Keith Burgess-Jackson, J.D., Ph.D.

By now, you've heard about the uninvited "guests" at the White House. The director of the Secret Service says that the incident was caused by "human error." As opposed to what, a mechanical failure? We use the term "human error" by way of contrast; but here, there is no question of anything physical, mechanical, or technological going awry. So what's the point of describing it that way?