"Charles Angelich" wrote to "Mike Ross" (12 Feb 03  02:03:02)
 --- on the topic of "Columbia's 'computers'"

 CA> OK, so you're saying that I am basically correct I just picked
 CA> the wrong area of damage to be concerned about.

Yes, a trace may go on conducting for a long time after the circuit
components stopped behaving as they should. It's really a matter of how
sensitive the part is. For example, the stainless steel high pressure
cooling pipes in nuclear reactor cores eventually become brittle because
of the radiation exposure and have to be changed regularly or else.
Similarly an IC will have stopped working long before the package
crumbles to dust.

 CA> I thought so. ;-)

S'okay...

 Mike
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