from: 


http://history.nasa.gov/rogersrep/v4part4.htm

DR. FEYNMAN: This is a comment for Mr. Mulloy. I took this stuff that I got out of your seal and I put it in ice water, and I discovered that when you put some pressure on it for a while and then undo it it doesn't stretch back. It stays the same dimension. In other words, for a few seconds at least and more seconds than that, there is no resilience in this particular material when it is at a temperature of 32 degrees.

I believe that has some significance for our problem.

CHAIRMAN ROGERS: That is a matter we will consider, of course, at length in the session that we will hold on the weather, and I think it is an important point, which I'm sure Mr. Mulloy acknowledges and will comment on in a further session.

Now, if I may and if there are no further comments, I would like to ask Mr. Cook to come forward.

This short dialog elegantly demonstrates the entire depth of the problem - a group of Charman Rogers-like humanity so procedure-bound that they are unable to comprehend a simple demonstration of basic physics. For more details on this event, I recomend Genus, or Feynman's own book on the subject - or email mtaht@taht.net for more details.

Return to Rhysling & Me (Requiem for the Magnificent Dream)
Sax in space
Script for Rhysling & me
Return to The Toutatis Way - an idea that could give the space program a new mission