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There are always a few people for whom the most obvious sequences of technical cause and effect have no meaning.

— J. E. Gordon The New Science of Strong Materials (or, Why You Don't Fall Through the Floor) (1976)

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More quotes by J. E. Gordon

It is squalid sins like carelessness, idleness, won't-learn-and-don't-need-to-ask, you-can't-tell-me-anything-about-my-job, pride, jealousy and greed that kill people.

Structures (or, Why Things Don't Fall Down) (1978)

It is confidence which causes accidents and worry which prevents them.

Structures (or, Why Things Don't Fall Down) (1978)

The immediate technical cause of the accident was the tearing of the fabric of the outer envelope; this fabric had apparently been embrittled by improper doping treatment. The real reason for the disaster was, however, pride and jealousy and political ambition.

Structures (or, Why Things Don't Fall Down) (1978)

Used with caution, such formulae really are very useful indeed, and indeed they form the professional stock-in-trade of most engineering designers and draughtsmen. There is not the slightest need to be ashamed of using them; in fact we all do. But they must be used with caution.

Structures (or, Why Things Don't Fall Down) (1978)

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Attribution

Quote text and notes from Wikiquote: J. E. Gordon (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source quality and labels are our own summary of what Wikiquote records.