The Challenger Disaster (2013 TV Movie)
I have NOT seen the movie but have a cautionary comment, so I presume to review the other reviews
17 May 2014
I have NOT seen the movie but having read the book I have a cautionary comment,so I presume to review the other reviews. I am doing my damnedest to get access to the movie. Like many others, as is evident from most of the 17 preceding reviews, I have a great enthusiasm for the Feynman character and his books. I have read his book, "What Do YOU Care What Other People Think" (W.W. Norton & Company,2001) - twice, including recently. More than half of that book is devoted to Feynman's part in investigating the Challenger disaster. For that reason alone I'm mad keen to see the movie, which I only just heard about. BUT in one review a Doctor Judson A. Lovingood makes a spirited defence of what he sees as errors in the movie, including some that he believes are unfair to him. The only reason I'm writing this is because, as a retired engineer, like Dr Lovingood, and specialised in aeronautics, and particularly in Reliability, I implore readers to not let their no doubt well-founded enthusiasm for Feynman cause them to rush to judgement of Dr Lovingood. In spite of his genius (responsible for the basis of modern Quantum Theory, if I understand correctly - just ask Sheldon Cooper) Feynman was very human, and I believe at least one of the subject errors may be due to omission by Feynman from his investigations. Not to detract from the enormous credit due him for the result he and others achieved between them. The matters Lovingood complains of are very complex. I note that he is mentioned in several places through Feynman's book, as indicated in its Index. Because of this complexity, anyone wishing to judge the merit of Lovingood's complaints needs first to study them and Feynman's writings, and analyse very carefully. If you cannot spare the time and energy to do this, the only fair thing to do is to give Lovingood the benefit of the doubt, and accept his arguments as valid. Which is why I beg you, don't rush to judgement.
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