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Viterbi Conversations in Ethics

Viterbi Conversations in Ethics

Viterbi Conversations in Ethics
Viterbi Conversations in Ethics
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  • Volume 6 Issue 3
    • Letter from the Editor
    • The Grand Challenges: Authorial Particularism and a Lost Opportunity for an Equitable Society
    • Technological Determinism in the Grand Challenges
    • The Lies We Tell to Inspire: Responding to the Engineering Double Standard
    • How the Technical Sciences and the Social Sciences Should Go Hand-in-Hand
    • Redefining Societal Progress for Engineers
  • Weekly News Profile
    • This Week: The Implications of a Social Media Ban in Montana 
    • Last Week: The Influence of Climate Change on the Pros and Cons of California’s Wet Season
    • All Weekly News Profiles
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    • Resources for Ethical Dilemmas
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Resources for Ethical Dilemmas

American Society of Civil Engineers
Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University
National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science
Texas A&M University
The Rock Ethics Institute at Penn State

Podcast

Featured Spring 2023 VCE Podcast

Electric Vehicles: Climate Saver?

VCE January 31, 2023

Hosts Maya and Josh discuss the ethics of lithium battery mining and electric vehicle use with a panel of engineering essayists.

Fall 2022 VCE Podcast

Predictive Policing

VCE October 31, 2022

In this episode, the Viterbi Conversations in Ethics team explores the ethics behind predictive policing.

Fall 2022 VCE Podcast

Clean Energy

VCE October 31, 2022

In this episode, the Viterbi Conversations in Ethics team explores the ethics behind clean energy.

Fall 2022 VCE Podcast

Cryptocurrency

VCE October 24, 2022

In this episode, the Viterbi Conversations in Ethics team explores the ethics behind cryptocurrency.

Fall 2022 VCE Podcast

Autonomous Vehicles

VCE October 24, 2022

In this episode, the Viterbi Conversations in Ethics team explores the ethics behind autonomous vehicles.

Grand Challenges Special Issue

Featured 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.

Featured 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.

Featured 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.

Featured Spring 2023 Volume 6 Issue 3

Technological Determinism in the Grand Challenges

Thomas Peters March 29, 2023

Technological determinism is denounced by Dr. Erin Cech in her critique of the National Academy of Engineering’s Grand Challenges report. This discussion focuses on the strengths of Cech’s argument surrounding the engineering double standard in social media, virtual reality, and reverse-engineering the brain. Though she makes many strong arguments, pieces of Cech’s argument fall short. Pointing fingers at the entirety of the engineering community and holding the Grand Challenges to a standard for which they were not intended weaken Cech’s overall discussion. However, her argument is ultimately a valid discussion of a profession that would benefit from wider perspectives in a world full of complex issues.

Featured 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

Featured Summer 2023 Weekly News Profile

The Implications of a Social Media Ban in Montana 

Jackie Finnemeyer May 22, 2023

Montana made headlines on Wednesday for being the first state in the nation to ban the social media app, TikTok. U.S. officials claim the application is a national security concern, while critics call the ban a violation of the First Amendment. Challenges to the new law may take place before it goes into effect in January, but its ability to gather enough support to pass could point to a new precedent being set.

Spring 2023 Weekly News Profile

The Influence of Climate Change on the Pros and Cons of California’s Wet Season

Jennah Saqib April 25, 2023

Already in 2023 California has experienced extreme rainfall that has significantly reduced the drought conditions in the state. This wet winter has also led to superblooms, a phenomenon in which wildflowers are able to cover vast fields due to the ground retaining moisture from the excessive rainfall. However, this level of rainfall has also led to extensive damage and flooding, and even the beautiful wildflowers pose an increased risk of wildfires once they dry out. Both these benefits and long term issues can be traced back to climate change, with the warming of the planet leading to a significant increase in the risk of a California megaflood.

Spring 2023 Weekly News Profile

Abortion Pill Rulings Leave the FDA in Political Crossfire

Kaylee Tseng April 17, 2023

This month, FDA approval of mifepristone, a key drug used for medication abortion, has been the subject of several federal rulings. Representatives of the FDA and private drug companies have spoken out against the motion to overrule FDA approval, citing extensive safety data. Depending on the decision from the Supreme Court, these rulings could set a new precedent allowing federal courts to overturn FDA approval.

Spring 2023 Weekly News Profile

Ciao-GPT

Janessi Diaz April 10, 2023

In today’s world we are surrounded by the myriad applications of artificial intelligence (AI). Though it is capable of some incredible things, it can also be very dangerous without regulation. Leading AI developers have published an open letter warning against the continued development of powerful AI, but will the world heed this warning?

Spring 2023 Weekly News Profile

Engineering Alternatives to Fast Fashion

Sabrina Sy April 3, 2023

In a world of fleeting trends and viral fashion sensations, companies and consumers alike have contributed to massive textile waste that has created irreparable environmental damage. Engineers have been working to combat these issues, but as new and innovative solutions are being developed, the question still remains: how can we balance affordability and ethical consumption in the pursuit of the next big fashion trend?

Topics

Aerospace Engineering Algorithms Apps Artificial Intelligence Autonomous Vehicles Biomedical Engineering Black Lives Matter Chemical Engineering Civil Engineering Climate Change Computer Science COVID-19 CRISPR Data Privacy Education Energy Environment Environmental Engineering Environmental Ethics Fossil Fuels Genetic Engineering Health Healthcare Hospitals Machine Learning Mars Mechanical Engineering Medicine Mental Health Military Misinformation NASA Pharmaceutical Privacy Racial Bias Social Media Space Surveillance Sustainability Tech Vaccinations Video Games Virtual Reality Volume 6 Issue 3 War
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