Story map
Follow the question, method, turning points and impact behind this person's work.
The question or challenge
How could investigators understand the technical and organisational causes of the Challenger disaster?
Their work and method
Feynman served on the Rogers Commission, questioned engineers and managers, and demonstrated cold O-ring behaviour during a hearing.
Turning points
The ice-water demonstration made one material risk understandable to a public audience.
Impact
Work can create value and still involve limits or trade-offs. Look at both sides of the impact.
Positive
- +Helped communicate the gap between engineering evidence and management claims.
Trade-offs
- ±A famous individual can overshadow the engineers and investigators whose work supplied crucial evidence.
- ±The disaster had technical and management causes; one demonstration was evidence within a larger investigation.
What to remember
If you had to explain this story to a friend, what would you want them to remember?
- Break a large question into testable parts.
- Do not confuse one test with a complete cause.
- Communicate evidence clearly.
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Sources & further reading
- NASA, Rogers Commission Report - https://sma.nasa.gov/SignificantIncidents/assets/rogers_commission_report.pdf
- US Government Publishing Office, Challenger Accident Report - https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GPO-CRPT-99hrpt1016/pdf/GPO-CRPT-99hrpt1016-1.pdf