Jason Bay, a data scientist who tackled a puzzling glitch in Singapore's driverless train system, joins mathematician Hannah Fry for an engaging discussion. They delve into the chaos of the 2016 disruptions, exploring absurd theories and the complexities behind modern transportation. Bay’s team ingeniously used a 19th-century timetabling graph to uncover the hidden causes of the failures. Fry adds depth by sharing extraordinary human stories behind the data, emphasizing how even the most advanced systems can falter in unexpected ways.
The investigation of Singapore's driverless train glitches highlighted the critical role of data analysis in diagnosing complex system failures.
A historical approach with a 19th-century timetabling graph effectively uncovered the source of unexpected train disruptions, proving innovative solutions can emerge from past methodologies.
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The Mystery of Singapore's Erratic Metro System
In 2016, Singapore's driverless Circle Line faced unexplained train disruptions, frustrating thousands of commuters. Investigators struggled to identify the cause since the trains operated normally during inspections, leading to numerous wild theories. A breaking point came when one observer noticed a pattern in the disruptions, correlating them with the presence of a single faulty train carriage that emitted erratic signals. This observation ultimately revealed that the disruption's source was a train sending out erroneous signals, showcasing the importance of data analysis in understanding complex systems.
Singapore, 2016. A high-tech driverless train system starts glitching in wild and unpredictable ways. The train company, the government, even the military are at a loss: no-one can figure out what is causing the problem. Until Jason Bay and his team of data scientists assemble an old-fashioned timetabling graph, first developed in 19th century France, which exposes an invisible culprit.
Behind every line on a graph, there lies an extraordinary human story. And mathematician Hannah Fry is here to tell us ten of them.
Hannah Fry tells a tale of data detectives and very naughty trains.
Episode Producer: Ilan Goodman
Sound Design: Jon Nicholls
Story Editor: John Yorke
A series for Radio 4 by BBC Science in Cardiff.
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