Semiconductor chip yield superstition
Source: The Big Score: The Billion Dollar Story of Silicon Valley by Michael S. Malone

“This process only seems straightforward. In reality, the entire operation has about as much built-in voodoo and superstition as a major league baseball team. No one is even quite sure why “yield rates” (the percentage of good chips) are what they are. Thus, when they suddenly fall, there is general panic. When they rise, fab managers scurry about trying to find the magic key. Short of a scientif … ⌘ Read more