In July 1969, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin were descending towards the Moon. Then their computer started displaying alarms. 1202 An excellent moment to discover that a number means absolutely nothing to you. Imagine being in Mission Control. Two men approaching the lunar surface. An alarming computer. And someone asking whether they should continue. Perhaps you could open with: “Thank you. That’s a very interesting question.” Fortunately, NASA had Jack Garman supporting guidance officer...
1 day ago • 1 min read
In 1628, Sweden launched a magnificent warship. The Vasa. Built to impress. Which it did. Then it sank. Which was less impressive. Before the maiden voyage, thirty men had been asked to run backwards and forwards across the upper deck to test its stability. XXI sophistication… No joke… Today, we pute trucks full of rocks on new bridges… Well… The ship rolled so badly that the test had to be stopped. You would think this may… have triggered a discussion. At least something like: Let’s not...
1 day ago • 1 min read
The government wanted fewer rats. So it paid people to kill them. People started breeding them. Unattended consequences are called today. Or wrong clauses and incentives, as it should be. Hanoi. 1902. The French colonial authorities had a rat problem. And a solution that looked perfectly sensible. Pay a bounty. Require proof. Count the results. Lovely. But… There was just one small detail. The proof was a tail. Not a dead rat. Apparently, nobody thought that distinction would become...
3 days ago • 1 min read
He won the tender. Sixty-six days later, he was eliminated… I mean… dead. Which is a fairly aggressive way to terminate a contract. Rome. AD 193. Escalation did not have several levels of governance apparently… or they were just efficient too… Anyway. The Praetorian Guard murdered Emperor Pertinax. An awkward development. Especially considering their job was to protect him. Like Lenders… when you do need them… The fact is that the guys spotted a commercial opportunity. A vacant throne. Two...
4 days ago • 1 min read
I bring you today a useful reminder for anyone advising the public sector. Shanghai’s Maglev. It connects Pudong Airport with Longyang Road in about eight minutes. Eight minutes. Fantastic. Except, if you’re heading into central Shanghai, your journey continues... Even the city’s own airport guide explains the onward metro connection at Longyang Road. The train has finished its job. You haven’t finished your journey. Your suitcase remains unimpressed… Nothing to say about your hungry kids....
5 days ago • 1 min read
I continue in China. And looking at Chinese infrastructure, I came across a lovely reminder for our industry. The Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macao Bridge. More specifically, its immersed tunnel. A standard tunnel segment weighed approximately 80,000 tonnes. They precast the segments on Guishan Island, then used tugboats to transport them into position. If you like megaprojects, this is a must see. The project used extensive off-site manufacturing to help control quality and reduce disturbance to marine...
6 days ago • 1 min read
I’m writing this from China… I’m here for a trade fair… well… two. Tiles. Kitchens. Bathrooms. Doors. Windows. As you know, I’m building my real estate empire on the side. Which means moving my @ss, meeting suppliers, asking questions and starting from zero somewhere nobody particularly cares what I did before. Former CEO? Lovely. Board experience? Wonderful. Twenty years in infrastructure? Very impressive, sir. Now, how many toilets would you like? Fair enough. Look. There’s a lesson here...
7 days ago • 2 min read
Any project in the world has a meeting like this. The most senior person says: “I think this is an excellent opportunity.” Suddenly, everyone discovers they think so too. Extraordinary. Twenty minutes earlier, the project looked like a hostage note. Now it’s “a compelling investment proposition.” The spreadsheet hasn’t changed. The boss has spoken. 1961 During the planning of the Bay of Pigs invasion Presidential adviser Arthur Schlesinger had serious reservations. He put objections in...
8 days ago • 1 min read
The story about King Xerxes is fascinating, and you should know it. Look. Some clients send an angry email when infrastructure fails. Others call their lawyers. King Xerxes had even a more ambitious escalation procedure. He whipped the sea. Yes. Apparently, the King was very ambitious, in general. He had bridges built across the Hellespont so his Persian army could cross into Europe. Until here… All good. The issue is that a storm destroyed the bridges. At the time, they did not have ACONEX...
9 days ago • 2 min read