Safe: the Race to Protect Ourselves in a Newly Dangerous World.

SAFE: The Race to Protect Ourselves in a Newly Dangerous World MARTHA BAER, KATRINA HERON, OLIVER MORTON, AND EVAN RATLIFF

The rapid pace of technological development over the past few decades has left many people confused about how things work. Computer code and the subtleties of satellite communication leave most people baffled. How such systems work together is even more perplexing. The authors note that until Sept. 11, 2001, most of us were happy to "leave our ignorance intact." But lack of technical knowledge is now a source of widespread fear, the authors claim. This book seeks to give readers a better sense of what technology is capable of. This is achieved through profiles of scientists, engineers, and academicians who find ways to avert danger through a variety of techniques. Readers meet people such as Tom O'Rourke, an engineer who spends his time thinking about how our greatest buildings, tunnels, bridges, and other structures could be destroyed. For instance, he says that the easiest way to disable the Holland Tunnel in New York would be destroy its ventilation system. The people inside would asphyxiate and the tunnel would be unusable for months. O'Rourke and his colleagues also look for ways to keep disasters from happening. Still other scientists are using data from the human genome project to protect us against bioweapons. Still others are developing systems that will prevent tampering with the millions of cargo containers that move unchecked through our ports. The authors do a commendable job of pulling together these different pursuits to illustrate how improving technology is making people safer. HC, 2005, 404 p., hardcover, $24.95.