The Space Shuttle Columbia disaster and the over-reliance on PowerPoint (2019)

Post by poulpy123 » Fri, Aug 29, 2025, 7:05 AM UTC

PopePompus wrote: post #8

suzzer99 wrote: post #7

How realistic was the idea of sending another shuttle up to rescue them? Would they have had enough oxygen? If they did a spacewalk and found the damage, what were their options?

One option would have been to place whatever high melting point metal tools they could spare into the hole, and freeze water around them to hold it in place. It also might have been possible to change the series of s-curves and other maneuvers done during re-entry, in order to lessen the heating on the left wing.

Post by [deleted] » Fri, Aug 29, 2025, 7:22 AM UTC

gjejcjekdnfnwja wrote: post #21

cntainer wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I can't remember the last time I saw a slide as mangled as the one in the article. It hurts my brain just reading it. But you are right, most engineers would consider that reasonable, while complaining about the "muggles" that just don't get it. As a Software Architect, one of my main responsibilities has been to take information presented like above and turn it into something that non-technical people can digest. Be…

We're talking about something a lot more technically sophisticated than a B2B SAAS CRUD web app. PhD level education is considered a prerequisite.

Post by poulpy123 » Fri, Aug 29, 2025, 7:30 AM UTC

cntainer wrote: post #19

gjejcjekdnfnwja wrote: post #10

As an engineer, that slide looks completely reasonable to me. Its purpose was to communicate technical info, which it did adequately. Keep in mind that the subject matter is highly technical, given that we're literally talking about the Space Shuttle, and more than a high school level of reading comprehension is heavily implied. If the NASA personnel weren't competent enough to review technical data without a pithy s…

I can't remember the last time I saw a slide as mangled as the one in the article. It hurts my brain just reading it. But you are right, most engineers would consider that reasonable, while complaining about the "muggles" that just don't get it. As a Software Architect, one of my main responsibilities has been to take information presented like above and turn it into something that non-technical people can digest. Be…

Post by poulpy123 » Fri, Aug 29, 2025, 7:32 AM UTC

gjejcjekdnfnwja wrote: post #21

cntainer wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I can't remember the last time I saw a slide as mangled as the one in the article. It hurts my brain just reading it. But you are right, most engineers would consider that reasonable, while complaining about the "muggles" that just don't get it. As a Software Architect, one of my main responsibilities has been to take information presented like above and turn it into something that non-technical people can digest. Be…

We're talking about something a lot more technically sophisticated than a B2B SAAS CRUD web app. PhD level education is considered a prerequisite.

Post by cromulent » Fri, Aug 29, 2025, 7:47 AM UTC

ChrisMarshallNY wrote: post #81

I think Edward Tufte was involved in the investigation on that disaster. He has a legendary hatred of PowerPoint. https://www.edwardtufte.com/product/the-cognitive-style-of-p...