Topic: Software Bugs

A LATAM Airlines Boeing 787 experienced a sudden mid-air drop, which was linked to a known technical issue requiring the flight control computers to be reset every 22 days to prevent a "memory leak" or system freeze. The hosts compare this critical aviation maintenance requirement to "rebooting a router" and criticize the modern state of coding.

Internal communications from Fox News stars like Tucker Carlson revealed skepticism toward election lawyers like Sidney Powell. However, the hosts point out that discovery documents also contain admissions from Dominion employees, including Eric Coomer, regarding "critical bugs" and technical failings in their voting systems. They suggest the media is focusing on Fox's internal politics to obscure these technical admissions.

The New York Stock Exchange trading halt is attributed to a failed software upgrade rather than a nefarious actor. The hosts discuss the inherent unreliability of complex software, citing examples from short-URL generators to autonomous vehicle systems. They criticize the media's use of the word "glitch" to mask systemic engineering failures.

The hosts examine the transition to the NextGen air traffic control system, which relies on ADS-B transponders and increased computerization. Curry argues that removing human decision-making from the cockpit in favor of automated systems is a dangerous mistake. He predicts that software glitches and the unintended consequences of technology will eventually lead to fatal aviation accidents as computers take over separation and navigation tasks.

An anecdote is shared regarding a fatal software bug in a computer-controlled CT scanner where using the delete key inadvertently added zeros to the radiation dosage. This resulted in a patient receiving a massive overdose due to poor interface programming. The hosts use this to illustrate the dangers of over-reliance on automated systems in critical infrastructure and aviation.

A software bug in the Apple iPhone caused alarms to fail globally on January 1st, 2011, with some devices not self-correcting until January 5th. Tech journalists are criticized for failing to perform a technical analysis of the clock synchronization error, instead relying on official corporate statements. The incident raises concerns about Apple's ability to perform silent over-the-air updates without user notification.

The episode concludes with a technical note regarding a bug in PHP 5.2 that causes pages to fail when a character string reaches exactly 33,333. The hosts link this to their recurring theme of "magic numbers" before signing off and announcing the next "early service" episode for Sunday.

The hosts discuss the dangers of software bugs in critical systems, citing a historical case where a faulty backspace key in a medical radiation machine caused lethal overdoses. Adam Curry shares his distrust of highly automated aircraft, noting he once saw a Eurocopter system boot into a Windows-based interface, which reduced his confidence in the vehicle's safety.