When technology fails

We have been reminded all too often in recent years that technology can go suddenly and terribly wrong. It happened in Bhopal, with the Challenger space shuttle, and in Chernobyl. Now it has happened again, over the Straits of Hormuz. Reaction to the first three of these accidents has followed the expected and logical path of inquiry, analysis, and subsequent modification of related technology and practice. The Bhopal tragedy triggered an intensive worldwide review of chemical industry practice. The Challenger disaster has brought a re-evaluation of practically every nut and bolt in the space shuttle system and a top-to-bottom review of space flight procedures. And with Chernobyl, the Soviets, after a false start, have been quite forthcoming about what went wrong and have apparently tightened up their operating procedures. One trusts that the same path will be followed in the wake of the shooting down of Iran Air Flight 655 by the U.S. warship Vincennes. ...