Editing Software Engineering (Fall 2025) (section)

=== October 7 (Tuesday) Learning from Failures and Fiascos Part 1  ===

Please be aware that these cases involve some visceral description, human tragedy, and loss of life. Although this material is disturbing, I include it because these are at times the stakes of failure in software engineering as well: our work touches on every part of life, including transportation, health, and safety systems. 

'''Before Class'''
* Read Reading Note #3
* Watch my mini-lecture on Learning From Failure (Part 1)
* Prepare Case Material
** The Oregon Whale Incident: Read article and watch 4m video: https://www.registerguard.com/story/lifestyle/2024/11/11/exploding-whale-day-florence-oregon-coast/76092539007/
** Tacoma Narrows Bridge: 
*** Watch documentary footage: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Tacoma_Narrows_Bridge_destruction.ogv
*** Read article and watch 5m video about the event: https://www.cascadepbs.org/2019/08/how-washingtons-most-infamous-bridge-failure-helped-engineers-prevent-more 
** Hyatt Regency walkway collapse
*** Listen to: https://timharford.com/2022/03/cautionary-tales-death-on-the-dance-floor/ [47m]
*** Wikipedia article about the collapse: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyatt_Regency_walkway_collapse -- note the 'Investigation' section and accompanying diagram 
** Read excerpts from ''Success Through Failure'' and ''To Engineer is Human'' both by Henry Petroski.

'''Class Goals:'''
* Discuss Reading Note 3
* Standup
* Hands-on / triage issues with Task 2

'''Optional Reading:'''
* ''If you'd like to read about Brooks' idea of the roles in a software development team'', read Chapter 3 of The Mythical Man Month; we won't cover this in class.
* ''If you'd like to read about Brooks' idea of developing a coherency in operating system architecture'', read Chapter 4 of The Mythical Man Month; we won't cover this in class.
* ''If you are curious about the Tacoma Narrows Bridge Collapse'', you might enjoy [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tacoma_Narrows_Bridge_(1940) the Wikipedia article]
* ''If you can't get enough of the exploding whale incident,'' it also has a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exploding_whale Wikipedia article]