Stanislav Yevgrafovich Petrov
Have you heard of Stanislav Yevgrafovich Petrov? No? Me neither. But just over 25 years ago, he saved my life. And yours. And just about everyone else’s.
Worth noting, I think, is that he was not rewarded for saving the world from nuclear war, but was instead reprimanded for not filling out his log books. And a year later he was sent into early retirement.
Years later, in 1998, he was awarded with a cheque for $1000 and a “World Citizen Award”. He gave most of the money away, and spent the rest on a vacuum cleaner. Which was faulty. That is some cruel irony right there.
(via Charlie Stross via Making Light)
