I'm an aerospace stress analyst. I doubt there is significantly more predictability in mechanical failures than there is in software failures. With physical par

I'm an aerospace stress analyst. I doubt there is significantly more predictability in mechanical failures than there is in software failures. With physical parts, there's theory, but it's still up to the human engineer to apply the theory and understand it correctly. In my field, a case study might be the de Havilland Comet, the first jetliner. Initial versions featured windows with sharp corners. The structure failed at those points because of stress singularities formed at sheet corners. Was the theory of stress concentration factors new? No. But trained engineers overlooked a design aspect that failed. They knew the science, but didn't know to implement it correctly. The exact type of oversight occurs in software engineering as well. (And now you know why all jetliners today have rounded windows.)