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What happens when something goes really wrong?

People say that failure is part of engineering and that you’re supposed to learn from it and everything. But that mostly sounds like school projects or designs that don’t work right away. Real failure can be a lot bigger.

What if a car you design catches on fire and hurts someone? Or what if you make something and find out too late that people are using it to hurt others? Or what if an app you create ends up making people depressed? What happens when a mistake you make affects real people?

What do engineers do when something like that happens? How do you fix it? How do you keep going after something really serious goes wrong? Honestly, that kind of responsibility is scary. Do you ever feel scared you’ll mess up?

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  • Lorri asked Monique Frize, Carleton University and University of Ottawa

    Added 3 days AGO

    Good evening - I am a 50 year old woman and haven't used my engineering degree. I want to use my degree. I realise I need to update my skills. What do I need to do to get back to engineering?
    Answers 0
  • Added 11 days AGO

    FeatureQuestion.jpg

    People say that failure is part of engineering and that you’re supposed to learn from it and everything. But that mostly sounds like school projects or designs that don’t work right away. Real failure can be a lot bigger.

    What if a car you design catches on fire and hurts someone? Or what if you make something and find out too late ...

    Answers 11
    Linda Schadler, University of Vermont
    Answered 11 days AGO

    This is a fantastic question. In a really good engineering culture, instead of placing blame, there is a study into what went wrong. Was it a materials failure? A process failure? A systems failure? Careful work is done to determine what led to the ...

    Kim Linder, Honeywell FM&T
    Answered 11 days AGO

    Engineers will always work in teams, and have many reviews, perform simulations, and perform testing, to ensure the end product works as it should. The reviews will bring people from other projects and/or disciplines. They bring a fresh set of eyes to ...

    Kate Fay, Verizon
    Answered 11 days AGO

    This is a great question!

    Most engineers do the best they can to avoid any major issues like you listed. My company has a program called prepare, pause and confirm, where we enforce the need to prepare for any work that is occurring, pause if something ...

  • Evangel asked Nance Dicciani, RTM Vital Signs, LLC

    Added Tuesday, January 20, 2026 at 2:41 PM

    Or what something you think that is influential in engineering? This may be a very broad question but I am researching the Influence of engineering, whether it was you (no matter what size) or just an opinion of somebody else's influence in the engineering category I guess I would call it.
    Answers 0
  • Emma asked Kristen Young, Verizon

    Added Thursday, January 1, 2026 at 10:41 AM

    How come I can do math by myself but when we do it as a class I can't do it? It is like I don't understand the math.
    Answers 0
  • Maggie

    Added Tuesday, December 30, 2025 at 1:23 AM

    What classes do you have to take to be an aerospace engineer?  What are some specific aerospace classes?
    Answers 1
    Janelle Wellons, ispace
    Answered Thursday, January 15, 2026 at 5:55 AM
    Hello Maggie, I actually created a blog post on my website that answers this exact question! I had to take a diverse set of classes to graduate with a bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering. I took everything from Biology to Control Systems and even ...
  • Diya

    Added Monday, December 29, 2025 at 12:15 PM

    I am 13, and always trying out new things. I want to know if I am passionate about engineering soon, so I can start preparing for it and have no regrets. I am interested in space, and I am talented at math. I LOVE learning and understanding new things; it feels like a refreshing fulfillment. I think coding is cool, and I dabble in a little (tiny bit of HTML and Python). If there is anything I can read, do, or email, please let me know so I can find my passion.
    Answers 0
  • Added Friday, December 19, 2025 at 7:26 PM

    FeatureQuestion.jpg

    I keep hearing that AI is starting to take over a lot of jobs, even in fields like programming or design. Are engineering jobs being replaced too? Are you worried about how AI will affect your work? What kinds of engineering do you think are safest from being automated away, and how do you think students like me should prepare for a future ...

    Answers 10
    Alison Brown, NAVSYS Corporation
    Answered Tuesday, December 23, 2025 at 10:33 AM

    AI will replace some types of engineers but will also create many new positions for engineers as well. The most likely applications for AI are in more routine software engineering tasks. However, there will still be a need for “AI creators” to give ...

    Kim Linder, Honeywell FM&T
    Answered Friday, December 19, 2025 at 8:39 PM

    I hold a BS and MS in Electrical Engineering and have been working with and programming Artificial Intelligence for more than 40 years. AI is a technology that has steadily evolved, and it will continue to advance. Only recently has it become accessible ...

    Jessica Eskew, Chevron
    Answered Friday, December 19, 2025 at 8:37 PM

    Until we have an AI robot that is as fully functional as a human and can do critical thinking and problem solving, engineering will remain a job that can be done only by humans. As a chemical engineer for an Energy company, I use AI at work to do ...

  • Sofee

    Added Saturday, December 13, 2025 at 10:37 PM

    I have always wanted to become an engineer but I am a artist. I recently have been trying to do more vibrant colors but can't. They just hurt my eyes and make me sad. I'm also technically emo, as my parents say. I've always tried making stuff like an engineer and failed. This has been a big question of mine, and I also needed to say it so an engineer would answer it. Another thing that is weird about me is I have a speech impediment. So I think that I can't do engineering because of it.
    Answers 0
  • Rowan asked Neeti Sonth, University of Colorado Boulder

    Added Wednesday, December 10, 2025 at 12:08 PM

    What materials would I need to, say, get electricity from a water wheel?
    Answers 2
    Neeti Sonth, University of Colorado Boulder
    Answered Tuesday, December 16, 2025 at 12:32 PM
    Hi Rowan, like mentioned above, we need a generator. So once the water falls on the wheel, the wheel spins. This wheel is then connected to a generator. which has magnets and coils of wire inside it. When the wheel spins the generator, electricity is ...
    Answered Monday, December 15, 2025 at 12:41 PM

    Hi Rowan,

    Generally you would need an electric generator. These are usually based on using magnets. You can learn more about how it works here:

    Electricity explained

    We hope that is helpful!

  • Dawn asked Janelle Wellons, ispace

    Added Monday, December 8, 2025 at 4:54 PM

    How hard is it to design things for space, and how do you learn to do it?
    Answers 1
    Janelle Wellons, ispace
    Answered Thursday, January 15, 2026 at 5:31 AM
    The process of designing a spacecraft (or anything new really) can feel larger than life so it can feel impossible to know where or how to start. And with spacecraft, you must be able to ensure that it can survive the harsh and unforgiving environment of ...
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