Engineering disasters are often described as technical failures, but many are also failures of communication. In this seminar, students will examine engineering failure case studies to explore what happens when warning signs are present yet concern does not become action. Through discussion, analysis, and reflection, we will consider how authority, expertise, institutional pressure, and differing interpretations of risk shape what is heard, dismissed, or acted upon in high-stakes environments.

The course asks a difficult but essential question: if people saw danger coming, why were lives not saved? By studying how communication breaks down across lines of difference, students will develop tools for thinking more critically about dissent, responsibility, ethics, and decision-making under uncertainty.