I’ve always been a big fan of “Chicken Soup for the Soul” style sayings and these rules are at the intersection of that interest and my obsession with automotive engineering. On my Formula SAE team in college we had these rules hung on the wall above our design computer.
Here are a few highlights from this list:
- 1 — The keywords are elegant simplicity. Each part doing three jobs at least.
- 6 — Murphy is a racing mechanic and works for Team Lotus. If it can be assembled the wrong way around he will
- 16 — Remember, all engineering materials are rubber like. They deflect to some degree under the slightest load and will expand to some degree in the presence of even a lighted match. Everything resonates, even brake pipes.
- 31 — Air in motion is the best heat insulator.
- 33 — You cannot change the basic laws of nature, no one has yet. Let Newton, Charles, Boyle, Bramah and Bernoulli rest in peace.