Notes: Cicero’s Creed created by roman philosopher Cicero states that “the safety of the public is the supreme law” this is used not only in medicine but also in engineering. Innovations can have multiple uses and it is important to acknowledge the different possible uses of the innovations. The importance of this can be shown in examples such as Zyklon B.
Fact 1: Zyklon B was originally used as a pesticide to kill lice which carried Typhus. Typus was a deadly disease and the creation of Zyklon B helped irradicate Typhus.
Fact 2: Engineers need to balance financial affordability and safety. We will never be able to reach 100% safety and there is not infinite money at our disposal. Sometimes safety measures need to be cut for the innovation to be possible.
1.Would you change the report? Why or why not? Personally I would not change the report, this is because if the company did mistreat me for revealing the truth I would be able to sue them, and though my reputation may be hurt, my overall reputation would be boosted.
2. To what extent are engineers and scientists responsible for the long-term consequences of the technology that they create? Scientists and engineers should be wary of the potential uses of their product, and should be responsible to the extent of who they give access to their product.
3. Did these documents adequately convey the risks involved in the Challenger launch? Why or why not? The first document did adequately convey the risks, especially when it stated “The result would be a catastrophe of the highest order — loss of human life.”. However the second document didn’t really convey the risks as much, the document was more used as an informational document of the possible options to fix the O-ring.
4. What level of risk is acceptable as a means of ensuring the continued progress of science and technology? I believe that a level of risk below 5% would allow science to progress and advance while still balancing financial possibility.
Connection: A great connection to this topic is an example within the same time area as when Zyklon B was used in concentration camps. The formula of energy; this later led to the use of atomic bombs which were drastically more powerful than anyone in the Manhattan project could have ever predicted.
