When Safety Systems Exist Only on Paper During the night of December 2–3, 1984, a runaway chemical reaction inside methyl isocyanate (MIC) storage Tank 610 at the Union Carbide India pesticide plant released a toxic cloud over Bhopal. The vapor moved beyond the plant and into nearby neighborhoods while people slept. The World Health Organization […]

When Warnings Are Not Enough On January 28, 1986, Space Shuttle Challenger lifted off from Kennedy Space Center. Just 73 seconds later, the shuttle broke apart, killing all seven crew members. The physical cause was a failed rubber seal, known as an O-ring, in the right solid rocket booster. But Challenger was more than an […]

When Familiar Problems Stop Looking Dangerous On February 1, 2003, Space Shuttle Columbia broke apart during reentry, killing all seven crew members. The physical cause began 16 days earlier, during launch, when insulating foam separated from the external tank and struck the leading edge of Columbia’s left wing. The foam created a breach near Reinforced […]