Dead man's switchA dead man's switch is a switch that is designed to be activated or deactivated if the human operator becomes incapacitated, such as through abandonment, drowsiness, loss of consciousness, death, or being bodily removed from control. Originally applied to switches on a vehicle or machine, it has since come to be used to describe other intangible uses, as in computer software.
SwitchElectrical switches. Top, left to right: circuit breaker, mercury switch, wafer switch, DIP switch, surface mount switch, reed switch.
MachineA machine is a thermodynamic system that uses power to apply forces and control movement to perform an action. The term is commonly applied to artificial devices, such as those employing engines or motors, but also to natural biological macromolecules, such as molecular machines.
Fail-safeIn engineering, a fail-safe is a design feature or practice that, in the event of a failure of the design feature, inherently responds in a way that will cause minimal or no harm to other equipment, to the environment or to people. Unlike inherent safety to a particular hazard, a system being "fail-safe" does not mean that failure is naturally inconsequential, but rather that the system's design prevents or mitigates unsafe consequences of the system's failure.
EmergencyAn emergency is an urgent, unexpected, and usually dangerous situation that poses an immediate risk to health, life, property, or environment and requires immediate action. Most emergencies require urgent intervention to prevent a worsening of the situation, although in some situations, mitigation may not be possible and agencies may only be able to offer palliative care for the aftermath.
InjuryInjury is physiological damage to an organism. The response to injury, whether in humans, in other animals, in plants, in fungi, or in single-celled eukaryotes such as choanoflagellates, is substantially shared, implying that the mechanisms are ancient. Injuries can be caused in many ways, including mechanical trauma, toxins, interactions with other organisms, or abiotic factors in the environment.SafetySafety is the state of being protected from harm or other danger. Safety can also refer to the control of recognized hazards in order to achieve an acceptable level of risk. MeaningsEtymologyThe word 'safety' entered the English language in the 14th century. It is derived from Latin salvus, meaning uninjured, in good health, safe. via Middle English saufte, from Anglo-French salveté, saufté, from salf safe. DefinitionsThe term is used often and in a wide range of contexts.
Executive functionsCognitive processes necessary for control of behaviorIn cognitive science and neuropsychology, executive functions (collectively referred to as executive function and cognitive control) are a set of cognitive processes that support goal-directed behavior, by regulating thoughts and actions through cognitive control, selecting and successfully monitoring actions that facilitate the attainment of chosen objectives.
PanicPanic is a sudden sensation of fear, which is so strong as to dominate or prevent reason and logical thinking, replacing it with overwhelming feelings of anxiety, uncertainty and frantic agitation consistent with a fight-or-flight reaction. Panic may occur singularly in individuals or manifest suddenly in large groups as mass panic (closely related to herd behavior). EtymologyThe word "panic" derives from antiquity and is a tribute to the ancient god Pan.
PlasticPlastics are a wide range of synthetic or semisynthetic materials composed primarily of polymers. Their defining characteristic, plasticity, allows them to be molded, extruded, or pressed into a diverse range of solid forms. This adaptability, combined with a wide range of other properties such as low weight, durability, flexibility, chemical resistance, low toxicity, and low-cost production, has led to their widespread use around the world.
DeathDeath is the end of an organism's life. It is the irreversible cessation of biological functions that sustain a living organism. Death is inevitable for all living things, as nature's tendency to disorder will cause all living systems to degrade and fail through various causes. The identification of the moment of death presents certain difficulties. A person may experience clinical death that is reversible, resulting in some cases in a near-death experience.
GlassTransparent non-crystalline solid materialA glass building facadeGlass is an amorphous (non-crystalline) solid. Because it is often transparent and chemically inert, glass has found widespread practical, technological, and decorative use in window panes, tableware, and optics. Some common objects made of glass are named after the material, e.g., a "glass" for drinking, "glasses" for vision correction, and a "magnifying glass".
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