Twenty five years ago today the world almost go the paint sucked off its collective house. Were it not for the inaction of Stanislav Yevgrafovich Petrov, we’d all have been given a permanent orange afro.
He had two options. Go with his instinct and dismiss the missiles as computer errors, breaking military protocol in the process or take responsive action and commence full-blown nuclear actions against America, potentially killing millions.
He decided it was a computer error, knowing deep down that if he was wrong, missiles would be raining down in Moscow in minutes.
Seconds turned to minutes, and as time passed it was clear Petrov was right, it was a computer error after all. Stanislav Petrov had prevented a worldwide nuclear war, a doomsday scenario that would have annihilated entire cities. He was a hero. Those around him congratulated him for his superb judgment.
So let’s hear it for saving the world by shirking your duty. Tonight we should all have a drink for Stanislav and blow off something important.