In 1993, the Federal Government mandated that wind shear detection and warning systems be installed on all aircraft by January 1, 1994. Yet a record seven hundred and ninety three people died in wind shear related airplane crashes in 1994. The FAA tried to explain away the wrecks by blaming faulty aircraft components. For example, a thirty-seven cent screw in a rudder actuator was blamed for the crash of a Boeing 737 near Pittsburgh on September 8th, 1994. As recounted in The Pattern, a handful of computer geeks knew the explanations were wrong, and that a video game that relied on...