New Books Network Edward Tenner, "Why the Hindenburg Had a Smoking Lounge: Essays in Unintended Consequences" (APS Press, 2025)
Career Pivot Fueled by Curiosity
- Edward Tenner's career shift from academic history to independent wide-ranging essayist reflects his love for interdisciplinary surprises.
- He embraces exploring diverse topics for fresh insights rather than narrow specialization.
Human Factor in Disasters
- Transportation disasters often reveal human and social factors more than engineering failures.
- Most disasters involve competent, well-regarded people operating with accepted risky norms.
The Hidden Logic Behind the Hindenburg's Smoking Lounge
The Hindenburg, despite its tragic fiery end, actually had a carefully engineered smoking lounge, complete with safety measures like negative air pressure and no open flames, to accommodate the half of its wealthy passengers who smoked.
Edward Tenner introduces the concept of a "community of expectations," where social norms and customer demands—such as affluent passengers expecting to smoke—dictated seemingly risky design choices.
This reflects a broader pattern: many technological disasters stem not from engineering flaws but from human values, expectations, and operational decisions. For example, Titanic passengers prioritized timely arrival, accepting dangerous conditions to maintain schedules.
Tenner stresses that unintended consequences often arise from complex human factors and social agreements embedded within technologies and enterprises, rather than purely technical failures.
