Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!asuvax!ukma!usenet.ins.cwru.edu!eagle!data.nas.nasa.gov!wk207!uselton
From: uselton@nas.nasa.gov (Samuel P. Uselton)
Newsgroups: comp.society.futures
Subject: Re: Techno Terror
Message-ID: <1991Apr30.185531.22073@nas.nasa.gov>
Date: 30 Apr 91 18:55:31 GMT
References: <9517@suned1.Nswses.Navy.MIL> <1991Apr30.020847.12423@osh3.OSHA.GOV>
Sender: news@nas.nasa.gov
Organization: NAS Program, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA
Lines: 53

chip@osh3.OSHA.GOV (Chip Yamasaki) writes:
>
>In <9517@suned1.Nswses.Navy.MIL> lev@slced1.nswses.navy.mil (Lloyd E Vancil) 
>writes:
>
>>I have just finished reading an article in the LA Times magazine of a
>>couple of Sundays ago about "Automatic Freeways."  This article expounds
>>at great length on the development and use of automated freeway systems to
>>solve the traffic problems in a metropolis such as LA.
>>Basically, such a system would involve computer guided autos, and a network
>>of machines that control the network under the roadway.  This would mean that
>>a network of computers (non-motile) would be controling and "conversing"
>>with a large number of moving computers.  All in all, a much considered
>>concept, nothing new here.
>
>.....
>Enough people would NEVER allow such a thing to happen.  I'd bet with
>one whif of such a thing the ACLU would go mad, and in this one tiny
>case I would support them.  The same could be said for a computer
>controlled freeway system.  One of the best things about driving a car
>is "driving the car".  People are never going to want to give up the
>freedom of controlling the vehicle themselves, and I do mean NEVER!

I think such articles are optimistic about how soon such technology will
be available, and especially economically justifiable.  I think such a 
thing will eventually be possible, and may happen if we haven't created
better alternatives.  People will never give up driving cars, BUT...
they may be willing to give up control *temporarily* in order to use a
resource that will shorten (and increase safety of) a particular part
of the trip.  The entire road system will NOT be "wired" just a few high
traffic arteries where it can make a difference.  Sort of like putting 
your car on a train that is faster and avoids stops, but without the 
problems (or at least as many) of loading and unloading.  You still drive
your car between the ramps and the endpoints, you just relax for a while.

> I know of
>NOBODY, including myself, that I would trust to write an application
>that had my very life in its hands so completely.  Have you ever of an
>application that was completely free of bugs?

Do you know of any application to which people trust their lives?
(It doesn't really matter if you know who wrote them.)

How about astronauts in manned spacecraft?  How about the air traffic 
control system?  How about the train system?  (And of course the medical
arena too.)

Yes there are occasional accidents and failures.  More of them are
caused by the humans than the computers.


Sam Uselton		uselton@nas.nasa.gov
employed by CSC		working for NASA (Ames)		speaking for myself