Redundancy

I've been thinking about this topic for some time now. Most modern activities, particularly in architecture and engineering, have some form of redundancy to avoid  total system failure. A skyscraper will have lateral bracing in pairs, even if one set of bracing will be sufficient under most circumstances. There is also a redundancy made in the choice and size of materials. I observe two types of redundancy in design and construction--Redundnancy between systems and redundancy within a system. A building has to have two means of egress and each means of egress is sized to accommodate more than the full occupancy load that would have to be evacuated under adverse conditions. This is all a very good thing.

Ultimately, redundancy equals waste. A user who is paying for a service may object to having to pay for two things when only one is needed for most circumstances. The value of redundancy has been proven by history, but the future is not a perfect mirror of the past and we have grown accustomed to the high performance of technological systems even when the costs of those systems is declining in real terms.

I am a strong advocate of redundancy, particularly when it involves simple things. I own more than one screwdriver. I only own one car, however. But by participating in a global, capitalist economy I can proceed through life with the relatively secure knowledge that I can replace my car fairly quickly.