Here's a case of "experts" overreaching a little:
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind.— Scientists at Purdue University and two other schools are developing detailed computer models intended to predict how people behave in the panic-filled hours after local officials issue hurricane evacuation orders.
The scientists at Purdue, Florida International University and Virginia Tech say they hope the models help public safety officials better plan for storm disasters by giving them insights into human behavior as hurricanes approach populated areas.
Did I say "a little"? Just because you can shove data into a computer and smoosh it all around, that doesn't mean you can find the answer to everything that way (Asimov's Cosmic AC notwithstanding). The idea that somebody can come up with a model of human behavior, especially behavior under stress, is pretty close to preposterous. You put 100 people in the aftermath of a hurricane, and you'll get 100 different reactions one time, 100 completely different the next time.
