Wenever the topic of the value of a pilots life comes up, it always reminds me of Isaac Asimov's short story, "A Feeling OF Power". It's alway interesting to turn a value proposition upside-down.
http://www.themathlab.com/writings/short%20stories/feeling.htm
What about the computer in "The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress" which was trying to understand humor. One attempt was:
Why is a fish like a laser beam?
Neither on of them can whistle.
It was better at practical jokes, like adding some zeroes on the end of a janitor's paycheck.
One of the most overlooked advantages to computers is... If they do foul up, there's no law against whacking them around a little. -- Joe Martin
