One of my favourites was Lord Cherwell, scientific advisor to W. Churchill, who declared that the V2 rocket could never succeed because you just couldn't get enough cordite into it.
And of course Dr. R.V. Jones was the young whiz kid who got everything right. Professor Lindemann (Lord Cherwell), is often presented in a very similar manner to Lardner from that earlier time, but he must have had some redeeming qualities since Churchill kept him on as science advisor throughout the war. I expect the truth is that both men were a lot smarter than they appear in the popular portrayals - just wrong on all the big important things! All these characters are just tailor made for the movie versions (although a good movie version starring Brunel has never been made for some reason - just needs a good semi-fictional screenplay and some James Cameron direction - its got all the ingredients for an overarching look at the mighty Victorians). How about Russell Crowe as Brunel?
Thank you about that note about Dr. Lardner. I wasn't aware of that. I have assumed that physics and engineering have come a long way since the book was written, and I think some of the information is wrong.
Are you sure Lardner said that these things were impossible? There is a simlar story about an aerodynamicist "proving" that bumblebees cannot fly. The story is at best, an inaccurate description of what he actually worked out.
I was not aware that mechanical engineering came out of the military. I was under the impression that civil engineering did. Most military officers during the nineteenth century were trained as engineers to do surveying, and build roads and bridges. When people learned this stuff outside of the military, they became "civil" engineers.
I am curious as to when mechanical engineering was taught in college. I doubt this was prior to the nineteenth century.
drawoh:
My anecdotes about Dr. Lardner come from "Isambard Kingdom Brunel" by L.T.C. Rolt, in which he appears throughout the narrative - a sort of naysaying sparring partner, always contesting the daring Brunel with the conventional wisdom of the day at every learned meeting etc. Of course, things are never quite that simple. Good book though.
