OK here's the story. This was related to me by Dr. Arthur Robinson, chemist and basic science researcher who studied under Dr. Feynman. When the Challenger blew up, the commission set up to "investigate" (read cover-up) the accident, asked Dr. Feynman to join them who knew what they were trying to do. When he got there, he asked where…
OK here's the story. This was related to me by Dr. Arthur Robinson, chemist and basic science researcher who studied under Dr. Feynman. When the Challenger blew up, the commission set up to "investigate" (read cover-up) the accident, asked Dr. Feynman to join them who knew what they were trying to do. When he got there, he asked where the NASA mock up of the rocket was. He took the mock up apart and then went to the hearings where he would testify. When he was on the stand testifying in front of live TV coverage, he asked for a glass of ice water. He proceeded to put the O rings he had taken out of the mock-up into the glass of ice water. He then took the O rings out of the glass and they snapped in his hand. They fractured apart under stress because they were too cold.
When NASA launches a rocket, the chief engineer or launch director has the final say for "go/no go" for a launch. The launch director ruled a no-go for launch because the temperature was outside the launch parameters for a safe launch. However, someone at the White House overruled the no-go decision and forced the launch to go ahead. So the Challenger blew up when the rocket O-rings failed.
This is what happens when politics overrules intelligence and common sense. Of course, we are now all very well schooled in such idiocy.
OK here's the story. This was related to me by Dr. Arthur Robinson, chemist and basic science researcher who studied under Dr. Feynman. When the Challenger blew up, the commission set up to "investigate" (read cover-up) the accident, asked Dr. Feynman to join them who knew what they were trying to do. When he got there, he asked where the NASA mock up of the rocket was. He took the mock up apart and then went to the hearings where he would testify. When he was on the stand testifying in front of live TV coverage, he asked for a glass of ice water. He proceeded to put the O rings he had taken out of the mock-up into the glass of ice water. He then took the O rings out of the glass and they snapped in his hand. They fractured apart under stress because they were too cold.
When NASA launches a rocket, the chief engineer or launch director has the final say for "go/no go" for a launch. The launch director ruled a no-go for launch because the temperature was outside the launch parameters for a safe launch. However, someone at the White House overruled the no-go decision and forced the launch to go ahead. So the Challenger blew up when the rocket O-rings failed.
This is what happens when politics overrules intelligence and common sense. Of course, we are now all very well schooled in such idiocy.