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From: lev@slced1.nswses.navy.mil (Lloyd E Vancil)
Newsgroups: comp.society.futures
Subject: Re: Techno Terror
Message-ID: <9707@suned1.Nswses.Navy.MIL>
Date: 7 May 91 17:05:01 GMT
References: <9517@suned1.Nswses.Navy.MIL> <1991May7.003221.8585@morrow.stanford.edu>
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In article <1991May7.003221.8585@morrow.stanford.edu> ari@Mordor.Stanford.EDU (Ari Ollikainen) writes:
>I'm somewhat surprised that no one has commented on the potentially 
>disasterous failure mode associated with proposed designs of automated 
>highways: NO provision for vehicles stopping due to mechanical failure or
>running out of fuel!
In the article I was reading that was stated.  The proposed vehicle is
powered from the roadway.  I believe my original post implied the same,
"going nowhere at top speed forever."
>
>If the system doesn't power the vehicles it controls AND the power CAN
>be interrupted then the vehicle MAY become an uncontrolled obstacle in 
>a fast moving stream of otherwise controlled vehicles. Imagine the 
>repercussions of the system deciding to decelerate ALL traffic to avoid
>damage to the uncontrolled obstacle...Would the automated system just hand 
>control of vehicles in the vicinity of the stalled vehicle back to the 
>drivers and expect them to deal with the "perturbation" in flow?

  Such forseable, in a sense predictable, failures would be provided for.
Ninty-nine percent of The Troubles, to misquote Murphy, will be caused by
insignificant failures.  

  The potential for failures due intentional intervention by person(s) unnamed
at the time of the beginning of the system will be trivialized, (can't happen-
a variant of the NIMBY synndrom ;-]),  yet any failure will be non trivial
to the people involved.  Further, if the idea that the failure is caused by
outside forces became part of the social meme, some large part of the public
might refuse to use the system.
>
>Before thinking about the possible effects of techno terrorism, I suggest 
>we consider the elements necessary in the design and implementation of
>automated systems to make them operate safely in obvious failure situations...

What's obvious to us now will be old hat tomorrow.  What is fiction to us
now will be reality tomorrow.  What we haven't thought of,  ah, there's the
rub.   -LV :=>

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