OneeveninginFebruary2007astudentnamedPaulaCeelybroughthercartoastoponaremoteroadinWales.Shegotouttoopenametalgatethatblockedherpath.That'swhensheheardthewhistlesoundedbythedriverofatrain.HerRenaultCliowasparkedacrossarailwayline.Secondslatershewatchedthetraindraghercaralmostakilometredowntherailwaytracks.
Ceely'snearmissmadethenewsbecausesheblameditonherGPS(导航仪).Shehadneverdriventheroutebefore.Itwasdarkandrainingheavily.CeelywasrelyingonherGPSbutitmadenomentionofthecrossing."Iputmycompletetrustinthedeviceanditledmerightintothepathofaspeedingtrain."shetoldtheBBC.
Whoistoblamehere?RickStevensonwhotellsCeely'sstoryinhisbookWhenMachinesFailUspointsthefingeratthelimitationsoftechnology.Weputourfaithindigitaldeviceshesaysbutourdigitalhelpersaretoooftennotuptothejob.Theyarefilledwithsmallproblems.Andit'snotjustGPSdevices:Stevensontakesusonatourofdigitaldisastersinvolvingeverythingfrommobilephonestowirelesskeyboards.
Theproblemwithhisargumentinthebookisthatit'snotclearwhyheonlyfocusesondigitaltechnologywhiletheremaybeanumberofotherpossiblecauses.Amap-makermighthaveleftthecrossingoffapapermap.MaybeweshouldblameCeelyfornotpayingattention.Perhapstherailwayauthoritiesareatfaultforpoorsignallingsystem.OrmaybesomeonehasstudiedtherelativedangersandworkedoutthattherereallyissomethingspecificwrongwiththeGPSequipment.ButStevensondoesn'tsay.
It'saproblemthatrunsthroughthebook.InasectiononcarsStevensongivesanaccountoftheadvancedtechniquesthatcriminalsusetodefeatcomputer-basedlockingsystemsforcars.Heofferstwoindependentsetsoffiguresoncartheft;bothshowasmallriseinsomepartsofthecountry.Hesaysthatonceagainnotallnewlockshaveprovedreliable.Perhapsbutmaybeit'salsoduetotheshortageofpolicemenonthestreets.Orchangingsocialcircumstances.Orsomecombinationofthesefactors.
Thegamebetweenhumansandtheirsmartdevicesisamusingandcomplex.Itisshapedbyeconomicsandpsychologyandthecultureswelivein.Somewhereinthemixofthoseforcestheremaybeawayforawiseruseoftechnol