Comments on: This is your brain on satnavs

By: TommyJay

TommyJay — Thu, 23 Mar 2017 22:37:30 +0000

I echo “great commenters!” Paul notes that central Boston streets were, in fact, cow paths 200+ years ago. And Aesop picked up that fabulous Asimov story, “The Feeling of Power.”

I just saw the latest installment of the TV documentary “Air Disasters” which details the Asiana Boeing 777 crash at SFO several years ago. The pilot had gone overspeed in his approach and had pulled the throttles back to idle, knowing that the auto-throttle computer would re-apply power as needed, as it had done in his simulator training. Only it didn’t, and the plane crashed at the foot of the runway killing 3 and injuring 187.

The NTSB report had multiple conflicting conclusions, but the key one was that the auto-pilot/auto-throttle has such an intricate system of operational logic, that few pilots could know what its state is without carefully studying the screens. Do we have a word yet for bad computer/human interface design?

By: Gringo

Gringo — Wed, 22 Mar 2017 18:09:51 +0000

That was kind of like the Kingston Trio song about the M.T.A., and his fate is still unknown.

🙂 Affirming why I approach driving in Boston with the trepidation of a gazelle peeking into a lions’ den.

By: Oldflyer

Oldflyer — Wed, 22 Mar 2017 16:29:56 +0000

Ken Mitchell, GPS came into airplanes rather late in my career. I loved the displays; you could really grasp geographical awareness at a glance. On the other hand, your comment is also germane. I have flown across the country with pilot’s who never unfolded a map; and really didn’t monitor the display very much. The technology took care of everything–unless it failed.
Back to my original statement; wonderful tools if used properly–but, traps waiting to be sprung if not.

As others have said; I love maps. I cannot read a book set in an unfamiliar locale, without an atlas at hand.

By: OldTexan

OldTexan — Wed, 22 Mar 2017 16:10:35 +0000

One of the comments above reminded me that when I used to drive West out of Boston, around the Charles River I would make some kind of funny turn and end up in a college parking lot. I think it was Harvard.

On the East side a wrong turn in 1966-67 would put me on the bridge, paying a toll, and I would end up at the Logan Airport where I didn’t want to be and after the third time over the bridge I found the correct street and turn. That was kind of like the Kingston Trio song about the M.T.A., and his fate is still unknown.

By: Nick

Nick — Wed, 22 Mar 2017 14:59:19 +0000

I was on vacation recently in a couple of towns I’d never visited before. The first one I got around by map. I rented a car and drove to the second one using GPS, and used the car around town. If you dropped me anywhere in the first town I could find my way around. I learned nothing about the layout of the second one.

By: Sue O

Sue O — Wed, 22 Mar 2017 07:25:31 +0000

And Neo, you attract the best commenters! Always have. 😎

By: Sue O

Sue O — Wed, 22 Mar 2017 07:18:40 +0000

When I was working in our nearest large city and driving to different sites every day, I used my faithful Thomas guide which rarely let me down. I also learned how to get around the city without needing the maps. Ever since I have been using a GPS (and often being led astray) I have said that GPS makes you stupid. Now I have that suspicion confirmed by science. Thank you.

By: Irene

Irene — Wed, 22 Mar 2017 03:56:07 +0000

I love maps! You can learn so much while planning your trip. When we moved to LA, I spent the entire flight “learning” central LA using a fold-up map. After landing at LAX and renting a car, it was so much fun zipping up and down and east and west getting to know the “real” streets and blvds.

Having used Satnav twice (once in France and once here in the U.S.), I don’t think they’d ever ask me to be their spokeswoman. 😉

And I get super annoyed with my family when they use Satnav just driving around the city we all grew up in. What????? And no, it didn’t save us from detours or rush hour traffic and once it sent us the wrong way altogether. I told my sister she was nuts.

By: AesopFan

AesopFan — Wed, 22 Mar 2017 03:34:58 +0000

Griffin Says:
March 21st, 2017 at 3:40 pm…

We are rapidly approaching a time when young adults are going to be unable to do anything without technological help.
* * *
THE FEELING OF POWER
by Isaac Asimov
Worlds of Science Fiction, February 1958

http://themathlab.com/writings/short%20stories/feeling.htm

By: Tim Turner

Tim Turner — Wed, 22 Mar 2017 02:09:48 +0000

I used to work in the automotive division of Garmin, so it’s great to read everybody’s comments.

You always have to be careful of technology. One couple drove their car into a pond, because the GPS told them it was a road. There was also a soldier, whose life we saved, because his GPS took a bullet for him.

Always been pretty happy with my GPS, but I only use it on long trips. I also like to have a paper map, just in case.