A couple weeks ago at Buffalo Open Coffee Club we got into a great conversation about systems, how they fail, and experts (or less than experts) that were involved. As I am currently reading Inviting Disaster this subject was already on my mind and I had some links to share.
This interview with Denny Fitch is one of the most riveting stories I have ever heard. Watch part one and then tell me that you didn't have to watch the rest of them. This relates to our discussion on two fronts; First, Denny is an expert pilot and knows every detail about his aircraft. Second, he gives an exceptionally detailed description of how he dealt with a situation thought to be so unlikely that the manufacturer never came up with a contingency plan.
Once you watch this talk by Dave Thomas you will forever view the people working around you with his scale of expertise. Working in a group with common knowledge of this material allows you to interact with people and teams much more effectively.
While it is a bit of a tangent this talk by Jeff Hawkins was referenced as well.