Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
a.
A fighter aircraft may fly at speeds that are so fast that peo
ple cannot respond in time to avoid or correct various con
ditions. (By the time a pilot decides to turn to avoid an
other aircraft or a missile, for example, a collision may
already have occurred.) Thus, much of the control of such
an airplane is often turned over to a computer, where the
response times can be quicker.
b.
In a hospital, sensors attached to a computer may be used
to monitor patients in a critical care ward. This allows con
stant review of a patient's vital signs, and it provides a
mechanism to alert medical personnel if a patient's condi
tion changes abruptly.
c.
Extending the application in b, the computer may be at
tached to devices that can administer drugs and that can
take other preventive or corrective measures. For example,
a drop in a patient's blood pressure might signal the need
to administer a drug intravenously.
4.
Because each of the applications in question 3 involves hard
ware and software built by humans, each has the possibility
of the computer system malfunctioning. In each case, describe
what might go wrong. Then consider who might be responsi
ble for the problem. (For example, who might be legally or
morally liable?)
5.
One policy that has been discussed for defending the United
States against a surprise attack involves the concept of
launchonwarning. Under this policy, sensors (radar, satel
lites, reconnaissance planes, and so on) constantly monitor
the skies for evidence of an enemy attack (presumably using
missiles and/or aircraft). When sensors determine that such
an attack has started, planes and missiles are launched imme
diately to retaliate.
Proponents of a launchonwarning policy point out that mis
siles can travel across the world in a very few minutes (per
haps 15 or 20 minutes). Thus, the United States has only a
short time to retaliate before an enemy attack could eliminate
much of the capability of the United States to respond.
Effective retaliation may be possible only if the response be
gins before the enemy missiles and/or planes reach their tar
gets. Times simply are too short to allow a lengthy review of
