The Boeing 737 Max 8 Grounding – Has Technology Gone too Far?

Boeing 737 Max 8

Is automated safety going too far? Apparently, there was a screw-like device found in the wreckage in Ethiopia that has provided investigators with an early clue into what happened. This jackscrew was used to set the trim that raises and lowers the plane’s nose. It indicates the jet was configured to dive. This evidence persuaded U.S. regulators to ground the model. There are a lot of added features that pilots were not fully aware of.

Even in our cars, there are features they do not tell you about. I have a Porsche. I pulled into my driveway and shut off the car but the stick was not completely in the park position. When I came out the next day, the battery was dead. My neighbor found the same thing happens when he travels. He has to keep his car plugged in because even when these newer cars are turned off, they are not completely off. It is still running programs and reporting back to a central computer. This is like Windows, which constantly wants to update so it can extract all your searching. Why does a car need to always be in touch with the manufacturer to the point that you cannot go on a trip and come back a couple of weeks later without discovering your battery is dead? Do we have to pop the hood and disconnect the battery before we take a trip?

Technology has advanced, but it is now being abused.