Goodbye Floppy Disks

The US Federal Aviation Administration announced it is finally replacing floppy disks used for weather and other critical information at more than 400 air traffic control facilities across the country by the end of 2028. Floppy disks haven’t been made in volume since 2011, and the FAA buys spare parts for its decades-old Compaq computers on eBay. This is a good reminder of how much of our critical infrastructure runs on woefully outdated hardware and software. Sure, the old adage of “if it’s not broken, why fix it?” applies – but for electronic systems which age at an exponential rate, we are collectively taking a staggering long-term risk.