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November 9, 2009

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Letter: Elaborate machines have their perils

Monday, Feb. 21, 2000 | 8:42 a.m.

Anyone who has a computer, modern automobile, airplane, stereo system or any other electro-mechanical contrivance can tell you that my motto is true: "If you can't take it apart, sooner or later it will fall apart." Nothing we buy will last as it once did. Alongside the road, we see cars that "woke up" and decided that "right now I refuse to work any longer." Integrated parts are "free agents" and entirely independent of each other, though some "choose" to fall in sequence.

Unfortunately for an airplane, when the damn thing breaks, one cannot just simply "pull over" to look to see what the problem is. In most cases, the one who drives the airplane is not the one who repairs the airplane. Up in the air, when something mechanical stops, gravity takes over. Gravity, not being electro-mechanical, has no breakdowns.

The moral of this story: Anything mechanical upon which we depend is liable to fail. Unfortunately when "random probability" rears its ugly head, you will likely be inside of the contraption or very dependent on its intended capability to adequately serve your needs.

CHARLIE MICHAEL

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