a good quote from lord kelvin

huangyhg

a good quote from lord kelvin
i found this quote while doing some research.  it struck a chord with me.  when accused of "over-designing" something, i check my calcs to make sure i have not made an error.  if i haven't, my response to the challenger is "prove to me that what you say is true since i can back up what i say".
"in physical science the first essential step in the direction of learning any subject is to find principles of numerical reckoning and practicable methods for measuring some quality connected with it. i often say that when you can measure what you are speaking about, and express it in numbers, you know something about it; but when you cannot measure it, when you cannot express it in numbers, your knowledge is of a meagre and unsatisfactory kind; it may be the beginning of knowledge, but you have scarcely in your thoughts advanced to the state of science, whatever the matter may be."

thanks!
deciphered: what you do not know will bit you in the ass for sure.
best regards
pennpoint
great quote.
"knowledge ... of a meagre and unsatisfactory kind... scarcely ... advanced to the state of science"
perfectly describes the thread
nitrogen filled tires?
my former employer used to say, "if you can't tell me what your safety factor is, you can't tell me anything".  
a quotation from the present
                   university research:  
         basal stress on the inverted pyramid design
                  january 1967 1982 2005
              _ many supported by the few _
                          2006
this is a consequence of 39 years slog and noting a good design off the m4 london entrance, south side, of a small base, wide tower square section,
as an example, well before norman foster put up his spiral
i expect everybody else feels the same on some days
but we keep holding the general public up and keep teaching students how to
as carol vorderman used to say
mike stagg bscwales msc