4 ms·

"Any idiot can build a bridge that stands, but it takes an engineer to build a bridge that barely stands." - Someone

• diordiderot 5y ago
  Brilliant!
• int0x2e 5y ago
  Your quote is better, but for people that have a hard time with that analogy, I like using the example of building a 4-story concrete/brick building - anyone can make a building stand strong by filling it with concrete / bricks. It takes precise engineering to know how thin you can make the walls/supports to make that building worth building.
  • filmor 5y ago
    If you just mindlessly fill everything with bricks and concrete, you likely need to make the lower walls thicker than the upper ones to support the weight... The whole engineering process can be done without ever looking at the budget as long as the framework is given ("use these materials", "you have this much space").
    • dmd 5y ago
      And who came up with that framework?
• ahartmetz 5y ago
  With different constraints... "The perfect race car crosses the finish line first and then completely disintegrates" - Ferdinand Porsche (I took some liberty with the translation - the idea is that everything breaks at the same time.)
  • throw0101a 5y ago
    "The perfect racing car crosses the finish line first and subsequently falls into its component parts." ? * https://quotefancy.com/quote/1791488/Ferdinand-Porsche-The-perfect-racing-car-crosses-the-finish-line-first-and-subsequently https://quotefancy.com/quote/1791488/Ferdinand-Porsche-The-p...
• asmithmd1 5y ago
  "An engineer can do for a dime, what any idiot can do for a dollar" - Someone else [edit] Achshually "An engineer can do for a dollar what any fool can do for two" - Arthur C. Wellington