Scientists of the RAS Institute of Machine Science named after A. Blagonravov together with their colleagues from other research institutions of this land have created world's unique micrometer sensor for installation in critical locations prone to emergencies to ward off catastrophes unparalleled in scale and aftermath. As shown by our recent past, in particular, there is no avoiding technogenic calamities either on land (Chernobyl catastrophe*, railway explosion near Ufa), or on sea (submarines sinking in the Barents Sea) or in space (launch pad accidents)**. To address the problem Russia has adopted the State Technogenic Catastrophe Preventive Research Program-STCPRP "Safety". According to the RAS Corresponding Member Nikolai Makhutov, its gist is as follows. People are delving deeper and deeper into natural environment, and technology is getting increasingly complex at a mind-boggling pace, thus creating a continuously growing yet inevitable gap between the potential hazards it creates and our capacity of avoiding them. That does not mean, however, that technogenic disasters are to be treated as the judgment of God. No doubt, there is no way to foresee anything under the sun and an absolute safety is practically unattainable. Still, we are to be prepared for all kinds of breakages, accidents, etc. With that purpose, even in the design phase machines and equipment should be applied most drastic requirements, and standard risks are to be put down in their normative technical documents. That should be a law to be abode by designers and engineers. Moreover, when potentially hazardous technology is manufactured, e.g., space-rocket or nuclear installations, it is not sufficient if the innovation just has high performance factor or low materials consumption. Developers must foresee even hypothetical accident probability and be prepared to eliminate or mitigate the risks***. Nowadays, due to scientific progress, the feasibility of urgently preventing emergency situa ... Читать далее