هیولاها: فاجعهٔ هیندنبرگ و تولد فناوری پاتولوژیک

"Examines the perils of what the author calls pathological technologies, inventions whose sizeable risks are routinely minimized as a result of their almost mystical allure, "--Novelist. Abstract: Oh, the humanity!" Radio reporter Herbert Morrison's words on witnessing the destruction of the Hindenburg are etched in our collective memory. Yet, while the Hindenburg ,like the Titanic ,is a symbol of the technological hubris of a bygone era, we seem to have forgotten the lessons that can be learned from the infamous 1937 zeppelin disaster.Zeppelins were steerable balloons of highly flammable, explosive gas, but the sheer magic of seeing one of these behemoths afloat in the sky cast an irresistible spell over all those who saw them. In Monsters , Ed Regis explores the question of how a technology now so completely invalidated (and so fundamentally unsafe) ever managed to reach the high-risk level of development that it did. Through the story of the zeppelin's development, Regis examines the perils of what he calls pathological technologies",inventions whose sizeable risks are routinely minimized as a result of their almost mystical allure.Such foolishness is not limited to the industrial age: newer examples of pathological technologies include the US government's planned use of hydrogen bombs for large-scale geoengineering projects the phenomenally risky, expensive, and ultimately abandoned Superconducting Super Collider and the exotic interstellar propulsion systems proposed for DARPA's present-day 100 Year Starship project. In case after case, the romantic appeal of foolishly ambitious technologies has blinded us to their shortcomings, dangers, and costs.Both a history of technological folly and a powerful cautionary tale for future technologies and other grandiose schemes, Monsters is essential reading for experts and citizens hoping to see new technologies through clear eyes. Read more... Radio reporter Herbert Morrison's words on witnessing the destruction of the Hindenburg (Oh, the humanity!) are etched in our collective memory. Yet while we use the Hindenburg --like the Titanic --as shorthand for the technological hubris of a bygone era, we seem to have forgotten the lessons to be learned from the infamous 1937 zeppelin disaster. In Monsters: The Hindenburg Disaster and the Birth of Pathological Technology, Ed Regis claims that this is due to the fact that never before has there been a technological artifact so discredited as the zeppelin in the aftermath of the Hindenburg fire. In Monsters, Regis explores the question of how a technology now so completely invalidated (and so fundamentally unsafe) ever managed to reach such a high-risk level of development as it did. How does such a collective psychology of obsession emerge? Through the narrative of the invention and development of the zeppelin and its most infamous example, Regis will examine the perils of what he calls pathological technologies, technologies whose substantial risks are discounted or ignored under the influence of their emotional, almost mystical appeal. Zeppelins were unsteerable balloons of highly flammable gas, but the sheer magic of seeing a behemoth aircraft float lighter-than-air cast a spell over anyone who saw them. The Hindenburg, however, is not an isolated historical instance of pathological technologies--Regis brings this idea to the present by discussing more recent examples, including recombinant DNA technology, genetic engineering, nuclear energy, the Apollo 11 moon landings, and DARPA's 100-Year Starship program. These technologies may appear enticing, but like the Hindenburg, they could prove to be just as perilous. Monsters is thus a powerful cautionary tale for future technologies and other grandiose schemes "Oh, the humanity!" Radio reporter Herbert Morrison's words on witnessing the destruction of the Hindenburg are etched in our collective memory. Yet, while the Hindenburg — like the Titanic — is a symbol of the technological hubris of a bygone era, we seem to have forgotten the lessons that can be learned from the infamous 1937 zeppelin disaster. Zeppelins were steerable balloons of highly flammable, explosive gas, but the sheer magic of seeing one of these behemoths afloat in the sky cast an irresistible spell over all those who saw them. In Monsters , Ed Regis explores the question of how a technology now so completely invalidated (and so fundamentally unsafe) ever managed to reach the high-risk level of development that it did. Through the story of the zeppelin's development, Regis examines the perils of what he calls "pathological technologies" — inventions whose sizeable risks are routinely minimized as a result of their almost mystical allure. Such foolishness is not limited to the industrial age: newer examples of pathological technologies include the US government's planned use of hydrogen bombs for large-scale geoengineering projects; the phenomenally risky, expensive, and ultimately abandoned Superconducting Super Collider; and the exotic interstellar propulsion systems proposed for DARPA's present-day 100 Year Starship project. In case after case, the romantic appeal of foolishly ambitious technologies has blinded us to their shortcomings, dangers, and costs. Both a history of technological folly and a powerful cautionary tale for future technologies and other grandiose schemes, Monsters is essential reading for experts and citizens hoping to see new technologies through clear eyes. "Mass fatality disasters, both natural and man-made are increasing in frequency. Extreme environmental disruptions like hurricanes, wildfires, and flooding are on the rise and in the news almost daily. Mass casualty terrorism is sadly also becoming more commonplace. In spite of improvements in technology common carrier crashes continue to take place. The COVID-19 pandemic has shown us that 21st century medicine can be outmatched by a "novel" virus that does not respect national boundaries. The deaths that result from these events place a different set of needs and obligations on those charged with disaster victim identification or DVI. In the United States during the 1980s the National Funeral Directors Association noticed with concern that there was no national coordinating body with regard to mass fatality events and DVI. The NFDA was the first organization to draw up plans for the handling of mass fatality victims. From their initial efforts came the Federal agency DMORT (Disaster Mortuary Operational Response Team) and the concept of a disaster morgue, marking the beginning of DVI in the United States as it is known today. Disaster Victim Identification is the comprehensive process of human identification as applied to mass fatality events. Although by definition a mass fatality event is any situation that overwhelms local resources, we generally think of situations in which identification is hampered by the event itself and the process of recovery from the event. Human remains that have been badly traumatized, heavily decomposed, or recovered outside of their normal context are examples that would require DVI"-- Provided by publisher The Pathology Prologue: “Up Ship!” PART I. BEGINNINGS 1. The Man in the Sky 2. The Philosopher’s Stone of Flight 3. The Flying Bomb 4. The Delirium 5. Demystifying Gargantua 6. A Technological Anomaly 7. Death Rattle of a Leviathan 8. From Hubris to Horror in Thirty-Four Seconds PART II. PATHOLOGICAL TECHNOLOGY’S CHAMBER OF HORRORS 9. Progress Through H-Bombs 10. The Godzilla of Physics 11. Stardate 90305.55 PART III. ENDINGS 12. The Six Hindenburgs 13. The Pathology of Delirium Epilogue Acknowledgments Selected Sources Index