FAILUROLOGY

We’re releasing episodes from our mini failure library while we’re on production hiatus. This week’s Mini Failure is about the Artemis Project. It’s not really about a failure, but as our last mini failure before our hiatus, we wanted to talk about an engineering project we thought was interesting. The artemis project is aiming to put people back on the moon. Original Air Date: August 20, 2023 Epi...

We’re releasing episodes from our mini failure library while we’re on production hiatus. This week’s Mini Failure is about the Titan Submersible. A relatively small carbon fibre vessel that imploded on its way to the Titanic. Original Air Date: August 6, 2023 Episode Sources https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Titan_(submersible) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Titan_submersible_implosion Ways to get in t...

We’re releasing episodes from our mini failure library while we’re on production hiatus. This week’s Mini Failure is about the 1955 LeMans Crash. It was the most catastrophic crash in motorsport history, which led to Mercedes-Benz to withdraw from motor racing until 1989. Original Air Date: July 23, 2023 Episode Sources https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1955_Le_Mans_disaster https://www.gq-magazine.co...

We’re releasing episodes from our mini failure library while we’re on production hiatus. This week’s Mini Failure is about the Vasa Ship which sank 1.3km into its maiden voyage. Original Air Date: July 9, 2023 Episode Sources https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vasa_(ship) Ways to get in touch with us Email - thefailurologypodcast@gmail.com Website - www.failurology.ca

We’re releasing episodes from our mini failure library while we’re on production hiatus. This week’s Mini Failure is about the Therac-25. A radiation therapy machine that was supposed to help people causes radiation overdoses at least 100x the limit. Original Air Date: June 25, 2023 Episode Sources https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Therac-25 Ways to get in touch with us Email - thefailurologypodcast@g...

We’re releasing episodes from our mini failure library while we’re on production hiatus. This week’s Mini Failure is about the hydrogen embrittlement failure of the Bay Bridge between San Francisco and Oakland. Almost 100 rods were at risk of failure, after a construction delay and lack of protection subjected the rods to standing water and weakened them to the point that a third failed. Original...

We’re releasing episodes from our mini failure library while we’re on production hiatus. This week’s Mini Failure is about the hydrogen embrittlement failure at the Cheesegrater building in London, UK. 3,000 very large bolts making up the exoskeleton of the cheesegrater were significantly weakened by the introduction of hydrogen during manufacturing. Original Air Date: May 28, 2023 Episode Sources...

We’re releasing episodes from our mini failure library while we’re on production hiatus. This week’s Mini Failure is about Alexander Kielland Flotel. In 1980 the floating hotel (flotel) capsized, killing 123 people on board. This led to enhanced safety regulations for the deployment of lifeboats from platforms and vessels. Original Air Date: May 14, 2023 Episode Sources https://www.lifeinnorway.ne...

We’re releasing episodes from our mini failure library while we’re on production hiatus. This week’s Mini Failure is about the Eigiau and Coedty Dam Failures. A pause in construction led to a catastrophic dam failure and a wall of water into the town downstream. Original Air Date: April 30, 2023 Episode Sources https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coedty_Reservoir https://www.theregister.com/2021/06/11/t...

We’re releasing episodes from our mini failure library while we’re on production hiatus. This week’s Mini Failure is about the DMC DeLorean.  A car that would have likely been forgotten if Marty McFly and Doc Brown didn’t turn it into a time machine for Back To The Future.  Ahead of its time in looks, but well behind its time in reliability, sales, and a marketing plan. Original Air Date: April 16...

We’re releasing episodes from our mini failure library while we’re on production hiatus. This week’s Mini Failure is about the Pemberton Mill. In 1860, the mill collapsed and then caught on fire in the worst industrial accident in Massachusetts history. Original Air Date: April 2, 2023 Episode Sources https://www.in2013dollars.com/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pemberton_Mill https://blogs.loc.gov...

We’re releasing episodes from our mini failure library while we’re on production hiatus. This week’s Mini Failure is about the Granville Rail Disaster. A poorly located bridge support and wooden rail cars led to the worst rail disaster in Australian history. Original Air Date: March 19, 2023 Episode Sources https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Granville_rail_disaster https://www.bbc.com/news/world-austra...

We’re releasing episodes from our mini failure library while we’re on production hiatus. This week’s Mini Failure is about the Cypress St Viaduct. A double decker freeway that served as one of the approaches to the San-Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, the viaduct collapsed during the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. Original Air Date: March 5, 2023 Episode Sources https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cypress_St...

We’re releasing episodes from our mini failure library while we’re on production hiatus. This week’s Mini Failure is about Frank Slide. In the middle of the night in 1903, part of the town of Frank was buried under a rock slide in 100 seconds. Original Air Date: February 19, 2023 Episode Sources https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank,_Alberta https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Slide https://franksli...

We’re releasing episodes from our mini failure library while we’re on production hiatus. This week’s Mini Failure is about the partial collapse of the Hard Rock Hotel in New Orleans. During construction, the northern section of the building collapsed in 2019 and is still under investigation.  Original Air Date: February 5, 2023 Episode Sources https://www.osha.gov/news/newsreleases/region6/0403202...

We’re releasing episodes from our mini failure library while we’re on production hiatus. This week’s Mini Failure is about the Juliana Bridge crane collapse in Alphen aan den Rijn, Netherlands. A poorly planned lift that had little to no consideration for safety led to the collapse of two cranes and a new bridge section in the middle of this small Netherlands city. Original Air Date: January 22, 2...

We’re releasing episodes from our mini failure library while we’re on production hiatus. This week’s Mini Failure is about the Sudbury Effect. Undoing a century of damage, little by little and what went from green and lush, to black and barren, back to green again. Sudbury is now said to have the cleanest air of any city in Ontario. Original Air Date: January 8, 2023 Episode Sources https://www.cb...

We’re releasing episodes from our mini failure library while we’re on production hiatus. This week’s Mini Failure is about PFOA/C8 Contamination (Dupont Scandal). PFOA has been poisoning living creatures in the Ohio river basin for decades. One brave lawyer took on a huge corporation in this real life David and Goliath story. Original Air Date: December 12, 2022 Episode Sources https://en.wikipedi...

We’re releasing episodes from our mini failure library while we’re on production hiatus. This week’s Mini Failure is about asbestos. Deadly little fibers that are in seemingly everything and can lay dormant for decades before wreaking havoc. Original Air Date: November 27, 2022 Episode Sources https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asbestos https://www.asbestos.com/asbestos/ Ways to get in touch with us Em...

We’re releasing episodes from our mini failure library while we’re on production hiatus. This week’s Mini Failure is about the Bhopal Gas Leak disaster in India. Due to malfunctioning safety systems and a lack of safety culture, many people were poisoned and their lives impacted forever. Original Air Date: November 13, 2022 Episode Sources https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhopal_disaster Ways to get...

We’re releasing episodes from our mini failure library while we’re on production hiatus. This week’s Mini Failure is about Minamata Disease. How one small Japanese town suffered from decades of mercury poisoning. Original Air Date: October 30, 2022 Episode Sources https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minamata_disease https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minamata,_Kumamoto https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_Big_...

We’re releasing episodes from our mini failure library while we’re on production hiatus. Based on the movie Airplane!, this week’s mini failure is a bonus episode about the harrowing events of Trans American Flight 209.  Trans American Flight 209 from Los Angeles to Chicago made a miraculous landing in Chicago after the flight crew was incapacitated by food poisoning and a former Air Force Pilot a...

We’re releasing episodes from our mini failure library while we’re on production hiatus. This week’s Mini Failure is about the Love Canal. After a decade of dumping toxic waste, the location was a bad spot to put a school. Even the chemical company knew it, but it would take years for the school board to understand the consequences of their decision. Original Air Date: October 16, 2022 Episode Sou...

We’re releasing episodes from our mini failure library while we’re on production hiatus. This week’s Mini Failure is about the Exxon Valdez. The second worst oil spill in US waters that took decades to clean up. Original Air Date: October 2, 2022 Episode Sources https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exxon_Valdez_oil_spill Ways to get in touch with us Email - thefailurologypodcast@gmail.com Website - www.f...

We’re releasing episodes from our mini failure library while we’re on production hiatus. This week’s Mini Failure is about the SS Sultana. A steamship that exploded and sank on the Mississippi River in 1865, claiming the title of the worst US maritime disaster. Original Air Date: September 18, 2022 Episode Sources https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sultana_(steamboat) Ways to get in touch with us Email...