system failures (engineering)

"What do you do with a failed product? Make it a best-selling toy! Fantastic Failures: From Flops to Fortune takes readers through the unexpected origins of popular products and innovations. With a focus on persistence and creative thinking, this hi-lo series makes the case that failure might just be the first step to success"--.

Discusses forty-four accidents or disasters caused by technologial defects or human inability to foresee the effects of technology. Emphasizes safety measures implemented after each disaster.

Discusses forty-four accidents or disasters caused by technologial defects or human inability to foresee the effects of technology. Emphasizes safety measures implemented after each disaster.

Chronicles over 40 of history's most devastating engineering failures, including the Exxon Valdez disaster to a nuclear meltdown at a secret governmetn facility, to the devastating effects of Hurricane Katrina. Uses state-of-the-art special effects to investigate not only what went wrong, but what can be learned from these disasters. The catastrophes recounted led to the creation of Superfund sites for the cleanup of toxic waste, improved safety standards for cars, planes, and ships; and new techniques for building roads, bridges, and buildings that will withstand nature's most destructive forces.

"Buying groceries, tracking our health, finding a date: whatever we want to do, odds are that we can now do it online. But few of us ask why all these digital products are designed the way they are. It's time we change that. Many of the services we rely on are full of oversights, biases, and downright ethical nightmares ... takes an unflinching look at the values, processes, and assumptions that lead to these and other problems."--Publisher.

Examines significant technological disasters from the twentieth century, caused by poor design, planning, testing, construction, or a combination of factors, sometimes coupled with human error.

Counts down the world's most memorable failures in transportation devices, discussing what was learned from each failure.

This title in the Scientific American mysteries of science series presents some spectacular engineering failures and what was learned in their aftermath.