Error or Terror: Star Trek was right!

Want to solve today's IT problems? Turn on that old TV. Mr. Spock foretold the AWOL nukes' story reported in the March 14, 2017 New York Times.

Complexity promotes risk. Our massively interconnected defense webs, supply-chains and financial systems are more vulnerable than ever to a domino-style IT capability blackout that could imperil our national security and living standards. We are all more susceptible to error and terror. We used to be scared of the nuclear threat. It’s time to rethink our sense of security.

Kirk and Spock transport to Earth in 1968 to try to help a friend or foe (they couldn’t determine) avert a nuclear catastrophe in the "Assignment: Earth" episode. During the heat of the crisis, Spock said "Once the sky was full of orbiting H–Bombs, the slightest mistake could have brought one of them accidentally down and set off a nuclear holocaust.”

Kirk and Spock were successful in overcoming complexity. Will we be as fortunate?

Jon Bellman fixes broken IT projects and is the author of Escaping Delete -- A CEO in the Black Hole