As the adage says, everyone makes mistakes. But we all know that some mistakes are worse than others. Today, we’ll be looking at some oopsies that a simple “sorry” won’t fix.
Engineers are well-compensated for a good reason. If they make miscalculations, the consequences can be deadly. In 1628, The Vasa (a huge sailing vessel) sank because there was too much weight in the upper structure of the hull. At least 30 people died.
In 1980, the walkway across the atrium of the Hyatt Regency in Kansas City, Missouri collapsed because the supporting rod connections weren’t strong enough to support everyone crossing. Scores were killed in this devastating accident, and hundreds of people were injured.
Not every tragedy resulted in loss of life. For example, the Tacoma Narrows Bridge collapse led to $501 million in damages, but modern bridges are safer because of the collapse.
The most recent error is also caused by a stunningly tiny error. Spain invested $2.7 billion in diesel-electric submarines, but because of a misplaced decimal point, the first submarine was 70 tons overweight.
If nothing else, this definitely shows us the importance of double-checking your work. Learn more about proofreading and its benefits here.