Chapter 6. The Bigger Dig: Unconventional Scientists Break New Ground in Underwater Mining

The managing director of United Construction Equipment’s Advanced Machinery Analysis Division ignored April’s pounding rain as he and his chief quality officer strode across the parking lot. A no-nonsense executive with a penchant for action, Ben Erikson had just returned to Denver from an unnerving meeting with the company’s senior leadership team. (The names and context of this story have been disguised to protect the privacy of the individuals involved.)

Headquarters strategists had just delivered their conclusions from a six-month intelligence study about the looming competitive threat from the Japanese. It was 1990, and United Construction Equipment’s ...

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