I think I understand why most engineers lack integrity or courage. It’s difficult, can cost you your job or career and, consequently, much money. And also, they might just be rotten people inside (I've met a few of those).
It doesn’t necessarily require silent complicity with something big like a 9-11 or a fraudulent space program for cowardice to be exhibited; some level of engineering cowardice is demonstrated by the majority of engineers on a daily basis. It can be observed in this thread with most resorting to the desperate measures of name calling, insults and attempted defamation of character after retreating into a metaphysical black hole of self-delusion about “morality” of all things. (Didn’t see that one coming)
I’ve held many engineering jobs and I’ve witnessed many disgusting displays of cowardice.
I’ve been fired from one job for internally blowing the whistle about illegal activity, nearly fired from one for protesting that a dangerous product was not being recalled (they changed their mind and it was) and laid off from one (defacto firing) for pointing out that the project they were foolishly changing course to pursue would not be competitive or profitable.
Because of a gag order attached to my probation agreement, I can’t write about the firing.
And the near firing before the recall is interesting too but I want to talk about the layoff because I was able to observe a large group of unethical engineers at very close range just like I’m doing now at this thread.
One of the Professional Obligations listed in the Code of Ethics of the National Society of Professional Engineers is:
“Engineers shall advise their clients or employers when they believe a project will not be successful.”
In 2004 after being fired, I found my next job as Test Lead for Infinia Corporation working on a difficult subcontract for Stirling Engine Generators to be used as a power supply both for NASA satellites and the Dept. of Defense(DoD). It was the most challenging job I’ve ever had, most stressful and most enlightening. I’m sure that had I been allowed to continue my engineering career after the layoff that I and my future employer would have benefited greatly from the lessons I learned. I was laid off after about a year with the company when the top management entered dispute over its subcontract with Lockheed Martin for the NASA generators resulting in no new orders. Then Infinia management announced that they were entering the commercial solar Stirling market with a Stirling engine generator powered by the sun using a parabolic mirror. I had studied Stirling engines and their history in college and knew that the British had unsuccessfully attempted the same thing in Egypt near the beginning of the 20th century.
In my first engineering job out of college at Manville Corp. I was mentored by an old school engineer who had spent most his career at General Motors. I remember that he taught me that a quick way to approximate the cost of a product is by multiplying the product weight by the price of steel. When I did, the cost of the Solar Stirling Generator came out to be about $10/Watt which was very bad news since the price of installed Photovoltaics at that time was about $4/Watt and dropping. The last I read, it’s now down below $2/Watt.
And then there was a meeting of the CEO, Marketing Manager, Head of Engineering and all the lead engineers. I summoned the courage and presented the CEO with my concerns about the future success of the company and why. His response was to tell me, “Neil, Infinia is not a democracy. Infinia is going to be successful due to superior marketing, not superior engineering.”
I was momentarily dumbstruck. I was in disbelief. Did I just hear what I heard? What’s this guy thinking? Does he think we’re selling a solo-flex rubber band machine to pimply-faced fourteen year olds? Does he really think we can sell Stirling-solar electricity with moving parts to other engineers for $10/Watt when they can buy PV-solar electricity for $4/Watt without moving parts?
But I woke up because I quickly noticed that every other engineer in the room was laughing or giggling like the sycophantic lackeys they all were. I got laid off two days later. The most unethical ones stayed.
I watched the company as it got nearly $200 million in investments and I eventually watched it flail as they grew desperate for more investment. They claimed they got their price down to $7/Watt installed but I could never determine if that included the excavation and very large concrete foundation that anchored the generator. The life of Infinia was extended by an Import/Export Bank contract to supply generators to India and they got a contract to sell generators to Tooele Army Base in Utah and they sold some locally in Washington State although I can’t find them on GoogleMaps so I have doubts they ever got installed. But eventually as expected Infina declared bankruptcy but not before slithering out of Kennewick, Washington to Utah after winning tax concessions from Washington legislators desperate to have them stay. The assets of the company were purchased for a song by the Israeli company, Qnergy, operating out of Ogden, Utah. Then I’d discover during my pursuit of employment that my engineering employer before Infinia was defaming, blacklisting and sabotaging my hire elsewhere. What a creepy story.
I read your responses here to there being nothing that could reasonably convince any responsible engineer that a spacesuit or sublimator had ever been in a vacuum chamber since 1966 and I’m creeped out even more. Stop trying to win so much and focus on the truth. You don’t KNOW anything that I don’t KNOW and I don’t KNOW anything. A faith-based space program is unacceptable. Repent for your engineering sins; demand NASA be accountable and stop it with the ridiculous morality deception.
