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Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!minow
From: minow@decvax.UUCP (Martin Minow)
Newsgroups: net.politics
Subject: Computers controlling defense systems
Message-ID: <296@decvax.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 27-Nov-83 20:20:54 EST
Article-I.D.: decvax.296
Posted: Sun Nov 27 20:20:54 1983
Date-Received: Mon, 28-Nov-83 01:39:51 EST
References: <4112@uiucdcs.UUCP>
Organization: DEC UNIX Engineering Group
Lines: 19

The comment "I'm developing a C compiler for an Air-Force computer
and wonder if the world will be destroyed by someone writing
	if (a = b)	instead of 	if (a == b)"
[this is a paraphrase] brings to mind Dan McCracken's comment
in the mid-60's regarding the Safeguard project.  Again, I paraphrase:

"Based on your knowledge of real-time control systems containing
hundreds of thousands of lines of code, would you trust one to
explode a hydrogen bomb 50 miles above your head?"

Now, Dan was referring to assembly code, but the point is still
valid.  (The Safeguard project would destroy incoming missles
by blasting them out of the sky by ground-launched missles.
They didn't know about the EMP phenonmenon back then.)

Martin Minow
decvax!minow