Final answer:
In addition to the Mars Climate Orbiter incident, two other metric/imperial conversion errors include the Air Canada ‘Gimli Glider’ mishap in 1983 and the morphine overdosage in 1993, both exemplifying the potential dangers of misinterpretation in unit conversions.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Mars Climate Orbiter is not the only case of metric/imperial conversion errors causing significant problems. An incident in 1983 involved an Air Canada Boeing 767, also known as the ‘Gimli Glider,’ which ran out of fuel mid-flight due to a misinterpretation of the metric system. Fueling personnel mistakenly loaded the aircraft with pounds of fuel instead of kilograms, resulting in insufficient fuel for the journey.
Similarly, a medication dosage error in 1993 occurred when a nurse administered 23 units of morphine to a patient instead of the prescribed “2–3” units due to the misreading of the prescription; fortunately, the patient survived. Both these mishaps exemplify the critical importance of attention to detail when dealing with unit conversions.