Category: Fall 2020

Fall 2020 Volume 4 Issue 2

The Ethics of Self-Driving Cars

Isabel Yarwood Perez December 12, 2020

Self-driving cars process huge amounts of sensory information in a very short amount of time. The processing speed of this information allows self-driving cars to make an informed decision on how to act in the case of an accident. In scenarios where casualties are unavoidable, this produces an ethical dilemma in determining who should survive, raising questions about how the value of a life should be calculated. Ultimately, because all lives are equal and no individual should have power over deciding the fate of the lives of others, self-driving cars are unethical.

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Fall 2020 Volume 4 Issue 2

Profitable Risk: The Dangers of Consumer Spaceflight and Space Tourism

Brandon Dillon December 12, 2020

Society is rapidly approaching an era in which ordinary civilians can purchase tickets to become passengers on space vehicles. Companies worldwide are deep in the development of infrastructure and technology to provide spaceflight for amusement and transportation. These endeavors deviate fundamentally from traditional spaceflight and raise questions about the ethical implications of commercial spaceflight with civilian passengers.

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Fall 2020 Volume 4 Issue 2

Autonomous Accidents: The Ethics of Self-Driving Car Crashes

Teagan Ampe December 12, 2020

Self-driving cars are no longer confined to the realm of sci-fi; a variety of autonomous vehicles are under development by companies around the world. Before they hit consumer markets, though, manufacturers, lawmakers, and society as a whole must decide how cars should behave ethically in the worst-case scenario: a possibly fatal crash.

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Fall 2020 Volume 4 Issue 2

Sounds So Good It Hurts

Ryan Dale December 12, 2020

The audio industry is not typically one that most would consider dangerous. However, the act of music compression and the expansion of large music festivals has created a perfect environment for damaged hearing. The engineers in this industry are instrumental in this process, and they have an obligation to prevent these hearing related injuries. This is due to their responsibility to look out for the common good, the utility of society, their own virtue, and the implications of their ethical code.

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