Fall 2023 Archives - Page 2 of 2 - Viterbi Conversations in Ethics

Fall 2023 Weekly News Profile

The Benefits of Scientific Controversy

Timothy Nash recently brought a two-million-year-old fossil on a commercial voyage aboard Virgin Galactic’s V.S.S. Unity. The purpose was to symbolize how far humanity has come, though many scientists disagree with this stunt, stating the venture to be “unethical” and “reckless”. However, the resulting controversy has led to a great deal of public interest in the Cradle of Humankind, benefitting future research ventures through additional economic support.

Fall 2023 Weekly News Profile

Nobel Prize in Medicine Winner Demonstrates the Roadblocks of Academic Innovation

Kaylee Tseng November 1, 2023 Diversity Medicine Research

This week, the recipients of the Nobel Prize in Medicine were recognized for their contributions to mRNA vaccine technology. However, their research was historically brushed off by colleagues, publications, and grant institutions before the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, Dr. Katalin Karikó was demoted from a tenure-track position and eventually forced to retire from her university. Her struggle for recognition reflects the roadblocks to innovation in academia that are amplified by limited funding and biases.

Fall 2023 Weekly News Profile

Electric Vehicles May Be Stalling a UAW Deal

Janessi Diaz October 6, 2023 Big Three EVs Ford GM Stellantis Strike UAW

Members of the United Automobile Workers (UAW) union have been striking for nearly 3 weeks. As 25,000 Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis (formally Chrysler) employees walk the picket lines, the UAW is busy negotiating wages, job security, and pensions. While automakers feel that workers are asking for too much amidst the companies’ pricey transitions to EV production, EV production is what the UAW believes justifies some of their demands.

Fall 2023 Weekly News Profile

McFlurries Aid in the Fight for the Right to Repair

Janessi Diaz September 27, 2023 McDonald’s McFlurry R2R

McDonald’s is notorious for their broken McFlurry machines, though the reason behind their malfunctioning is surprising. The manufacturers of these machines have forbidden McDonald’s from outsourcing repairs, but purposely make their machines fragile because they make millions off of fixing them. This highlights a greater issue in the engineering community: the fight for the right to repair. Consumers should not be forced to turn to original manufacturers to repair their products. Due to its high-profile nature, McFlurry machines may finally push Congress to pass the bill that would secure this right once and for all.

Fall 2023 Weekly News Profile

The Role of Bias in Scientific Research

Jennah Saqib September 22, 2023 Aliens Bias Pseudoscience Research

The world is buzzing once again with supposed evidence of alien life. While under oath, Jaime Mausson presented two bodies he claims are of extraterrestrial origin to the Mexican Congress. However, experts are skeptical of his findings, claiming they have no real scientific basis. This case brings to question the role of bias in scientific research and how the resulting spread of misinformation can cross the line into becoming harmful.

Fall 2023 Weekly News Profile

How the WGA Strike Could Accelerate AI Regulation

Kaylee Tseng September 11, 2023 Artificial Intelligence Machine Learning

As the WGA and SAG-AFTRA continue to strike, AI has become a significant sticking point for studios and unions. For writers, AI text generation could exacerbate existing low wages and enable studios to hire fewer writers. For actors, AI greatly accelerates digital duplicate technology, jeopardizing actors’ rights to their own image and potentially lowering their rehire rate. Both of these instances have unclear legal or corporate guidelines, especially in the United States. However, a strike resolution may set a new precedent for AI regulation in creative industries.

Fall 2023 Weekly News Profile

Should We Hit the Brakes on Autonomous Vehicles?

Jackie Finnemeyer September 5, 2023 Autonomous Vehicle Driverless Cars Protestors Self-Driving Cars

Driverless vehicles have become commonplace in several major cities in the United States. Though the technology has come a long way, incidents involving autonomous vehicles are not uncommon. As many self-driving car companies prepare to expand, residents and workers in test cities are feeling frustrated about being forced to share the road with this technology.

Podcast

Grand Challenges Special Issue

Spring 2023 Volume 6 Issue 3

Redefining Societal Progress for Engineers

Natasha Singh March 29, 2023

Dr. Erin Cech’s critique of the National Academy of Engineering’s Grand Challenges focuses heavily on the pitfalls of technological determinism. This paper supports Cech’s argument through a discussion of current examples of the consequences of technological determinism, such as the Black Lives Matter and Me Too movements, medication accessibility, and facial recognition technology. Though the consequences of a zealous engineering mentality are commonplace in our society, there are also current examples of tech companies neglecting to develop technology due to its possible negative consequences.

Spring 2023 Volume 6 Issue 3

How the Technical Sciences and the Social Sciences Should Go Hand-in-Hand

Charles Liu March 29, 2023

The fourteen Grand Challenges presented by the National Academy of Engineers (NAE) fail to involve ethics as a part of the solution to these issues. Traditionally, engineers have kept their work separate from its societal implications. Engineers and their non-technical counterparts have an obligation to view all technical solutions under the moral lens of ethicists and futurists. Going forward, engineers must be aware of their limits and work with experts outside of their fields to develop solutions that will be cognizant of society as a whole.

Spring 2023 Volume 6 Issue 3

The Lies We Tell to Inspire: Responding to the Engineering Double Standard

Shub Gaur March 29, 2023

The National Academy of Engineering’s Grand Challenges are critiqued by Dr. Erin Cech for what she describes as a double standard in engineering. Though Cech rightly discusses a lack of accountability and acknowledgement within the profession, her argument lacks nuance. The Grand Challenges were ultimately a promotional tool meant to inspire the next generation of engineers, yet Cech holds them to a standard of being professional rules and guidelines. This paper will discuss the distinctions that Cech’s argument lacks, including placing an unreasonable amount of responsibility on engineers and overstating their influence.

Spring 2023 Volume 6 Issue 3

The Grand Challenges: Authorial Particularism and a Lost Opportunity for an Equitable Society

Huzaifa Aslam March 29, 2023

The fourteen Grand Challenges were developed by the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) in an effort to expose future generations to the wide range of innovation and technology that they could one day take part in. As detailed by the Challenges’ creators, the list includes challenges that are most significant to our current world. Dr. Erin Cech’s critique of the Grand Challenges is that a lack of diversity in the panel of engineering experts led to a lack of oversight into issues that are actually pertinent to developing nations. Cech’s argument that the Grand Challenges are a missed opportunity for social justice holds validity, but her mischaracterization of the lack of diversity requires further consideration.

Weekly News Profile

Fall 2024 Featured Weekly News Profile

Plan B turned Plan A: Geoengineering To Resolve Climate Change?

Mary Karapetyan November 9, 2024

Geoengineering is considered a potential solution to mitigate the increasingly severe impacts of climate change. However, due to scientific and ethical concerns, it is critical to approach geoengineering techniques with caution. As a result, the American Geophysical Union (AGU) has unveiled a new ethical framework to help promote responsible and sustainable scientific research.

Fall 2024 Weekly News Profile

The Stars We Can No Longer See: The Impediment of Satellite Mega Constellations on Astronomical Research

Mo Jiang November 1, 2024

The launch of thousands of new private satellites for global internet coverage has led to unprecedented levels of light pollution and radio interference levels. Astronomers worldwide report increasing difficulty researching while satellite companies expand their networks. Space debris also makes launching scientific satellites and space operations for research purposes more challenging. This situation highlights the growing tension between expanding global internet access to underserved communities and preserving humanity’s ability to conduct astronomical research, prompting calls for reformed international space policies.

Fall 2024 Weekly News Profile

Fighting Hurricane Misinformation: Meteorologists Make the Climate Connection Amidst Storm of Lies

Rachel Pak October 21, 2024

The warnings preceding Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Martin were more accurate than ever before due to advances in forecasting methodology and technology. However, meteorologists have never faced such intense skepticism, hatred, and conspiracy-minded pushback. Many have been accused of steering the hurricanes, and others have faced threats of violence online. These false claims have been viewed more than 160 million times in the days following the hurricanes, and have even been pushed by government officials. However, in an effort to fight these false narratives, government authorities, civil society organizations, and meteorologists are now pushing back on disaster-related misinformation.

Fall 2024 Weekly News Profile

A Long Way From Home: Starliner Crew’s Extended Stay in Space

Janessi Diaz October 12, 2024

On June 5, the spacecraft Starliner, docked at the ISS. Starliner transported Suni Williams and Butch Willmore who were originally scheduled for an eight day mission. However, the duo did not return with Starliner as planned. Instead, they will stay on the ISS for an extra eight months, joining NASA’s Crew 9 to complete Expedition 72. Their last minute addition to the team is fortunate, but is ultimately a result of irresponsible engineering.

Fall 2024 Weekly News Profile

The U.N.’s Saving Grace: Addressing Agenda 2030 with Technology

Mary Karapetyan October 3, 2024

This article dives into the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda, which consists of 17 Sustainable Development Goals to be achieved by 2030. Technology is considered to be a possible avenue in attaining these goals; however, limited internet infrastructure access are potential roadblocks to be faced along the way.

Viterbi Conversations in Ethics

Category: Fall 2023

The Benefits of Scientific Controversy

Nobel Prize in Medicine Winner Demonstrates the Roadblocks of Academic Innovation

Electric Vehicles May Be Stalling a UAW Deal

McFlurries Aid in the Fight for the Right to Repair

The Role of Bias in Scientific Research

How the WGA Strike Could Accelerate AI Regulation

Should We Hit the Brakes on Autonomous Vehicles?

Ethical Challenges in AI: From Mobile Apps to Self-Driving Cars

Bridging the Gap: Addressing Access Inequities in Emerging Healthcare Technologies

Redefining Societal Progress for Engineers

How the Technical Sciences and the Social Sciences Should Go Hand-in-Hand

The Lies We Tell to Inspire: Responding to the Engineering Double Standard

The Grand Challenges: Authorial Particularism and a Lost Opportunity for an Equitable Society

Plan B turned Plan A: Geoengineering To Resolve Climate Change?

The Stars We Can No Longer See: The Impediment of Satellite Mega Constellations on Astronomical Research

Fighting Hurricane Misinformation: Meteorologists Make the Climate Connection Amidst Storm of Lies

A Long Way From Home: Starliner Crew’s Extended Stay in Space

The U.N.’s Saving Grace: Addressing Agenda 2030 with Technology