About My Job: The Rocket Scientist

by Conor Friedersdorf

A reader writes:

I am a rocket scientist.  The one thing people always fail to understand about my job is that rocket science is, in fact, quite simple.  The laws of physics that govern the behavior of rockets have been known for centuries, and are really not that complicated.  So, next time you consider using the phrase "it ain't rocket science", please consider substituting "it ain't brain surgery" instead.  I've never met a brain surgeon, but I imagine that that job really is as complicated as it sounds.