The worst technological failures of 2023
Posted: Thu Dec 12, 2024 9:46 am
Innovations don't always work for the good. Hasty decisions can lead to unpleasant consequences — and even tragedies, as was the case with the Titanic bathyscaphe, which exploded during the expedition to the Titanic. Here are six of the most failed technologies of the year, according to MIT Technology Review.
Private submarine Titan
This summer, we were glued to our news feeds as the drama Bulk SMS Malaysia unfolded at a depth of 3,500 meters. An experimental submarine with five people on board disappeared after descending to view the wreckage of the Titanic.
Titan is a radical design for a deep-sea vehicle: a carbon-plastic tube the size of a minivan, controlled by a regular gamepad, which, according to aerospace engineer Stockton Rush, was supposed to open up the depths to a new kind of tourism. He was warned that the vessel would not withstand the pressure of 400 atmospheres, to which he replied. "General MacArthur used to say: 'You will be remembered by the rules you break.'" But breaking the rules and laws of physics was not possible. On June 22, four days after losing contact with the Titan, a deep-sea robot discovered the remains of the submarine. Most likely, it had been destroyed by a catastrophic explosion.
Meat grown in a laboratory.
Instead of killing animals for food, why not grow beef or chicken in a lab? It would seem very humane.
Private submarine Titan
This summer, we were glued to our news feeds as the drama Bulk SMS Malaysia unfolded at a depth of 3,500 meters. An experimental submarine with five people on board disappeared after descending to view the wreckage of the Titanic.
Titan is a radical design for a deep-sea vehicle: a carbon-plastic tube the size of a minivan, controlled by a regular gamepad, which, according to aerospace engineer Stockton Rush, was supposed to open up the depths to a new kind of tourism. He was warned that the vessel would not withstand the pressure of 400 atmospheres, to which he replied. "General MacArthur used to say: 'You will be remembered by the rules you break.'" But breaking the rules and laws of physics was not possible. On June 22, four days after losing contact with the Titan, a deep-sea robot discovered the remains of the submarine. Most likely, it had been destroyed by a catastrophic explosion.
Meat grown in a laboratory.
Instead of killing animals for food, why not grow beef or chicken in a lab? It would seem very humane.