Tag: technology

We Survived the Weather Despite…

7/2017

On another topic, whew!! We survived.

Wife and I went on a road trip.  I had looked at the weather online before leaving, while on the road I just stuck my nose in the air every day.  By the 3d day, snow and ice hit, as expected.  It wasn’t much, but about 3 inches of snow fell just about the time we hit Salina, with little to no ice.  But it wasn’t until Topeka, on the way back after the worst had passed, that I fully understood the ramifications.

Just east of Topeka (100 miles later), was a KDOT text message board telling me to be careful because there was a Winter Weather Advisory out.  And to think I might have made it all the way back home without knowing that!  We are so lucky to live in a state that cares, seeing that they used Obama/our money to keep us safe.

Let’s be safe out there, don’t text and drive.

Your grumpy Uncle/brother Dave.

Weary

My, How Technology Has Improved

7/2017

When personal computers were just entering the home market, think Radio Shack/Tandy’s TR series home built computers in the early ’80s, I could beat the chess programs on a regular basis.  Now, chess programs can tell me what moves I am going to make before I touch a chess piece and what the ten best moves against me are.

Now, a human solves Rubik’s cube in 4.74 seconds, breaking the previous record. (1)  Yeah, well a robot did it in 0.637 seconds.

OK, see how technology (computers) are making our lives more productive.

Your old and grumpy Uncle/Brother Dave.

  1.  http://puzzles.wonderhowto.com/news/rubiks-cube-world-record-gets-shattered-4-74-seconds-0174841/

Weary.

Transportation Safety

7/2017

The April 14, 2014 issue of Time has a brief note about GM and faulty ignition switches.  CEO Mary Barra stated in a Congressional hearing, “We will hold ourselves fully accountable.”  This was about faulty ignition switches that “caused” 13 deaths.  With a great deal of imagination, I guess I could figure a way an ignition switch could cause death, but it would take some time.  No pun intended.

In 2010, GM sold (not made) 8,389,769 vehicles representing about a 12% increase from 2009. We will assume that sales continued to rise, but at a slightly more conservative rate (although there is evidence that the rate of sales increased during this time period).  Progression analysis at a rate of 10% per year yields 2013 sales at 8,643,986 vehicles.  Given 13 deaths out of 8,643,986 possible ignition switch failures, the rate of failure is 1.5 x 10 -6. That is 1 in 664,922 vehicles.

For those not remembering their high school algebra, that is a .0000015 % chance to have a failure of the ignition switch that would cause death.  Those are pretty fine tolerances to hold anyone accountable for, in any industry.  I never thought I’d be defending GM after their bailout fiasco, but daymnnn!

Sure am glad Congress is keeping a lid on transportation safety!

From your grumpy Uncle/Brother Dave.

Weary.