smartereveryday / I Was SCARED To Say This to NASA

I have the same question.

Samuel Svendsen

2025-05-20 19:23:14 +0000 UTC

Hey Destin - this was posted almost one year ago exactly. Have you received constructive feedback in the last year from anybody - NASA personnel, aerospace engineers, students who intimately know Artemis, etc. - about this talk? Disagreements and/or agreements. I’m wondering how this resonated with people in the industry. Thanks!

Andy Connelly

2024-12-04 11:56:54 +0000 UTC

Hello Destin, did you get any feedback from NASA guys on your presentation?

KubikCZe .

2024-05-22 11:51:46 +0000 UTC

Thank you for the stickers. I received them this week. Very nice design. You wrote about working on your dissertation. Don't know if i missed news about it, but if you're still on it i wish you wisdom.

Mike Zitter

2024-05-09 06:04:02 +0000 UTC

Well,I must say I was captivated from start to end. I remember the bicycle video from years ago. Amazing how our brains rewrite and reprogram. What you have done in this video is remind us of our responsibility to humanity. Our world needs to understand the value of not being afraid to speak and share the gifts each of us have been gifted with by an awesome Creator. May all viewers reach the understanding of their importance in critical thinking and their input. Peace! Looking forward to my next think smarter ah hah moment.

Tim

2024-04-13 21:29:12 +0000 UTC

Destin, I really appreciate how entertaining and educational your videos are. I shared this with my nephew, who is a senior at Purdue University (go Boilermakers) with a major in mechanical engineering. I hope more young, aspiring students hear your message and challenge the current zero-negative-feedback culture. 🙏

Rob Lipic

2024-04-06 20:14:21 +0000 UTC

Destin, I opened my mailbox and was confounded why anyone would send ME a baseball, being that I don't follow sports. Then, I started laughing. I'm happy to have the SED baseball. I have a glass cabinet which will be perfect to display this incongruent, but cherished collectible.

Robert Parker

2024-02-21 00:56:23 +0000 UTC

Loved this Video and also your visit with Physics Girl. You inspired me to start a Patreon account and you and her are my 1st 2 accounts. Thanks for such great content

Daniel Mennecke

2024-02-10 03:16:54 +0000 UTC

Hi Destin, seems, that they took your speech to the Heart and rethink the complete program

Riancor

2024-01-27 12:20:32 +0000 UTC

Destin, this video prompted me to be a Patreon fan of SED! I'm helping with a political movement in Colorado that focuses on electoral reform, the rule of law, facts matter, grace & tolerance, and inclusion of the spectrum of voices and views in solving problems. Here is what I wrote to my political peeps when forwarding the video link: "Destin basically told the assembled brain trust of the Artemis Project they were not accounting for all critical steps and counting on never-performed engineering feats for success. In the process, he spoke of the following: 1) Don't let politics determine your rocket design, 2) If you see something wrong, don't be afraid to speak up, 3) Rhetoric - the art of effective speaking, 4) Stay focused on the mission at hand and don't get overly complex, 5) Recognize our that brain, once trained in a particular fashion, is difficult to think out of the box, and 6) Control Loops - in its simplest form systems that predominantly have positive or negative feedback are inherently unstable, and this applies to many things including engineering and politics. Stable systems depend upon negative and positive feedback.

Dave Ryan

2024-01-16 17:38:22 +0000 UTC

Like many people said, a very easy hour long watch, great talky talk

NirNir

2024-01-16 08:10:33 +0000 UTC

Fantastic! I love it! They way you laid it out for them and you are right there were many in the room that were to scared to speak! Keep up the great work!

Jay Neal

2024-01-13 16:41:26 +0000 UTC

Destin, I think your presentation actually worked! https://apnews.com/article/23e425d490c0c9e65ae774ec2e00f090

Felix Wong

2024-01-09 19:58:35 +0000 UTC

Well done! I think this something everyone can relate to and unfortunately speaking up isn’t always easy. I often keep tinkering how I can improve the feedback experience for our team. Always keeping a line open is just a part of it. … has anyone every been told “not to be so pessimistic” when giving constructive feedback?

Doyle Mueller

2024-01-04 21:11:34 +0000 UTC

Dude, spot on. You make me think of Richard Findman and NASA when there was a breakdown of communication from different levels/departments to decision makers. Challenger.. It’s a good perspective to challenge like you did. Well done. Hey, so love your videos, been watching awhile. Is there a way to private message you or you me? It would be cool to directly reach out for a couple short messages. Thanks..

Brandon Krider

2024-01-04 17:24:01 +0000 UTC

Loved this! Keep it simple. I wish I could say I'm surprised that some of them may not have read the playbook or know how many rockets but I'm not.

Dean Brady

2024-01-02 18:03:23 +0000 UTC

Absolutely LOVED this episode. This was solid advice for me to take to heart too, especially with your points on communication, testing and feedback. Thanks so much.

Dayne

2024-01-01 14:35:29 +0000 UTC

You have scientifically explained that if there is a technology that could get humans to the moon, then the reason of why it is not being copied is the hard truth! Sounds good how the usa went to the moon… sounds good… very brave! I subscribed after watching this act of bravery.

Albert Juhos

2023-12-24 18:59:25 +0000 UTC

This is fascinating. My organization as a whole and more specifically two of the teams I direct have been experiencing rapid growth and change. I actually used a number of talking points from this/Apollo manuals to petition for increased communication, testing, and manpower where needed - all to better accomplish our mission. In other words, this talkie talk along with the resources are already having a ripple effect. Thanks as always Destin, and the whole crew making it happen!

Kurtis Moss

2023-12-22 16:35:26 +0000 UTC

Amazon has a high-quality reproduction of that NASA report available under the title. Since that report appears to have been written before Apollo 13, it would be very interesting to see the “after action report” on the Apollo 13 mission. That mission showed that serious mistakes not caught at the time have long, long, long tails. On the other hand, the multiplicity of alternate paths was critical to the success of the rescue. Even the lack of commonality in CO2 scrubbers did not defeat the gray-tape spitballers that NASA could bring to a completely unforeseen problem. I share the opinion that it was indeed NASA’s finest hour and welcomed the movie which demonstrated what real grace under pressure looks like when reason and dedication are applied unflinchingly.

Mike O'Dell

2023-12-14 04:20:55 +0000 UTC

Dustin, excellent discussion. I really enjoyed it. You’re spot on in addressing the “elephant in the room.” I sincerely hope that the lessons learned for Apollo are being applied to Artemis. I am two years retired as an engineer from the Naval Nuclear program at Norfolk Naval Shipyard and one thing stressed repeatedly in the program is learning from mistakes and not normalizing problems when they are small. I enjoy your videos; they are well thought out and communicated. I learned about you after you interviewed my daughter, Erin, at the Virginia Stranding Program and their work with stranded marine mammals. I was so impressed with the work they do that I volunteer my time there in rehabilitating turtles. Plus it gives me time to work with my daughter. Keep up the good work!

Mike Rice

2023-12-13 02:28:30 +0000 UTC

Thank you for the kind words!

Smarter Every Day

2023-12-11 22:13:53 +0000 UTC

is anyone else concerned after watching this? keep up the good work Destin!

Grant Williams

2023-12-11 21:10:16 +0000 UTC

Destin, I finally watched this. You nailed it. I could tell that you really wanted to speak the truth in love and respect. Great job and super interesting too! Loved it!

Danny Wellman

2023-12-11 17:32:51 +0000 UTC

I really enjoyed that! Thank you so much for sharing it.

Paul Edhlund

2023-12-11 03:03:49 +0000 UTC

How about a similar talky talk at The Pentagon? Re LCS upgrade program, incentivizing cost over runs on contractors, failed audits, etc? https://youtu.be/aQXD-Wr6h64?si=KZpe30BYipO1k1ne I love how if we can get to first priciples we can solve problems across the idealogical/political spectrum. No one wants a failed mission. No one wants cost overruns. That step chart is beautiful metaphor for life btw.

Truckee

2023-12-09 22:59:45 +0000 UTC

Long time watcher, new member. Loved the talk. It weirdly resonated with a lot of my work which is in a completely different context and field.. I’m a ballet teacher! There was a prob with my address when trying to add it. Not sure what I should do.

George Weir

2023-12-07 09:07:44 +0000 UTC

I’m 38, but i wish you were my teacher for ALL of my courses for ALL 20 years of my education.

ThisNameWasTooLon

2023-12-07 02:29:40 +0000 UTC

I've love your production and I have been watching for a while. Ive told many people of all ages about how you are to help spread the word. Destin your speech that you gave to nasa on SP287 was great. My grandfather had a small part on the Apollo program thru the navy and balloons used for splash down. Thank you i hope the nasa engineers are able to see this more simply and credit you for bringing up the hard questions

Polplumb3

2023-12-07 00:19:13 +0000 UTC

New Patreon member, but long time watcher of the channel. Loved the presentation and I'm sure it resonated.

Jarrett Kosko

2023-12-06 19:36:20 +0000 UTC

One of the best presentations I have seen. Seriously- from the deliberate planning of the presentation to injecting comedy and personality while forcing the audience to think critically about serious topics, this is a masterclass in how to communicate effectively.

John Steele

2023-12-06 18:56:42 +0000 UTC

Hi Everyone! Long time SED watcher, newbie patreon here. I think this was a great peptalk... BUT! It was also a great example of how a true classic engineer can flawlessly perform the work entrusted to him/her in any situation with the appropriate documentation. This is the most important topic here in the time of the worst documented IT solutions :) Joke aside I hope you get my point. Everyone can have a say in technical questions, but only the professionals don't, they just have to carry out the plan, no matter how problematic it is. I already sent this video to a bunch of IT colleagues, so Destin, you are not only helping Artemis, you are helping here in Hungary also ;)

Kelemen Lajos

2023-12-06 12:09:43 +0000 UTC

Destin - this might be my new fav of all of your productions. Nice work! The impressive piece is your explanation of methodology and intent behind your delivery. I was able to gleen new techniques to use in my public speaking and it also validated techniques which I presently use.

MATT DANIELS

2023-12-06 05:24:08 +0000 UTC

The premise is the justification.....should you tell the truth when it is uncomfortable?! Well done!

Mark Roper

2023-12-06 03:06:22 +0000 UTC

Hi Destin, I wanted to jump on here and let you know what your latest video meant to me. I’ve been following you for a long time and I have all the stickers. I share every video with my six children and my wife I’ve enjoyed the shenanigans with laminar flow and supersonic baseballs but I have never felt so emotionally attached to what you’re doing than when I was watching you speak to the aeronautical Society, As a fan of science and space, I am really looking forward to the possibility of my children seeing astronauts land on the moon and even on Mars. I really want them to succeed, and I did not realize how much emotion I had invested in the hope of a lunar landing in my generation, and in front of my children. When you told them the hard things, my heart was filled with joy, because I do notice that in science, politics, and everything, we have lost the ability to give and receive negative feedback. You are Brave and an example to us all. Thank you for being a doer and a thinker. After watching I had a couple questions. 1. Did you receive any feedback from those in the room? If so, how was your speech received? 2. Do you plan on doing more videos about the Artemis program? I know you’re a busy man so I’m sorry about the long message. Say hi to Matt for me. all of your and his content bring me joy.

Kalo

2023-12-05 23:24:02 +0000 UTC

This was an excellent talk, and I plan to read the Apollo Mission Summary

Leroy Johnson

2023-12-05 18:35:55 +0000 UTC

This was so awesome and I’m so glad you challenged them. The mission is to get those 4 amazing people to the moon. It’s been done before and we must learn from the past. I particularly loved how you said the name of the document over and over and over. Hopefully they listened!

Chuck Jacobson

2023-12-05 16:52:15 +0000 UTC

Destin (and everyone), you should definitely read The Ultimate Engineer by Jurek and Griffin. It is all about George Low and I think that you'll not only love to learn about him, but gain even greater insight into how awesome Apollo turned out because of the intense dedication of amazing engineers and leaders like him. Amazing Talky Talk, and thank you for sharing, including all your thoughts and feelings before the talk.

CaptainMojo

2023-12-05 04:59:07 +0000 UTC

To be completely honest Destin, I hope I keep hearing about delays in Artemis 1 due to reengineering things and making it simpler. It will never be revealed in the news articles of the future, and only through various legends will people slowly put together that it was this Redneck at the Symposium that had a silly bicycle which made someone forget how to ride a bike and lead to x y and z change...

Clifton Ballad

2023-12-05 03:55:40 +0000 UTC

Loved this talk. It kinda was a combination between a few of your other videos + the Ted talk + another talk you’ve done lol. I think I watched 1:30 total 😂. Rewatched part of it.

Jonathan Boring

2023-12-05 03:46:39 +0000 UTC

Message well worthy of the symposium’s name sake .

C. David Buchanan

2023-12-05 00:22:47 +0000 UTC

It takes those who are brave to make positive change, thanks for being that guy!! Your points are consistent with so many situations in my life and carrier, I have taken a different path to these truths and came to similar conclusions. As you where talking I wanted to interject facts to bolster your position. I don't know if they will listen but they have heard the truth, now it is on them to ignore or take action. We as a society have become failure intolerant, this has had the effect of creating exponentially greater failure. Better to fail small and correct when you can than to fail big when you simply cannot, its simple logic that we have forgotten over and over.

Luke Waller

2023-12-04 22:03:03 +0000 UTC

Destin, you have truly outdone yourself with this one. These are things that need to be addressed on a recurring basis. I’m glad you went there and did it. I wish Boeing had this lecture a while back. Maybe we would not have had the problems with the 737 MAX. Damn good job. Thanks. 😊

John Taylor

2023-12-04 21:55:55 +0000 UTC

Thank you for loving the astronauts and NASA enough to tell them hard truths. Truly exceptional approach, delivery, and challenge.

John Kellis

2023-12-04 19:51:27 +0000 UTC

This was amazing, and certainly a wonderful and well-deserved opportunity for you. Great speech, that I agree they all needed to hear. I hope you not only got some positive feedback from them about it, but that they listened and are heeding your advice. Lives are on the line.

Gary Nolan

2023-12-04 18:37:48 +0000 UTC

Wow! Well-done and explained. Really makes you think about many other things in real life. Thanks!

Rick Gonzales

2023-12-04 18:01:07 +0000 UTC

I've enjoyed your videos for years, but this is the one that made me become a supporter. Well, OK, the stickers are cool too, but the message you delivered in this video is spot on. You were / are the right person who can deliver this type of message and not be discounted by the audience.

Chris

2023-12-04 15:47:52 +0000 UTC

Hey I loved the talk even though you picked on my favorite part of the architecture, Starship. When I saw the proposal I was immediately thinking “umm, shouldn’t this be phase 2 when we want to land THE WHOLE ISS ON THE MOON?” Question though, do you remember when Jim Bridenstine did something like you’re doing now by suggesting that Orion fly Artemis 1 on Falcon Heavy? I feel like that had an effect of shaking people into getting serious about options, but only temporarily. Seriously there are SO MANY OPTIONS with that Starship rocket and the new cheaper LEO capabilities coming online in the next few years. LEO assembly of a lightweight lunar orbiter/lander would far better utilize the commercial capabilities being developed and proven as we speak. We have the ISS so we know how to build things in LEO. Let’s simplify the plan and utilize our resources and existing expertise.

Joshua Marner

2023-12-04 15:45:25 +0000 UTC

This goes far beyond NASA and Artemis. People today are afraid to speak the truth. Thank you Destin, you are an inspiration.

Phares

2023-12-04 15:04:37 +0000 UTC

A brilliant and eye opening talk. Im now immediately going to consume SP-287.

Niall Welsh

2023-12-04 12:01:26 +0000 UTC

Thank you very much Jacob! This comment means a ton to me for many reasons.

Smarter Every Day

2023-12-04 07:17:57 +0000 UTC

As someone who goes to church regularly I found myself comparing this to a sermon. It was honest and convicting without being condemning. There was encouragement to keep pressing into truth and hope of success in the end. This talk reminds me of Paul’s letter to the church in Philippi. Definitely one of my new favorite videos not just from this channel but on the internet as a whole. Well done sir! 🫡

Josiah Herrera

2023-12-04 07:02:48 +0000 UTC

Destin, you communicate with an unparalleled level of confident humility, open-minded conviction, and eloquent clarity. Thanks for believing in the future of human spaceflight strongly enough to literally publicly shame the leadership into doing better and trying harder. As to the point you made about the technology demonstration of in-flight cryogenic refueling, I have a suspicion that the reasoning behind this is the eventuality of a Mars mission. If the long-term mission was "just" to get back to the moon, a system that complex wouldn't make sense. Anyway, thanks for continuing to share with us your passion for the pursuit of truth, fun, and getting smarter every day!

Lance Badoni

2023-12-04 06:42:56 +0000 UTC

Thank you for your courage and being gently brave, willing to engage.

Michael Eastwood

2023-12-04 06:06:23 +0000 UTC

Dude. You've done America (and NASA engineers) a great service with this talk. I have so many thoughts right now. Being the son of someone involved in the shuttle program from the 80s in the Air Force (IUS / Space Command) and having some great friends from the 60s era, .. it's so frustrating to see the obvious political disaster that so many programs at NASA have become - and our current unwillingness to speak out and talk to each other will put not only many businesses and dollars at risk, but the lives of our great men and women explorers as well. Thank you for speaking out with integrity and truth. We need to double down on truth these days.

Warren Spiker

2023-12-04 05:18:53 +0000 UTC

MEGALITHIC. TITANIUM. SPHERES. For challenging the leaders of the manned space flight industry? Nah, I'm talking about this: "That's where I met my wife. Look at this. Isn't she hot...?" I was kinda stunned, TBH. I've never heard you say anything quite like that. "Oh, and my wife is pretty too." I fell out of my chair!! In all seriousness, though, my hat's off to you for embracing this opportunity to challenge complacency at any level and point out the well-established costs of it. And I especially loved the way you also pointed out the rewards of diligence and preparation that is six or seven layers deep at every single node, even the ones that were never supposed to happen. To me, this is what it looks like when someone knows he's not better, but he dares to lead anyway. A TRULY priceless thing.

Walt Seefeld

2023-12-04 04:35:09 +0000 UTC

What an amazing and fantastic presentation. You have a gift. I feel like this presentation was like Sun Tzu’s the Art of war; applicable to so many other facets of human existence. The lessons of Your Talky-talk need to be contemplated and digested. Thank you!

Chris R

2023-12-04 04:27:11 +0000 UTC

Halfway through my military career I started asking people: have you read the Lessons Learned documents for this exercise? Of course they hadn't, and they repeated the same mistakes. You mentioned SP 287 and for gits and shiggles I read it, and it is full of the ABSOLUTE BASICS of space systems development. One test is never enough. Every ECR affects EVERY team. Most importantly: there's no future progress without understanding the challenges of the past. Sorry for rambling but cheers, Destin.

Adam DeJesus

2023-12-04 03:45:33 +0000 UTC

Destin, thank you so very much for being brave enough to say the hard things. I’ve watched you since the chicken, and since moving to Alabama (not for you) I’ve geeked out at the Space & Rocket Center, and continued to enjoy your channel with my whole family. I hope those in the room for your talk took it to heart and learned something. Now I’m gonna go read that NASA report…. And if you’re ever near Guntersville, you’re welcome to join us for dinner. 😉👍

Benjamin Harber

2023-12-04 03:43:08 +0000 UTC

Destin, I am ridiculously proud of you. That talk took guts, and you nailed it. I'm sure it was absolutely terrifying. No matter what happens in the days after your talk you can be proud knowing you did what you felt was right. Whether or not anything happens rests solely on the others.

Kn1nJa

2023-12-04 02:49:19 +0000 UTC

Dustin - as an executive who has given many talks to large groups about engineering (non-life threatening situations), this was a great approach. I might use the Apollo mission metaphor to try on my next group of other executives as a way to get them to learn from the past - rather than paving the road to the future in a truck with no mirrors.

Craig Hansen

2023-12-04 02:19:21 +0000 UTC

Great presentation, I really enjoyed this one. I think Artemis is stuck in the mud and needs to rethink the whole process or at at least take a good look at the process. The whole structure seems to be wandering about in space, voices are not asking the correct questions. Complex problems need to be refined to find simple elegant solutions that will work the first time and everytime thereafter. i'm not a rocket scientist but spent a career solving complex anesthesia problems on the run and trying to teach students to always seek the simplest elegant solutions. Needlessly complex systems are killers and that's not a good thing for travel to the moon.

James Mellema

2023-12-04 02:10:43 +0000 UTC

The one gentleman you interviewed who been part of the Apollo engineering might have been wrong about the Artemis team going to be built on his (and, obviously thousands of others) shoulders. After all why would a team in 2023 even want to pay lip service to people who lived in the days of black and white TV?

Grant Jonsson

2023-12-04 01:59:19 +0000 UTC

Your presentation was SCARY, but on the money. I graduated from HS in 1966 and in 3 years was glued to the TV like everyone else. And since the last Apollo mission? Well, you answered that.

Grant Jonsson

2023-12-04 01:55:18 +0000 UTC

Loved this hour long presentation and show. Better than anything I watch on tv. Actually shared with my product team at work because I think there's so much of what NASA is doing with Artemis that echos what our engineers try to solve for each and every day, when the simple solution may be the best solution. Thanks for this truth. It's what pushed me over the edge to become a Patreon Supporter.

Joseph Prespare

2023-12-04 01:52:15 +0000 UTC

This video pushed me over the edge for supporting you on patreon. I know it’s different from what you normally do, and hopefully you never have to get up and say something like that again- but I believe the people in that room should be smart enough to read between the lines. I had no idea how much risk they are engineering into Artemis. That room’s replies to your questions were not encouraging. I really hope you’re wrong/crying wolf. On a personal note, you straight up got me into science and engineering. I know you’ll see this, and it gives me butterflies… seriously thank you for what you do, you’ve made waves through me, and I’m sure so many others. I’m not religious, but this is my best go at your thing… :) 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Jacob Stillwell

2023-12-04 01:41:59 +0000 UTC

This was just a fantastic video. I'm in software (I'd say 'engineer' but I know how that grinds gears) and everything in this presentation applies. I've also recommended it to everyone I know. Thanks!

Kevin Hauser

2023-12-04 01:25:05 +0000 UTC

I think the idea behind this talk actually extrapolates to everything in life. Thanks a lot for making such insightful video

Luiz Peruch

2023-12-04 01:07:49 +0000 UTC

fantastic stuff, and applies to so much more than Artemis! Thanks for giving this talk and for sharing it!

kpw

2023-12-04 00:58:53 +0000 UTC

The talky-talk was great. Unfortunately NASA didn't learn after the Apollo 1 disaster. They haven't always put safety first since then. If they had, Challengers O-rings warnings would have been heeded, and Columbia's wing damage might have been mitigated and patched in orbit and not lost 17 lives total to management's hindsight.

Michael Hahn

2023-12-04 00:38:27 +0000 UTC

Some of that I could probably say, but I'm not sure i'd have had the Kahunas to say 'shame on you' to a bunch of leaders, regardless of the reason... Loved the talk, it was really really great, thanks for sharing! So happy to see your progression over the years, I love being able to be a fly on the wall :)

Paul

2023-12-04 00:02:25 +0000 UTC

👍🏻🫡

Bytyqi Liridon

2023-12-04 00:01:56 +0000 UTC

I say this every time, and it's true every time, but this is your best video yet. It is also the more important one you've done. Lives are literally at stake, and the overwhelming politically driven government quagmire which exists in our world right now has the inertia to cause a failure with nobody responsible, and also everyone responsible at the same time because of how we only have positive feedback for fear of being cancelled or losing a job or pension. I dont have any direct experience in the executive branch or in aerospace, but I can tell you first hand that in other parts of the government this is a problem, and it is a self fulfilling prophecy when people dont feel like they can express opinions that are unpopular. Aside from projects failing, there's also huge problems with job satisfaction and feeling of self worth within the organization, which only makes the problem worse. Our natural tendency is to begin telling ourselves we couldn't change anything because nobody will listen anyway and if it fails, all I can say is it wasn't my fault. Watching this video, I couldn't help but think how much I'll miss "Smarter every day" when they recruit you to be the NASA administrator, but sadly they probably dont have the foresight or understanding to actually do that. My only hope is that SpaceX will actually succeed and set an example. Love him or hate him, Musk seems to understand the value of doing tests, and embracing failure as long as it teaches something to make it work better the next time. Thanks for all you do! Proud to have been here long enough to have all the stickers! :-) (I still show friends that chicken video - it's awesome!)

Steve Jones

2023-12-03 23:59:04 +0000 UTC

This was really solid Destin.

Chris Franklin

2023-12-03 23:42:20 +0000 UTC

Anyone paying attention has had trepidation about being optimistic with view of the timeline of the return to the moon; what a breath of fresh air it was to hear Destin meeting this group with hard questions. The wisdom and forethought to inspire this group of professionals I will never be able to understand. I would have wanted to ask hard questions with no realistic answers, but to inspire individualism and leadership within this group takes leadership on as scale I cannot comprehend. Thank you, Destin, for being your humble self.

Dante

2023-12-03 23:18:17 +0000 UTC

Really good way to challenge perspectives Hope they listened and will act.

Samuel Doak

2023-12-03 23:08:18 +0000 UTC

👏 👏 👏 - Respect! I am sharing 100 % of your thoughts. It reminded me of somebody's answer, when I was visiting the CERN (Geneva, Switzerland, LHC, etc 🤓), about my question: How are you able to run such a huge installation successfully? SIMPLICITY. "Just build every part as simple as you can engineer it. There is no other way." he said to me. I immediately understood. Since then, always if my engineering team is approaching me, asking for my "feedback" (BTW nice analogy with the PID in the presentation), I ask them: Did you golden/overengineered the solution? Can you make it more simple? What could break, and what do you do if it breaks? I work for a local telco operator here, it is definitely not comparable with a landing on the moon mission, but the people are relying on us (e.g. that an emergency call, can always be established successfully.). So, I am absolute sure that this way of thinking helps to keep the operation smooth and safe.

Alain Keusen

2023-12-03 22:57:48 +0000 UTC

Destin demonstrated great leadership through communication here!

Chauncey Frend

2023-12-03 22:14:22 +0000 UTC

Bravo, Destin! Your presentation was impeccable in terms of pitch, tone, and message. My fascination with NASA dates back to the initial announcement of the Mercury program in 1958. JFK's iconic moon speech at Rice University remains as inspiring today as it was then. I particularly enjoyed your insights on NASA SP287. To put it simply, you hit the mark perfectly! Back in 1968, we frequently pondered the scenario where the LM engines failed to ignite, a risky situation that had never been attempted before. We had discussions about the potential consequences for the stranded team. I remember reading an article in 1968 that explained how the LM propulsion system had ingeniously simple engineering, likening it to turning on two sink faucets. This boosted our confidence in the mission's success. Thank you for evoking cherished memories and imparting knowledge to the next generation for "We Choose to Go to the Moon II." Cheers!

Frank Shashaty

2023-12-03 21:56:42 +0000 UTC

Destin, thank you, thank you, thank you for saying what is needed to be said. I've been very disappointed with NASA and the Artemis Program for some of the same reasons you stated in your talk. It's as if NASA wants a Tic Tokable, global kumbaya session with a Marvel Universe back story. I know NASA doesn't mean it this way, but their Apollo Generation promotion has a tinge of an Okay Boomer mentality. Is it an excuse or some sort of subconscious need to go full Hulk smash with the Artemis Generation? I don't know, but we may be seeing the results of an overly complex subplot along with the younger sibling's need for oneupmanship. I really, really, really hope those people at that conference take heed of your insite and feel confident in letting out their inner superhero and make the Artemis Program more successful than it's prequel

John & Melissa

2023-12-03 21:29:08 +0000 UTC

Destin, after watching your videos for years, this is probably one of my favorites. Keep speaking the truth, brother.

Johnny Martin

2023-12-03 21:26:54 +0000 UTC

Btw this is a very interesting video of the sensor readings during the cascading failures leading to the loss of the shuttle Columbia (another preventable failure) https://youtu.be/oNmR2YZO2gw?si=sPoyyA3PLfNSW0tX

Pablo Fernicola

2023-12-03 21:22:11 +0000 UTC

Dude. What you said. WOW. Good job! While I remain skeptical that the current political climate will change any time soon vis-a-vis NASA and space flight in general, I hope those who actually do the work will listen, follow your advice, and do the necessary things to keep our astronauts as safe as humanly possible. I did not know they will be using an NRH orbit. I did some searching. I found NASA's official (?) post about it: https://www.nasa.gov/missions/artemis/lunar-near-rectilinear-halo-orbit-gateway. It is written not by an engineer or scientist, but by a communications specialist working for the head of PR. I am appalled. I've been reading "A City on Mars" and now I know why the authors wrote that book. I wish they'd gone deeper into the institutional rot that replaces engineers with PR specialists. Have you ever thought about writing a book (after your dissertation of course?) I think I'd pre-order it after this talk you shared with us. Thank you.

Mark Bryant

2023-12-03 21:02:24 +0000 UTC

Never hit the return button until your finished! Loved this. The bicycle bit reminded me of my coaching days. The chinese had a saying, I don't rememeber the saying, but it basically said to learn something you needed to perform it, correctly, 3,000 times. That sounds like a lot, but actually 100 times a day, and you've got it in a month. This also reminded me of snow skiing - when we walk or run, if we want to go right, we turn right, left, turn left, but in snow skiing it's the oposite...sort of. Picture two skis on your feet in the shape of a snow plow. The one on the right points left, and the one on the left points right. The turn is built into the ski. All you have to do is put your weight on the ski you want to turn, which is opposite of what we do when walking. At any rate, fun stuff, great video, keep on saying what your thinking!

Bruce Hauschild

2023-12-03 20:54:57 +0000 UTC

When I saw the setup for the talk I thought he was going for something bolder, like telling them to discontinue Artemis/Orion in favor of super heavy/starship 😂 With all the delays, and cost per launch, Artemis will not be viable

Pablo Fernicola

2023-12-03 20:51:32 +0000 UTC

Destin,

Bruce Hauschild

2023-12-03 20:47:23 +0000 UTC

This was a really interesting talk, enjoyed it alot! I also went to read about the lightning incident with Apollo 12 (https://history.nasa.gov/afj/ap12fj/a12-lightningstrike.html) which also was a really interesting read. Amazing how much preparation goes into space flight!

Rasmus

2023-12-03 20:25:38 +0000 UTC

This needs to be said much, much more. KISS is highly important, whether it is engineering a rocket, building machine tooling, or simply doing software design. I have seen, when memory, and storage space was expensive, tight, efficient code that functioned very well. Today, some of the software engineers don't care - memory is cheap, as is storage, so the code becomes bloated, and very inefficient. Artemis scares me - for exactly the same reasons you laid out. And our government and society as a whole is not accepting of any errors... If the there is a mishap, they will likely just scrap the whole program.

bill miller

2023-12-03 20:19:18 +0000 UTC

Great talk. Many many groups should see this -- too many are afraid to talk these days.

Mark Sundstrom

2023-12-03 20:01:47 +0000 UTC

Great work Destin! Many people have a difficult time giving negative feedback in this day and age. Your reference to that was right on! I was fortunate enough to witness all of the Apollo missions on TV when I was young. It still amazes me what was accomplished knowing the limitations of the computer systems back then compared to today. Keep up the good work!

Craig Hall

2023-12-03 19:59:29 +0000 UTC

Good job! Excellent presentation! Sometimes you just gotta say what needs to be said. I worked at NASA many years ago as a student, I was encouraged to ask useful, thought provoking questions. Hopefully your video will accomplish what you intended. We all want to celebrate the successful mission...but ya gotta put in the work!

Barry

2023-12-03 19:32:14 +0000 UTC

I'm a professional project manager for video games and I saw so many parallels in the projects I've worked on! I'm looking forward to reading SP287. I think a lot of my coworkers could take a lot of lessons away from your talk, too. Looking forward to sharing it with the other producers on my team.

Jesse Hamburger

2023-12-03 19:30:13 +0000 UTC

Destin, I've watched your videos occasionally for years and always admired how you do things. However, I was completely blown away by your presentation to the AAS. It was simply masterful. I was inspired to change some things I've been doing in leading my team and pray they also took to heart your comments and encouragement.

Dan O'Connor

2023-12-03 19:25:15 +0000 UTC

Many of my instructors were former Apollo engineers. The saddest part of the final Columbia mission was when the engineer identified the temperature anomaly on the landing gear area. He must have known it was going to be bad quickly. One thing I do is work on getting my students used to the fact that they too are smart. My first experiment is not intricate. I make them put on their eyewear and hook up a resistor and burn it up. They have to know that smell. Then I make them burn LED's so they don't fear working with them. I tell them that were their future employers are going to put stuff, they most know with a sniff that there will be danger. I have my students make a radar in their second month and other projects to help them realize that they too can do great stuff.

SnorkY2K

2023-12-03 18:57:12 +0000 UTC

I have been watching your videos for years. I finally decided to become a patron because I admire your courage. It never easy being the 13th man . It's very inspiring. Thank you.

Bevin Maragh

2023-12-03 18:54:10 +0000 UTC

Loved the lecture, style and most importantly the concept of thinking different and learning from history. Something we could all benefit from. I am proud to be getting my 3rd round of stickers…a complete set!

Randy Coffee

2023-12-03 18:12:26 +0000 UTC

I just downloaded SP 287 And I love the part on neuro plasticity. Hey, II have got an engineering solution for the "Captivating" problem of Slosh in rocket fuel tanks that I'd love to share with you if you have any interest in taking looking at a design from a normie. To me it's definitely a KISS design that I don't understand why it hasn't been tried out yet. Let me know if you want me to send it.

Jeff Holden

2023-12-03 18:11:55 +0000 UTC

i need to show this video to the engineers at my jobs.

hfidek

2023-12-03 18:06:12 +0000 UTC

Thank you very much for this great lecture. I enjoyed listening and took a lot away with me. Stay safe!

DarkBlue

2023-12-03 18:02:52 +0000 UTC

Excellent presentation, Destin! I hope it hit it's target with your audience. I certainly found it useful for my own work - just now downloaded SP-287.

MikeW

2023-12-03 18:00:49 +0000 UTC

Your break-in at 30:35 is very, very applicable beyond just Artemis. I've seen the same issues within other procurement programs that are critical. Most painfully, I don't know how to solve this, especially from my level. But there is an issue over many different programs, and they need help.

Barron B

2023-12-03 17:47:04 +0000 UTC

Well done Destin! I hope your audience listened, read the Apollo playbook, and put the KISS principle to work. Cheers!

David Glover

2023-12-03 17:41:49 +0000 UTC

This was a fantastic video. Your talkie talk was asking the right questions to the right crowd and more importantly it was at the right time. It’s funny to think your bike project was so important to explain what is so obvious and crucial. Don’t overlook what you think you know. Stay humble and gracious.

Tim Hoffman

2023-12-03 17:40:51 +0000 UTC

This was an awesome video, and not just from the usual technical content, but also about communication between teams working on complex systems. It's something I can often see in IT projects and I find the exact same issues: lack of communication, useless complexity, flexing about technologies, lack of a clear mission and vision. I shared this video with my working team and I'd force it to become a mandatory lecture to any technical team working on complex systems!

Sebastian Zdrojewski

2023-12-03 16:58:54 +0000 UTC

Dude id have your back. Your a champion.

Marten

2023-12-03 16:58:50 +0000 UTC

I started supporting you because i wanted the Trash Panda baseball. Fast forward to now, i am still supporting you and i keep buying Trash Panda stuff even though i don't watch baseball, just love the logo and name. Keep up the great work and i can't wait for the new stickers!

Matt Larson

2023-12-03 16:38:55 +0000 UTC

Exceptional content. I love feeling that my donations are going to such a great effort. I commend you for sticking with your mission and morals and doing your best to make us all (even auditoriums filled with exceptional brains) smarter every day. Talk about emotional support too… I got a little misty eyed when Mr. Otinger said that “they can build on our shoulders”. Thank you Destin.

Tom Keeler

2023-12-03 16:25:39 +0000 UTC

Thank you very much for this interesting insight into your work and the currage to present your doubts(?) in such a public way. Not being from the US, I feel the wave of suppressing negative feedback swapping over the pond more and more. It's not helpful in any relationship or area. With that said... Some of the ideas you presented were kind of not connected. A little loose hanging in the air. Sometimes without a conclusion. The point with the man on the picture and the apollo 1 astronauts praing over the capsule. I know where it should lead but it felt like the thought was not closed. And there were some other examples. I of course do not know if this was because of the time constraints you were given, the way you presented it on stage (you had to be there to see your reaction to it) or the way you had to cut it for the video format. But I had several moments where there was a great ramp up but with a flat or no conclusion to the thought. I know it is hard to make a talky-talk consistent cause I am doing talky-talks myself. And this is also only one oppinion of one of your millions of viewers. But I hope it finds it's way into your pid control loop. :) Looking forward to what's coming next.

Andre Pietsch

2023-12-03 16:19:52 +0000 UTC

Destin, kudos for having the guts to talk to such a room so boldly and directly, and for building up enough rapport with them not to be dismissed by them. It is clear that you put a lot of thought, effort and energy into the talk on so many levels and the result truly is something to be proud of. Thank you for sharing it, I think there is a lot to learn in there for many of us!

Jonas Wahlen

2023-12-03 16:05:00 +0000 UTC

Let's hope the stickers don't get lost it mail like last year. Even got sent new ones and those didn't arrive either.

ShadowTux

2023-12-03 16:04:42 +0000 UTC

That is an incredible presentation to have given. So much that needed saying, so badly. Thank you. I hope that this doesn't damage your relationship with NASA for the future.

David Popeck

2023-12-03 16:00:21 +0000 UTC

#branding

Chad M Jones

2023-12-03 15:52:57 +0000 UTC

Every talky-talk you're wearing the same shirt and hat. Lol.

David Atwood

2023-12-03 15:26:09 +0000 UTC

Thanks for all your effort Destin! Love sharing these with my kids and getting them into science.

David Cooper

2023-12-03 15:18:21 +0000 UTC

Any of the last batch of stickers left? I lost mine moving into my bus.

Edward Burton

2023-12-03 14:51:26 +0000 UTC

I Was SCARED To Say This to NASA

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