Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1546933
N O L A N 'S N OT ES 6 SMT007 MAGAZINE I OCTOBER 2026 In 2009, I bought a new car from the dealer, something a bit unusual for me, as I've tended to pick up a desirable, durable used car rather than betting on the reliability and panache of the latest model. Of the 12 vehicles I've purchased, only four were brand new. But back then, I needed some- thing reliable to haul my family and all their stuff to meet the bus, get groceries, and go on the occa- sional weeklong camping trip. I finally settled on a Honda Odyssey. While pitching the add-on warranty programs, the sales manager warned me that "things could go wrong." How could I dispute his claim? I didn't have any data readily available to question him. Now, however, with my favorite AI tool, I've been able to fact-check that sales manager. How reliable was the Honda Odyssey? According to Honda and NASA: "A well-equipped 2009 Honda Odyssey had more electronic control units than the Space Shuttle had general-purpose flight computers, but not necessarily more proces- sors than the Shuttle's entire avionics system." The electronics in cars in 2009 were quite advanced, but they seem pretty primitive in 2026. Consider Tesla. Measured in trillions of operations per second (TOPS), Tesla's HW3 computer delivers about 144 TOPS. By comparison, the Space Shuttle carried five general-purpose computers. During critical phases of flight, four operated simultane- ously as a redundant set, while a fifth provided an independent backup. Even the upgraded Shuttle BY N O L A N J O H N S O N , I - C O N N ECT 0 07 Is Gearing Up Again Automotive