Creating a new system (this blog) that focuses on the study of systems: systemology. Let's create dialogue that cherishes bugs rather than ignores them.
Hi Kyle- Great first post, I’m looking forward to more! It just so happens you hit on an example very similar to my field of work (I am a mechanical engineer in aviation). I wasn’t familiar with Flight 811, so thank you for sharing. It made me think of Failure Modes and Effect Analysis (FMEA), an approach we use to mitigate (though to your point, not absolutely prevent!) the most unacceptable failures. In this case, the door designers would have to brainstorm all the ways the door could fail and the possible causes and effects. Of course, this process is only as good as the expertise of the folks executing it. If no one invites the electrical engineer, you will miss out on some major failure modes. And even if you do include them, many times, people can’t conceive of all the ways things can go wrong until they tragically do. And to your point, complex systems that are components within even larger, more complex systems will ALWAYS have interactions you’re not even aware of.
Hi Kyle- Great first post, I’m looking forward to more! It just so happens you hit on an example very similar to my field of work (I am a mechanical engineer in aviation). I wasn’t familiar with Flight 811, so thank you for sharing. It made me think of Failure Modes and Effect Analysis (FMEA), an approach we use to mitigate (though to your point, not absolutely prevent!) the most unacceptable failures. In this case, the door designers would have to brainstorm all the ways the door could fail and the possible causes and effects. Of course, this process is only as good as the expertise of the folks executing it. If no one invites the electrical engineer, you will miss out on some major failure modes. And even if you do include them, many times, people can’t conceive of all the ways things can go wrong until they tragically do. And to your point, complex systems that are components within even larger, more complex systems will ALWAYS have interactions you’re not even aware of.
An FMEA example for reference: https://www.isixsigma.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/FMEA-Round-1.gif
Thanks again!