The Back Porch

Welcome to the Back Porch 

Engineering isn't just about equations, CAD models, and specifications. It's about imagination, judgment, questioning assumptions, and occasionally being willing to throw away weeks of work to make room for a better idea. 

These conversations are some of the stories I've collected during more than three decades of designing flight hardware for NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and solving engineering problems that didn't come with textbook answers.  Each one ends with a lesson I learned along the way, with the hope that it might save someone else a little time, frustration, or perhaps even a failure.  

It's always after five here, so relax, grab a beer, and join me on the back porch.  

Let's talk some engineering.