Astronomy Archives - Viterbi Conversations in Ethics

Spring 2022 Weekly News Profile

The James Webb Space Telescope’s Cloud of Controversy

Jackie Finnemeyer February 14, 2022 Astronomy LGBTQIA+NASA

With the James Webb Space Telescope’s recent launch, professional and amateur astronomers alike will soon have access to images of the first formations of stars and galaxies in our universe. But will the history of the telescope’s namesake cast a shadow over its potential discoveries?

Podcast Summer 2024 Summer 2024 VCE Podcast

Facial Recognition

VCE July 6, 2024

Hosted by Aryan Shah, Deep Shah, and Kayden-Harmony Greensteinwith with guest Jenna German

Podcast Summer 2024 Summer 2024 VCE Podcast

Space and Mars Colonization

VCE July 6, 2024

Hosted by Aryan Shah, Deep Shah, and Kayden-Harmony Greenstein, with guests Nakul Malik and James Austin

Podcast Summer 2024 Summer 2024 VCE Podcast

Infrastructure

VCE July 6, 2024

Hosted by Aryan Shah, Deep Shah, and Kayden-Harmony Greenstein, with guests Karsyn Wendler and Allison Mendoza

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.

Featured Summer 2024 Weekly News Profile

Life and Morality: The Ethical Debate of Normothermic Regional Perfusion in Organ Transplants

Mary Karapetyan July 23, 2024

Organ donations and transplants are responsible for saving the lives of thousands of people per year. However, these procedures come with numerous complications, including ischemia-reperfusion, which can lead to transplant failure. A new method called normothermic regional perfusion (NRP) is gaining more attention for its potential to reduce some of these complications compared to more traditional methods. Despite its potential, NRP is sparking ethical debates among the medical community.

Summer 2024 Weekly News Profile

Chandra X-ray Observatory: A Stellar Legacy at Risk

Mo Jiang July 18, 2024

NASA has shocked the scientific community with its proposition to decommission the Chandra X-ray Observatory. This has sparked a heated debate about the ethics of shutting down such a crucial scientific instrument. Given Chandra’s groundbreaking discoveries, historical significance, and potential for future research, many have come together to reverse the decision and preserve this invaluable asset for current and future generations of scientists and space enthusiasts.

Featured Summer 2024 Weekly News Profile

Is VAR Ruining Football?

Janessi Diaz July 1, 2024

VAR technology was adapted to make calls made by referees more accurate. For better or worse it has changed the way soccer is played. The 2024 Euros have been riddled with examples of how VAR is hurting soccer.

Summer 2024 Weekly News Profile

Smartphone Addiction on the Rise: Are Flip Phones Making a Comeback?

Mary Karapetyan June 24, 2024

Smartphone addiction has become a significant concern, leading to a growing need for a “digital detox.” Social media, streaming services, and mobile games are primary contributors to increased screen time among smartphone users. Carefully curated algorithms drive users to spend countless hours on these applications, triggering dopamine releases and potentially leading to addiction. To address this concern, more people are opting to switch to a classic flip phone as a way to reduce their screen time and break the cycle of smartphone addiction.

Summer 2024 Weekly News Profile

Spraying the Bay: A Controversy

Janessi Diaz May 27, 2024

Geoengineers at the University of Washington may have discovered a way to lower regional temperatures through the use of artificial marine cloud brightening (MCB). The team settled down in Alemade, California to start test runs of their project in early April. However, a lack of transparency on their part may get their research shut down.