2003-04-29

LITTLE STUFF

Think that little things aren't so important?  You might change your
mind after reading the following true stories.

In 1962, an Atlas-Agena rocket carrying the Mariner I satellite into
space was launched from Cape Canaveral.  After the rocket went off
course, ground controllers were forced to push the self-destruct button,
exploding the rocket.  A subsequent investigation revealed that the
cause of the problem was a minus sign that had been omitted from the
computer program.  The cost to taxpayers for the debacle was $18.5
million.

On September 18, 1977, the Tennessee Valley Authority's nuclear power
plant had to be shut down, remaining closed for 17 days.  It turned out
that a shoe had fallen into an atomic reactor, and the closing ran up a
cost of $2.8 million.

In 1993, Delta Airlines sought ways to become more cost-effective in the
highly competitive airline industry.  By simply eliminating the lettuce
leaf used as garnish under the vegetables on in-flight meals, the
company saved over $1.4 million annually in labor and food costs.

A table of nutritional food values published in 1870 stated that spinach
had ten times as much iron as other vegetables.  A decimal point had
been misplaced, however, and in actuality spinach contained about the
same amount of iron as the other listed veggies.  The misconception
still took hold in society, fostering the notion that spinach promotes
strength, and eventually giving us Popeye the Sailor as a symbol of that
idea.