Recently, I was in Birmingham, England, attending Maintec 99, the international maintenance conference and exhibition. One morning, I found myself running short of pounds sterling. Thus, I had either ..
Open with care — tales from the mailbox
We talk a lot about "environmental protection" – sometimes, we even do something about it. However, we tend to forget that the adjective environmental means concerning the environment. Conse..
Long ago, I used to write "appreciations" (i.e., informed guesswork) about likely technology developments of the Evil Empire. Surprisingly to an outsider, there was great emphasis on honesty. Our depa..
In Finland, it's zap season; low temperatures (i.e., anything below –10°C) are accompanied by low humidity. Add thick-soled boots and a down-filled coat made of synthetic fiber with fur trim..
Recently, I stayed in a hotel where, besides the traditional mint on the pillow, several magazines were provided for guests' entertainment. One magazine had a title similar to: Viking! The New Magazin..
Risk is poorly understood by the general public and by many engineers. It is typified by two extreme attitudes that I call the Two Bomb and the Black Helicopter. The Two Bomb attitude is derived from ..
Last Saturday, we had several of my wife's colleagues over for dinner and I agreed to cook my famous banane flambée for dessert – famous not only for its taste but also for the riot of color..
I have recently been reviewing a number of major accidents, gathering material for a paper to be presented at the World Engineering Congress in 2000. What struck me as interesting about some of these ..
People who think they have a sense of humor often hang cute little pictures on their office walls with a motto that is supposed to convey an important message. For example, the infant sitting on a pot..