Photo Catherine Petroski.
I N T E R V I E W B Y
S u zan n e R a m ija k
I L L U S T R A T I O N B Y
E m ily c m A n d e rso n
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s .
H e n r y P e t r o s k i is a p r a c t ic in g e n g in e e r a n d
p r o f e s s o r o f e n g i n e e r i n g a n d h i s t o r y a t
D u k e U n i v e r s i t y , w h e r e h e h a s t a u g h t s in c e
19 8 0 . H e is t h e a u t h o r o f 14 b o o k s a n d h a s
p u b lis h e d h u n d r e d s o f a r t ic le s in n e w s p a -
p e r s , m a g a z i n e s a n d p r o f e s s i o n a l jo u r n a l s .
I n 1 9 8 7 P e t r o s k i s e r v e d a s w r i t e r a n d p r e -
s e n t e r o f t h e
b b c
t e le v i s i o n d o c u m e n t a r y ,
To Engineer Is Human.
H e c o n t r i b u t e s
a r e g u la r e n g in e e r in g c o lu m n t o
American
Scientist
m a g a z in e a n d le c t u r e s t h r o u g h o u t
t h e w o r l d . H is m o s t r e c e n t b o o k ,
The
Essential Engineer: IVhy Science Alone W ill
Not Solve Our Global Problems,
w a s p u b -
lis h e d b y A l f r e d A . K n o p f t h is y e a r .
H e s p o k e w i t h S u z a n n e R a m lja k a b o u t
s u c h is s u e s a s e n g i n e e r i n g ’ s r o o t e d n e s s in
c r a f t , u n iv e r s a lly v a lu e d t o o ls a n d t h e d i f -
f e r e n c e s b e t w e e n s c ie n c e a n d e n g in e e r in g .
S u z a n n e R a m l j a k :
In your first book,
T o E n g in e e r I s H u m a n ,/ » «
state, “The ideas o f engineering are in our bones andpart o f our human
nature and experience
. ...
We are all engineers o f sorts. ” Can you
elaborate on that claim ?
H e n r y P e t r o s l d : W e a r e a ll c o n s t a n t ly f a c e d w i t h lit t le p r o b le m s
in d a ily li f e a n d h a v e t o d e a l w i t h v a r io u s s it u a t io n s t h a t c o m e
u p . P e o p l e o f t e n fig u r e o u t t h e ir o w n s o lu t io n s to t h e s e p r o b le m s .
S o m e m ig h t d e s c r ib e t h is a s p e r f o r m i n g t r ic k s t h a t w e ’ v e le a r n e d .
T o m e , t h is is a f o r m o f e n g i n e e r i n g in t h a t p e o p l e a r e s o l v i n g
a p r o b le m . T h e y w a n t t o g e t a r o u n d a n o b s t a c le —t o b e m o r e c o m -
f o r t a b le , i f y o u w i ll.
T h e w o r d e n g in e e r h a s a lo n g a n d c o m p lic a t e d h i s t o r y . I n t h e
E n g lis h la n g u a g e t h e t e r m f o r a lo n g t im e h a d a m o r e m ilit a r y m e a n -
in g . B u t t h e r o o t o f th e w o r d “ e n g in e e r ” is fo u n d in “ in g e n u it y .” I n
t h a t s e n s e e n g in e e r in g is c o m in g u p w i t h s o lu t io n s t o p r o b le m s , a n d
w h i l e t h e y a r e n o t a ll in g e n io u s , t h e r e is a n in g r e d ie n t o f c le v e r n e s s .
S o t h a t ’ s w h a t I m e a n w h e n I s a y w e h a v e e n g in e e r in g in o u r b o n e s .
S R
How do you view engineering in relation to craft ?
H P
I t is r o o t e d in c r a f t . M o d e r n e n g in e e r in g t o d a y is g e n e r a l ly
b e li e v e d t o h a v e g o n e b e y o n d c r a f t in t h a t it u s e s m a t h e m a t ic s
a n d s c ie n c e in w a y s t h a t a r e n ’t r e q u ir e d in t h e c r a f t s . E n g in e e r in g
h a s b e c o m e m o r e f o r m a liz e d a n d its s o lu t io n s m o r e p r e d ic t a b le .
B u t t h e r e r e m a in s a l o t o f a r t in e n g in e e r in g in t h e s e n s e t h a t i t
i n v o l v e s ju d g m e n t , a n d t h a t ’ s u n q u a n t if ia b le . Y o u c a n ’ t a lw a y s
h a v e n u m b e r s f o r e v e r y t h in g . In t h e e n d y o u ’ v e g o t t o m a k e t h e s e
h u m a n le a p s .
S R
lichen you write about the creative process you use words like
“ineffable”and “elusive.
”
Yiu seem to accept that there’s a mystery behind
all creation, whether in engineering or art.
H P
Y e s , I b e lie v e th a t. B e c a u s e in b o t h c a s e s y o u a r e s t a r t in g w it h
a b la n k s h e e t o f p a p e r o r a b la n k c a n v a s a n d y o u h a v e t o m a k e t h a t
le a p t o b e g in t o p u t s o m e t h in g o n it . H o w d o y o u g o fr o m s i t t i n g !
apr/may ю american craft 047
