Left to right: Riveting
hammer, ball pane
hammer, upholstery
hammer, joiner’s mallet,
bossing mallet, cross
pein pin hammer, dead
blow hammer and
claw hammer.
T
h
e
r e
r e m
a i n
s a l o t o
f a r t i n
e n
g i n
e e r i n
g i n f h
e s e n
s e f h
a t
i t i n
v o
l v e s j u
d
g
m
e n
t , a n d
f h
a t ’ s u
n
q u
a n
t i f i a b
l e .
S R
Which tools or inventions would you identify as being the most
important in shaping human history?
H P
I f w e a r e t a l k in g a b o u t r e c o r d e d h i s t o r y r a t h e r t h a n p r e h i s -
t o r y , I w o u l d p u t t h e s t e a m e n g in e h ig h u p in im p o r t a n c e f o r a
v a r i e t y o f r e a s o n s . B e f o r e t h e s t e a m e n g in e t h e r e w a s n o s c h e d u le d
o c e a n s h ip p in g , b e c a u s e y o u c o u ld n e v e r t e ll h o w s t r o n g th e w in d s
w o u l d b l o w a n d h o w lo n g i t w o u l d t a k e t o g e t w h e r e y o u w a n t e d
t o g o . S o t h e s t e a m e n g in e m a d e it p o s s ib le t o s c h e d u le d e liv e r i e s .
I t a ls o a ll o w e d y o u t o s e t u p f a c t o r i e s a w a y f r o m a s o u r c e o f w a t e r
o r o t h e r s o u r c e s o f p o w e r t h a t w e r e n ’ t p o r t a b le . I w o u l d a ls o
s in g le o u t t h e p e n c il, o r s o m e k in d o f w r i t i n g in s t r u m e n t , a s b e in g
e x t r e m e l y i m p o r t a n t t o c i v i l i z a t i o n a s w e k n o w it . T h e p e n c il
p r o v e d t o b e a c r u c ia l t o o l f o r c o m m u n ic a t io n a n d lit e r a c y .
S R
L et’s move on to your most recent book,
T h e E s s e n t ia l E n g in e e r :
W h y S c i e n c e A l o n e W i l l N o t S o l v e O u r G lo b a l P r o b le m s .
How
would you state the basic premise o f that book ?
H P
T h e t h r u s t is c h a r a c t e r i z e d in t h e b o o k ’ s s u b t it le . T h e r e
is a l o t o f t a lk a b o u t s c ie n c e f ix in g g lo b a l w a r m in g a n d o t h e r s e r io u s
is s u e s w e f a c e . A n d I t r y in t h is b o o k t o d r a w a c le a r d is t in c t io n
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 , w h i c h a r e n o t e q u iv a le n t . T h e y
r e a lly h a v e d if f e r e n t o b je c t iv e s . T h e s u b je c t o f s c ie n c e is t h e g iv e n
w o r l d , w h i c h a t a n y t im e a ls o in c lu d e s t h e p r o d u c t s o f e n g in e e r in g
a n d in v e n t io n , a n d e v e n o f c r a ft . T h e o b je c t o f e n g in e e r in g , o n t h e
o t h e r h a n d , is t o c r e a t e t h in g s , t o a d d t o t h e g i v e n w o r l d , t o s o lv e
its p r o b le m s . O n c e s o m e t h in g is a d d e d t o t h e g iv e n w o r l d t h e n it
c a n b e a t o p ic o f in t e r e s t t o s c ie n c e . B u t g e n e r a l ly s p e a k i n g , d o in g
s c ie n c e d o e s n o t p r o d u c e n e w t h in g s .
S R
One early reviewer o f your book wrote that you “were outraged
by the persistent elevation o f scientists over engineers in relation to intel-
ligence and creativity. ” Is this really how you feel?
H P
I w o u l d n ’ t d e s c r ib e m y s e l f a s o u t r a g e d , a lt h o u g h I s e e h o w
s o m e o n e m ig h t r e a d p a r t s o f t h e b o o k a n d g e t t h a t im p r e s s io n .
T h e r e is n o q u e s t i o n t h a t s c ie n t is t s h a v e m o r e c u lt u r a l s t a tu s a n d
a s a r e s u lt a r e lis t e n e d t o w i t h p e r h a p s g r e a t e r r e v e r e n c e th a n t h e y
s o m e t im e s d e s e r v e . A n d t h e r e a r e s o m e s c ie n t is t s w h o r e a lly d o
l o o k d o w n u p o n e n g in e e r in g a s n o t h i n g b u t a p p lie d s c ie n c e . C l e a r -
l y , a s w e ’v e b e e n d is c u s s in g , e n g in e e r in g is m u c h m o r e th a n th a t .
S R
This seems to tie into the larger cultural bias toward thinking over
making, the theoretical over the practical. I f scientists are considered to
be the superior minds and we blindly follow their advice, this could have
serious social consequences.
H P
S c ie n t is t s n e e d t e m p e r in g . I t is a n o v e r s im p lif ic a t io n t o t h in k
t h a t s c ie n c e h a s a ll o f th e k n o w l e d g e , in s ig h t a n d w is d o m . T h e r e is
a l o t t h a t s c ie n c e s t ill d o e s n ’t k n o w . W e ’v e b e e n t a l k in g a b o u t h o w
in v e n t io n is r e la t e d t o im p r o v e m e n t a n d h o w t h in g s a r e a lw a y s
e v o l v in g . S c ie n c e is a ls o c h a n g in g a n d e v o l v in g . I t is d i f f e r e n t t o d a y
th a n i t w a s i o o y e a r s a g o . T h i s m e a n s t h a t a p r o n o u n c e m e n t o f
s c ie n c e is n o t n e c e s s a r ily w r i t t e n in s t o n e . S o I t h in k t h e r e s h o u ld
b e a s t r o n g e r r e c o g n it io n o f t h a t , a lo n g w i t h t h e b a la n c e t h a t c a n
c o m e f r o m m o r e p r a c t ic a l a p p lic a t io n s a n d i n p u t f r o m e n g in e e r s .
S R
I f you could have readers take away one lesson about engineering,
what would it be?
H P
E n g in e e r in g is a c r e a t i v e p r a c t i c e , a n d is u lt im a t e ly v e r y b e n -
e fic ia l t o s o c i e t y . T h e p r o d u c t s o f e n g in e e r in g im p r o v e t h e w o r ld .
I w o u ld e v e n g o s o fa r a s t o s a y t h a t t h e y a r e e s s e n t ia l f o r c iv iliz a t io n .
B u t I a ls o a c k n o w le d g e t h a t n o p r o d u c t o f e n g in e e r in g o r a n y h u -
m a n e n d e a v o r is p e r f e c t . T h e r e is a lw a y s r o o m f o r im p r o v e m e n t . ♦
Suzanne R amjlak, a writer, curator and art historian, is the editor of
M e t a ls m it h
magazine. Her interview with Richard Sennett appeared
in American Craft, October/No vember loop.
Selected publications by Henry Petroski:
-
The Essential Engineer: Why Science Alone
W ill Not Solve Our Global Problewsy
2010
-T h e Toothpick: Technolog}'and Culture,
2007
-Sm all Things Considered: W hy There Is
No Perfect Designy
2003
-
The Book on the Bookshelf,
1999
-Remaking the World: Adventures
in Engineering
, 1997
-T h e Evolution o f Useful Things,
1992
-
The Pencil: A History o f Design and
Circumstance
, 1990
-T o Engineer Is Human: The Role o f Failure
in Successful Design,
1985
apr/may 10 american craft 049
