Kobuk the Destroyer
Summary
Journalist Alex Davies explores the hidden world of test engineering in his book "Kobuk the Destroyer," detailing how products are rigorously evaluated for safety. The episode covers diverse testing methods, from using grizzly bears to certify canisters and shooting chickens into jet engines, to the origins of Underwriters Laboratories and the concept of "foolproofing" against user error. Davies also discusses "disintegration testing," which designs for inevitable failure, and highlights the challenges of testing for malicious use, such as with Apple AirTags. Ultimately, the conversation un…
Topics discussed
Sponsors: Instagram teen safety and PNC Bank
Introduction: The need for realistic bear canister testing
Kobuk the Destroyer: Bears as product testers
Alex Davies' book and the emotional pendulum of testing
Defining limit testing and its origins
History of Underwriters Laboratories and electrical safety
Standardization and meticulous testing methods
Determining the balance between safety and usability
Aviation bird ingestion tests and the chicken cannon
Foolproofing products against user error
SawStop: Innovating table saw safety
Disintegration testing and Hugh DeHaven's crash research
Infrastructure design with failure in mind: Room for the River
Sponsors: Star Wars, Mazda, Quince, and AT&T
The Golden Gate Bridge acoustic testing failure
Testing for malicious use: Apple AirTags and stalking
The importance of understanding test engineering in the AI era
Credits and final sponsors
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