Some interesting perspective on the Japanese earthquake

[reynardo]

from an English Speaker in Tokyo.

Patrick wrote a lot. I'll only quote one part, and leave you to read the rest:

The overwhelming response of Japanese engineering to the challenge posed by an earthquake larger than any in the last century was to function exactly as designed. Millions of people are alive right now because the system worked and the system worked and the system worked.

Comments

[nefaria.livejournal.com]

Wish I could say the same about the American engineering of the nuclear reactors. Going into meltdown when the power gets cut off is not an acceptable engineering solution in earthquake-prone regions. :(

[trixtah.livejournal.com]

Of course, that leaves rather moot the entire question of how wise it is to build reactors on top of earthquake-prone regions. I for one am glad that the right-wing idiots in NZ never got traction to do that. Engineering can't solve everything, alas.