A Good Read for Engineers 3

[plasgears]

Just finished re-reading "Rocket Boys" by Homer Hickam, which was also rendered as the movie "October Sky" by Universal. This is the true story of a boy growing up in a mining town in SW West Virginia. Sputnik was the inspiration for his experiments with rockets. His science teacher helped him and his group of "rocket boys." He was strongly opposed by his father, the manager of the local mine.

Ultimately everyone in town rallied around the rocket boys, and they went on to capture the grand prize in the National Science competition for high school students. The boys all went to college and successful careers. Homer Hickam later joined the staff of rocket engineers at the Cape. This is not the usual coming of age story. Everytime I revisit the story great emotions well up in me. I identify with many of the challenges that Hickam experienced. Perhaps it will touch you in the same way.

 

[PSE]

Good book, and by the way a good film.

 

[rhodie]

If young men got together these days and decided to make rockets, they'd have the local police and ATF on them before sundown.

(maybe I know this from experience, BTW)

 

[rbcoulter]

I saw the movie & it was pretty good. Homer Hickam is
a great speaker. I saw him on C-SPAN. BTW, did you know that "October Sky" is an anagram of "Rocket Boys"?

 

[Sparweb]

Feel the same was as plasgears did about the movie. Resonates with me, as I grew up in much the same way (though in a farming community). The character of Homer's father was portrayed excellently in the movie - not just an archetype figure, but a conflicted, complex person.



STF

 

[plasgears]

The actor who played Homer Hickam Sr. went on to other films, and you will see him in more movies to come.

 

[Neilmo]

Plasgears,

Just caught up with this book you recommended and read it in four evenings flat - I could hardly tear myself away. Wow, what an inspiration those youngsters where and reminds me of my own youth and things we used to get up to, not on such a scale as those lads though.

I feel its a great pity that youngsters these days don't seem to have such motivation in `doing things` like that. Probably I suspect, at least in part, that there is so much red tape thrown in your way whenever you try to do anything, a little bit out of the ordinary.

They taught themselves calculus and differential equations to enable themselves to design better rocket nozles etc. etc. As well as the practical aspects of devising, experimenting with and testing different `rocket fuels` etc., and all this over 40 years ago now when they were only 15/16 years old. They were very lucky not to do themselves some serious damage along the way and managed to `get away with it`.

If you are happy to just play golf, watch TV, or just go to the pub for a few beers - it's easy, any one can do that; but to actually get of your a**e and do something - I salute those boys and look forward to seeing the film now. Anyone know where it's showing at present (in the UK).

Regards,
Neilmo

 

[Compositepro]

I have not read the book but I saw the movie and I agree it was very good. However, I left the theater greatly saddened by the thought of how much America had changed. Those kids would be arrested now for doing what they did. The talents and character that Homer developed is what enabled America to get to the moon as quickly as it did. But when they showed Homer next to the Saturn Five at the end of the movie I almost cried because NASA no longer has any place for people like him.

 

[plasgears]

Neilmo,
Try your local video outlet for the film. Hollywood rendered the film slightly different, but it's a great film nevertheless.

 

[milou]

Here is my 5 cents worth,

I've been reading your toughts and I am all with you in saying that this spontaneity, imagination and the quest for "how tos and what ifs" of past youth, had very much to do with the technology that we indulge in today.

In my opinion the reason is very simple: in those days we cultivated more "How can you contribute to make it a better place for all" but today we cultivate "How to dress or should I say how to uncover as much as possible to be as attractive as possible for... sure enough not for ingenouity...

For what is worth.

 

[Iskit4iam]

It strikes me that Homer and his crew were exceptions to the rule for teen agers of the time. Or did I miss the stories about other similar accomplishments. Most teen agers were interested in sports, the opposite sex and music, not science. How about you.

If you want to see what the youth of today is doing check out the science fairs. There are kids walking in Homer's footsteps. Is there a Homer amoung them. Ask me again it twenty years.

By the way, a nerd named Bill Gates took his teenage passion for computers to a pretty successful level. And didn't a guy named Dell start selling computers from his dorm room.

You guys are engineers. SHOW ME THE DATA.

 

[milou]

You are right Iskit4iam! A lot of teenagers are doing interesting things in those science fairs, but outside of that circle of interest, not many people know about it.

The media is not very interested in it unless, and your exemples "BillGates,Dell" confirm's it, they become financially very successful...

 

[rhodie]

The movie has inspired others, too:

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/12/09/n...00&en=864520d548584bde&ei=5062&partner=GOOGLE

 

[milou]

This is exactly what we should promote : that is human energy well spent for the benefit of man kind.

Thank you for your input