685-707 Dramatic Technological Failures and Lessons Learned … Or Not
Class | Registration opens 2/9/2026 11:00 AM
Failures are a part of all of our lives, and we hope to learn and grow through them. For people working in fields of technology this is particularly true. Unfortunately, technological failures can be costly in terms of human life and property. This course will explore dramatic, historical failures in several areas of technology including aviation, bridges and buildings, dams and automobiles. Lessons learned as a result will be explored – both technical and non-technical.
The class will be given at a level easily understood for folks without technical backgrounds but with enough depth for the appreciation of the technical details and valuable knowledge gained that allow us the confidence to use and benefit from these modern technologies.
- This is a four-session course, meeting on 3/10, 3/17, 3/31 and 4/7. There will be no class on 3/24.
The course has been scheduled for three hours, but a mid-way break will be given each session.
This course was added to our spring list of classes after the 2026 Winter & Spring Catalog was published. You are welcome to tell others about it! Thank you!!
Thomas Rich
TOM RICH retired from Bucknell University several years ago after teaching mechanical engineering for 30 years. He served as dean of the engineering college for 11 of those years and held the Rooke Chair in the Historical and Social Context of Engineering. In his research at Bucknell, Rich analyzed structural failures by employing the technical field of fracture mechanics. Through this process, he studied the technological failures that form the basis for this course.