the “not invented here” syndrome. We tend to disregard ideas from others – and more so when they are smaller or less reputable.
The lesson? Apply first principles thinking before mouthing off.
 
Closing
I hope this has helped you think more about how to be a better engineer – even if it’s through the lens of what not to do.
A global engineer avoids arrogance, embraces learning, and tests ideas no matter where they come from. That’s how we make sure we don’t end up as the next bad quote in history books.
And if you know other examples of “stupid things engineers have said,” then please share them.