Like the 1986 NASA disaster, investigations of the BP spill are starting to point toward complex and sophisticated technical systems that failed because of overlooked problems, which, in turn, exacerbated the situation in unanticipated ways.

FORBES: The BP Spill: Who's Responsible, Part I

But BP's failure to stop the Gulf spill is raising concerns that the industry was reaching beyond its technical capabilities and that an avalanche of regulations could change the economics of the game.

WSJ: Drilling Ban Reverberates Through Industry