History Main / WithinParameters

* One quirk of the UsefulNotes/{{NASA}} space shuttle's unique launch profile was that during ascent, chunks of foam insulation would sometimes break off the tank or the solid rocket boosters and fall onto the orbiter's heatshield at Mach speeds. While this was obviously not ideal, as flight after flight returned from orbit without any major damage, NASA gradually became desensitized to the problem, even after a foam strike during [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/STS-27 STS-27]] nearly doomed the shuttle ''Atlantis'' in 1988. Sadly, they waited too long to fix the problem, and in 2003 the shuttle ''Columbia'' -- returning from orbit after sustaining a foam strike during ascent -- [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Shuttle_Columbia_disaster disintegrated during re-entry]], killing all seven astronauts on board.

* An episode of ''Series/StargateAtlantis'' ("The Return") has a test which has a strange reading, but it really ''doesn't'' affect the test. It heralds something far more important. Which was probably to subvert audience expectations after an earlier episode featured readings "within parameters" that eventually [[EarthShatteringKaboom blew up a solar system]]. Which was [[OnceDoneNeverForgotten brought up several times later]], much to Dr. [=McKay's=] ongoing chagrin.

* Justified in an episode of ''Series/StargateSG1'': Sam notices that the power level of a force shield surrounding the town they are in (protecting it from the poisonous wasteland outside) is dropping. The other scientist present insists it is nothing. [[spoiler:He is being brainwashed by the computer.]]

* In ''WesternAnimation/BigHero6'', while conducting the test of the [[spoiler:teleporter]], one of the technicians notes that some readings are off, but his superior brushes it off after checking on it and declaring it withing acceptable parameters - likely due to the fact that the military is watching the experiment. [[spoiler:The teleporter ends up sucking in the test pilot and stranding her in an AcidTripDimension.]]

* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GpCU76kIRY In this]] ApocalypticLog on on Website/YouTube, [[PropheticNames Petty Officer John Deadman]] (Alasdair Beckett-King) records that "readings are all still within acceptable parameters" on [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast Project Hubris]], even after the captain has eaten his own face. [[{{Parody}} Viewers may guess that John isn't going to make it home to his wife and/or kids.]]

* In [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GpCU76kIRY this]] Apocalyptic Log, [[PropheticNames Petty Officer John Deadman]] (Alasdair Beckett-King) records that "readings are all still within acceptable parameters" on [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast Project Hubris]], even after the captain has eaten his own face. [[{{Parody}} Viewers may guess that John isn't going to make it home to his wife and/or kids.]]

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** Almost this exact phrase is uttered in the opening scenes of ''VideoGame/HalfLife1''; soon afterwards some [[AliensAndMonsters rather unpleasant creatures]] make their debut.

* In ''Film/StarTrekFirstContact'', when the Phoenix is about to launch, a red light is on, which Zephram attempts to fix by the age old "hit it hard" method. When it stays lit he says "Ignore it". It turns out not to be an issue, and the flight is successful.

* In ''Disney/BigHero6'', while conducting the test of the [[spoiler:teleporter]], one of the technicians notes that some readings are off, but his superior brushes it off after checking on it and declaring it withing acceptable parameters - likely due to the fact that the military is watching the experiment. [[spoiler:The teleporter ends up sucking in the test pilot and stranding her in an AcidTripDimension.]]

* An episode of ''Series/StargateAtlantis'' ("The Return") has a test which has a strange reading, but it really ''doesn't'' affect the test. It heralds something far more important. Which was probably to subvert audience expectations after an earlier episode featured readings "within parameters" that eventually [[EarthShatteringKaboom blew up a solar system]]. Which was brought up several times later in-universe, much to Dr. [=McKay's=] [[NeverLiveItDown ongoing chagrin]].

->'''Dr. Selvig''': My calculations are far from complete. And [the Tesseract’s] throwing off interference radiation. Nothing harmful—low levels of gamma radiation.
->'''Nick Fury''': That can be harmful.

* In the InteractiveFiction game ''VideoGame/{{Trinity}}'', you have to sabotage the eponymous atomic bomb test in a way that will be written off as WithinParameters.

* At least two BP plant explosions (Texas City and the Macondo/Gulf well blowout) had this as a major feature -- the readings ''seemed'' to be within normal limits, but actual conditions were far, far more dangerous -- and combined with multiple FailsafeFailure, the result each time was literally explosive.

* In the book ''Literature/TheThorConspiracy'', a single signal is wrong on the test boards for a nuclear test launch being held in the South Pacific. The error causes the missile to go off inside the ozone layer, catching it on fire. Not a perfect version of the trope -- the signal on the board was ''green'' at the time of launch, but had been red earlier, and they refused to let the technician who had noted it then halt the launch countdown for a systems test.

* In ''Disney/BigHero6'', while conducting the test of [[spoiler:teleporter]], one of the technicians notes that some readings are off, but his superior brushes it off after checking on it and declaring it withing acceptable parameters - likely due to the fact that military is watching the experiment. [[spoiler:The teleporter ends up sucking in the test pilot and stranding her in an AcidTripDimension.]]

[[AC:{{Film}}]]
* In ''Film/SpiderMan3'', the scientists running an experiment involving a particle accelerator and sand notice that the weight of the sand is greater than expected. They write it off as a bird that will fly away once the experiment starts. The "bird" is actually Flint Marko, about to be turned into The Sandman. One wonders what 200-pound bird the scientists were thinking of.

[[AC:{{Literature}}]]
* In the book ''TheThorConspiracy'', a single signal is wrong on the test boards for a nuclear test launch being held in the South Pacific. The error causes the missile to go off inside the ozone layer, catching it on fire. Not a perfect version of the trope - the signal on the board was ''green'' at the time of launch, but had been red earlier, and they refused to let the technician who had noted it then halt the launch countdown for a systems test.

[[AC:{{Live-Action TV}}]]
* Justified in an episode of ''Series/StargateSG1'': Sam noticed that the power level of a force shield surrounding the town they were in (protecting it from the poisonous wasteland outside) was dropping. The other scientist present insisted it was nothing. [[spoiler: He was being brainwashed by the computer.]]

[[AC:{{Video Games}}]]
* Almost this exact phrase is uttered in the opening scenes of ''VideoGame/{{Half-Life|1}}''; soon afterwards some [[AliensAndMonsters rather unpleasant creatures]] make their debut.
-->"Uh, it's probably not a problem, probably, but I'm showing a small discrepancy in... well, no, it's well within acceptable bounds again. Sustaining sequence."
** It's subverted in ''VideoGame/{{Half-Life 2}}'': Episode Two, when the project appears to work without a hitch despite the "eight and a half pound anomaly". Of course, the anomaly in question is [[spoiler:Dr. Kleiner's pet, Lamarr]], setting up a nice ChekhovsGun for future installments, on the rare chance Valve [[ScheduleSlip remembers Half-Life exists and releases Episode 3.]]

[[AC:{{Real Life}}]]
* TruthInTelevision. The inherent variability of the human body can mean that, in the results of medical testing, a slightly off-average result can still mean that a disorder is present. Because it usually means absolutely nothing, and responding to it generally does nothing but waste time and money (and sometimes hurts the patient as a side-effect of unnecessary tests), doctors have learned to ignore these anomalies--which works fine, except when there really is a big problem to worry about.
* Scientists know that the results of their experiments have a lot of variability, and have to train themselves to ignore what seem to be patterns but aren't--which means that, occasionally, they miss a pattern that really exists.
* The Chernobyl nuclear disaster happened as a result of this - the inexperienced in comparison control room crew had no idea of what was actually going on in the reactor, relying on instrumentation that claimed the water level and the power level was fine. The only problem was the readings were absolutely wrong, and correcting for them only worsened the problem - and by the time the instruments caught up to reflect the problem (loss of water coolant), the situation was absolutely irreversible. A second and even more tragic form also happened at Chernobyl: radiation monitoring systems such as dosimeters were overwhelmed by the amount of radiation, either malfunctioning or showing top normal readings - the ''end of their range,'' which convinced people they were safe on site as opposed to ''being lethally irradiated.''
* At least two BP plant explosions (Texas City and the Macondo/Gulf well blowout) had this as a major feature - the readings ''seemed'' to be within normal limits, but actual conditions were far, far more dangerous - and combined with multiple FailsafeFailure, the result each time was literally explosive.

[[AC:{{Live-Action TV}}]]
* An episode of ''Series/StargateAtlantis'' ("The Return") has a test which has a strange reading, but it really ''doesn't'' affect the test. It heralds something far more important. Which was probably to subvert audience expectations after an earlier episode featured readings "within parameters" that eventually [[EarthShatteringKaboom blew up a solar system]]. Which was brought up several times later in-universe, much to Dr. [=McKay's=] [[NeverLiveItDown ongoing chagrin]].
[[AC:{{Film}}]]

* In ''[[Film/{{Star Trek}} Star Trek: First Contact]]'', when the Phoenix is about to launch, a red light is on, which Zephram attempts to fix by the age old "hit it hard" method. When it stays lit he says "Ignore it". It turns out not to be an issue, and the flight is successful.

* In ''Disney/BigHero6'', while conducting the test of [[spoiler:teleporter]], one of the technicians notes that some readings are off, but his superior brushes it off after checking on it and declaring it withing acceptable parameters - likely due to the fact that military is watching the experiment. [[spoiler:The teleporter ends up sucking in Callaghan's daughter and not letting her out for years.]]

* In ''[[Film/{{Spider-Man Trilogy}} Spider-Man 3]]'', the scientists running an experiment involving a particle accelerator and sand notice that the weight of the sand is greater than expected. They write it off as a bird that will fly away once the experiment starts. The "bird" is actually Flint Marko, about to be turned into The Sandman. One wonders what 200-pound bird the scientists were thinking of.

* The Chernobyl nuclear disaster happened as a result of this - the inexperienced in comparison control room crew had no idea of what was actually going on in the reactor, relying on instrumentation that claimed the water level and the power level was fine. The only problem was the readings were ''absolutely wrong," and correcting for them only worsened the problem - and by the time the instruments caught up to reflect the problem (loss of water coolant), the situation was absolutely irreversible. A second and even more tragic form also happened at Chernobyl: radiation monitoring systems such as dosimeters were overwhelmed by the amount of radiation, either malfunctioning or showing top normal readings - the ''end of their range,'' which convinced people they were safe on site as opposed to ''being lethally irradiated.''

** It's the Franchise/MarvelUniverse, home to the [[ComicBook/IncredibleHulk scientist who shot himself up]] with a rage-inducing SuperSerum and [[ComicBook/IronMan the guy who tests flying]] PoweredArmor suits by putting them on and [[AmusingInjuries forcibly slamming himself into concrete walls.]] Rigorous safety standards [[NoOSHACompliance don't appear to exist there.]]

* Far, far too many TV series dealing with experimental technology.

** It's subverted in ''VideoGame/{{Half-Life 2}}'': Episode Two, when the [[spoiler:White Forest rocket]] appears to work without a hitch despite the "eight and a half pound anomaly". Of course, the anomaly in question is [[spoiler:Dr. Kleiner's pet, Lamarr]], setting up a nice ChekhovsGun for future installments, on the rare chance Valve [[ScheduleSlip remembers Half-Life exists and releases Episode 3.]]

** Similarly, scientists know that the results of their experiments have a lot of variability, and have to train themselves to ignore what seem to be patterns but aren't--which means that, occasionally, they miss a pattern that really exists.

!!Examples include

!!Exceptions include