On September the 12th 2008 a Metrolink commuter train did not stop at a red light and crashed into a freight train in Chatsworth California. Twentyfive people including the train engineer (who was driving the commuter train) were killed and it was deemed the worst train accident of the decade in the USA. It is a very interesting case … Continue reading
The role of private communication in accidents
The two accidents we analysed in the other sections (Metrolink accident at Chastworth and theHudson river midair collision) have in common the fact that one of the people responsible for the security of the passengers was engaged in a private communication at the time of the crash. In the first case the train driver was texting, … Continue reading
The role of cultural representations in the diffusion of innovation
In the 1980’s a wave of research in cognitive science examined the role of preconceptions, in the form of naive theories and mental models, in shaping our understanding of the world (Gentner & Stevens, 1983, McClosky 1983, ). Research on naïve physics, on folk theories of psychology, on mental models , convincingly showed that people … Continue reading
Gerer son attention: un enjeu pour l’ecole
Being a refugee
Sam is 25 and arrived in Switzerland 5 years ago from the Middle East. How he came to Switzerland precisely is still not clear to him, he wanted to go to Germany where there is a big community from his area and he had a few cousins working there, but something went wrong with the visas. … Continue reading
Across generations
Donatella is 26 and has a new job as a junior accountant. She lives with her parents because the job doesn’t pay enough to rent a flat, but she doesn’t mind because it allows her to live very close to her grandfather whom she adores. He is a very active man in his eighties who … Continue reading
A bus driver
There are more and more rules being set to limit the use of cell phones by drivers of public transport. This video spurred Metro an american transport company to introduce a one strike rule (if seen using a cell phone once immediate dismissal will ensue). The case below shows that communication between drivers has a long history … Continue reading
Calling from the factory floor
Greg is bulgarian and has been living in Manchester for 3 years, he followed his older brothers and a sister who had moved to the UK in the late nineties. He recently moved into a flat with his girlfriend who also comes from Bulgaria. They are both in their early twenties, very much in love and … Continue reading
Continuous contact
“Ron talks with his wife 12 times a day” Ron is in his late thirties, and recently had a baby with his second wife. He also has a teenage son from his previous marriage. He is the sole employee of a shop and has quite a lot of empty moments in his day waiting … Continue reading
The schoolteacher
“Marisa is a school teacher in Italy, her students are 12 years old and all have mobile phones.” Marisa is a school teacher in Italy, her students are 12 years old and all have mobile phones. Recently all the teachers of the school had a meeting to discuss what to do with the continuous … Continue reading
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