Ethics in Complex Systems Explained

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Correction history

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1. 28 July 2026 · corrected by Emir Baycan

   Corrected two attribution/framing issues: flagged the widely repeated 'we cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them' quotation as attributed to Einstein but without a verified source in his actual writings; and reframed Perrow's Normal Accidents (1984) findings as based on detailed case studies of major industrial accidents (nuclear, chemical, aviation, maritime) rather than a systematic '100 years of industrial accident data' analysis. The Bail et al. (2018, PNAS) Twitter polarization study and the Marc Edwards Flint water-testing data (277 homes, 40% above the 15-ppb EPA action level) were verified accurate and left in place.

   Before

   The article attributed a widely repeated quotation directly to Einstein and characterized Perrow's Normal Accidents as an examination of 100 years of systematic accident data.

   After

   Flagged the quotation's uncertain attribution and reframed Perrow's work as case-study-based rather than a formal 100-year dataset analysis.

   Why: The quotation lacks a verified primary source despite common attribution, and Perrow's book is case-study analysis rather than a large historical dataset study. Corrections add the appropriate caveats rather than adding new sources.

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Full contribution timeline

1. Correction 28 July 2026

   Emir Baycan: Corrected two attribution/framing issues: flagged the widely repeated 'we cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them' quotation as attributed to Einstein but without a verified source in his actual writings; and reframed Perrow's Normal Accidents (1984) findings as based on detailed case studies of major industrial accidents (nuclear, chemical, aviation, maritime) rather than a systematic '100 years of industrial accident data' analysis. The Bail et al. (2018, PNAS) Twitter polarization study and the Marc Edwards Flint water-testing data (277 homes, 40% above the 15-ppb EPA action level) were verified accurate and left in place.

   Proof record →