Hmmm.

Forgive the following wonkiness: Slate's use of the word "O-Ring" has, to a science geek or Feynman groupie, negative connotations.

Wikipedia:

The Space Shuttle Challenger Disaster took place when Challnger, a Space Shuttle operated by NASA, broke apart 73 seconds into its flight leading to the deaths of its seven crew members. The spacecraft disintegrated over the Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of central Florida, United States at 11:39 a.m. EST (16:39 UTC) on January 28,1986. Disintegration of the shuttle stack began 73 seconds into its flight after an O-ring seal in its right solid rocket booster (SRB) failed at liftoff.