Explore the history of human errors and their impact on software engineering in this 34-minute Ruby Central conference talk. Delve into various historical blunders, from clay tablets to modern software failures, and discover how each mistake has contributed to our learning and progress. Examine common points of failure, particularly the human element, and gain insights into how storytelling, compromise, and teamwork shape the software development process. Analyze notable case studies, including Vaasa, Revlon, and Citibank, to understand failure chains and their consequences. Reflect on the role of mistakes in defining our stories and driving innovation in the field of software engineering.