one evening in february 2007

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1、OneeveninginFebruary2007　　OneeveninginFebruary2007,astudentnamedPaulaCeelybroughthercartoastoponaremoteroadinWales.Shegotouttoopenametalgatethatblockedherpath.That’swhensheheardthewhistlesoundedbythedriverofatrain.HerRenaultCliowasparkedacrossarailwayline.Secondslater,shewatchedthetraindrag

2、hercaralmostakilometredowntherailwaytracks.　　Ceely’snearmissmadethenewsbecausesheblameditonherGPS(导航仪).Shehadneverdriventheroutebefore.Itwasdarkandrainingheavily.CeelywasrelyingonherGPS,butitmadenomentionofthecrossing.“Iputmycompletetrustinthedeviceanditledmerightintothepathofaspeedingtrain

3、.”shetoldtheBBC.　　Whoistoblamehere?RickStevenson,whotellsCeely’sstoryinhisbookWhenMachinesFailUs,pointsthefingeratthelimitationsoftechnology.Weputourfaithindigitaldevices,hesays,butourdigitalhelpersaretoooftennotuptothejob.Theyarefilledwithsmallproblems.Andit’snotjustGPSdevices:Stevensontak

4、esusonatourofdigitaldisastersinvolvingeverythingfrommobilephonestowirelesskeyboards.　　Theproblemwithhisargumentinthebookisthatit’snotclearwhyheonlyfocusesondigitaltechnology,whiletheremaybeanumberofotherpossiblecauses.Amap-makermighthaveleftthecrossingoffapapermap.MaybeweshouldblameCeelyfor

5、notpayingattention.Perhapstherailwayauthoritiesareatfaultforpoorsignallingsystem.OrmaybesomeonehasstudiedtherelativedangersandworkedoutthattherereallyissomethingspecificwrongwiththeGPSequipment.ButStevensondoesn’tsay.　　It’saproblemthatrunsthroughthebook.Inasectiononcars,Stevensongivesanacco

6、untoftheadvancedtechniquesthatcriminalsusetodefeatcomputer-basedlockingsystemsforcars.Heofferstwoindependentsetsoffiguresoncartheft;bothshowasmallriseinsomepartsofthecountry.Hesaysthatonceagainnotallnewlockshaveprovedreliable.Perhaps,butmaybeit’salsoduetotheshortageofpolicemenonthestreets.O

7、rchangingsocialcircumstances.Orsomecombinationofthesefactors.　　Thegamebetweenhumansandtheirsmartdevicesisamusingandcomplex.Itisshapedbyeconomicsandpsychologyandthecultureswelivein.Somewhereinthemixofthoseforcestheremaybeawayforawiseruseoftechnology.　　Ift