[EAS]Dead(ly) Batteries/Smart(?)

[pjk]

Subject:   Dead(ly) Batteries/Smart(?) Highway

"Friendly Fire" Deaths Traced to Dead Battery
("the machine was programmed to come back on displaying its own
coordinates")
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A8853-2002Mar23.html

The Smart Highway
(or not)
http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/083/metro/The_smart_highwayP.shtml

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In their very different ways, some good study material about
engineering design in the "real world." The former is a tragic gaffe
in 'system initialization', the latter reminds me a little of when
aerospace companies were contracted to design the first hospital
intensive care units--too complex to be effective.  --PJK