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1、CourageUnderFireByDAVIDVONDREHLEThursday,Jun.21,2007ByDAVIDVONDREHLEFMLINFMLAveteranNewYorkfireinvestigatorwasaskedafewyearsagotoapply21stcenturyforensicsciencetothegrimfactsofthe1911TriangleShirtwaistfire,inwhich146youngworkersdiedinManhattan.Ultimately,hefoundtheinfernobaffling.
2、Itjustshouldn'thavebeensodeadly.Itshouldn'thavebeen,butitwas.Sciencethrivesonorder:tidylaboratoriesandplentyofgraphpaper.Catastrophedwellsinchaos.Nomatterhowmuchwelearn,scientifically,aboutthebehaviorofflamesorthecriminalmindorthedynamicsofwar,chaosstillhasitsdominion.Wefillthegap
3、betweenscienceandchaos,betweentheknownrisksandtheunknowabledangers,withbravery.AmongthefirefighterswhochargedintoaburningfurniturestoreinCharleston,S.C.,onJune18wereveteranswithdecadesofknowledge.Theysizedupthevisibleevidenceandconcludedtheycouldrescuetrappedemployeesandbeatdownth
4、eblaze.Thenchaoseruptedwithaflashand,asawitnessputit,a"tornadoofflames."Ninemenperishedwhentherooffellintotheinferno.Science,technologyandexperiencehavedrainedalotofriskfromourlives.Deathbyfire,forinstance,wasacommonplaceacenturyago,whenstormsofflamesometimesconsumedwholeneighborh
5、oodsinasinglenight.Buildingcodes,safeelectricityandmodernfirefightinghavesavedcountlesslives.Todayfireenginesrollalongsideambulancestoeverydaymedicalemergencies,justtokeepthecrewssharpfortheraremajorblaze.Yetthelessonsofyesterdaycanneverentirelyanswerthecrisesoftomorrow.Anarmyof9/
6、11heroessurgedforwarddespiteknowingnexttonothingabouttheeffectsofburningjetfuelonskyscrapers.Maybetherewillcomeaday,asyetfaroff,whenourskillsandscienceovermasterchaosandthelastsurpriseflashoverconsumesitslastunluckyvictim.Untilthen,wewillhaveneedforthosewillingtoplacethemselvesint
7、hegapbetweenknowledgeandperil:thefirefighterattheblaze,thepoliceofficerinpursuit,thesoldierapproachinganambush,thefishermannearingagale.Thoughtheirperceptionmayproveimperfect,theircourageisneverobsolete.
