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Publications [#268186] of Henry Petroski

Papers Published

  1. Petroski, H, Scientists as inventors, American Scientist, vol. 96 no. 5 (September, 2008), pp. 368-371, Sigma Xi, ISSN 0003-0996 [doi]
    (last updated on 2023/06/01)

    Abstract:
    The distinction between a scientist and an engineer is that scientists do the understanding while engineers are the inventors. However, scientists can act like engineers even in their basic professional activity. Albert Einstein supported this perspective as he criticized Ernst Mach who have said that theories are discovered and are not invented. Likewise, inventive engineers can also behave just like a scientist. However, distinguishing the difference between a "scientific method" from an "engineering method" is difficult as both engineers and scientists can do science and engineering alternately or simultaneously. As such, Einstein is a scientist who did a form of engineering known as design and invention.


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