<Columbia's 'Black Box' Looks Good.

"NASA Concerned About Effect of Extreme Heat on the Data Inside"

It occurs to me that the data inside that box might be a bit like Shroedinger’s cat. Undoubtedly it was “alive” once, it went into the box. But is it still alive? Will anyone ever know?

Could the very act of trying to determine if it is “alive” kill it? Could opening the box cause the tape to disintegrate? Mighten unwinding it cause it to fall apart? Or could efforts to read possibly wispy traces of electromagnetism destroy those traces?

If so, all the info is there, but not available. Then does it matter if it is there? (Might it have to wait until more viable technology comes along? Would the public let NASA wait?)

What if the cat decides to play with the tape, like a ball of yarn? Will that erase the data, or just make it a bit harder to assemble? Would Schroedinger be legally and financially responsible for what his damned cat does?

Boggles small minds.

Arf (they should put a dog in there, chase the cat out. But then he’d just chew up the tape. Not a good idea, I guess.)