1. Contexts of Science and Technology
EST Lecture 3
Chap 4

2. Introduction Two Kinds of Context Five Key Dimensions
Micro/Macro
Five Key Dimensions
Environmental Demension
Cell Phones (New Technology)
Group Discussion
Introduction to the slides and what we cover tonight

3. Micro Context Activity evaluated close to the geographic region.
AT&T’s Bell Labs
Composition of teams
Social structure in the lab
Resources (equipment) and Money
Policies of the Organzation
Micro Context – The activity that is in one location or region.
Discuss AT&T labs.
1. The teams are small and composed of colleagues at the lab. Which makes it easy to see each other face to face and interact.
2. The lab has the same structure so all personnell understand the higheracy and can understand the mission of the lab.
3. Social structure is the same all personnel live in the US and work in the same building
4. The available resources are similar for everyone.
5. The policies and procedures are the same.
This allows everyone to work together closely and the activity is considered micro since it is all at one lab.

4. Macro Contexts Aspects of Society
Comprehensive, Global extending beyond the borders of a specific organization (encompass a region, nation or the world society).
Aspects of Society
Politics' of many societies
Economic on the global scale (how markets are linked)
Environmental disaster in one region will effect other countries.
Macro Context.
This scope of the organization is large, since it can emcompass many countries and their dealings of a certain project.
The aspects of a a macro context – This could be the politices of different societies working to reach a resolution, it could be the linking of the asian and european markets, it could be an oil spill that effects many countries.

5. Macro Context cont. European Union
27 countries, 490 million people, 100 billion euro a year budget.
Shared values – democracy, freedom and social justice.
EU countries using the euro: Belgium, Germany, Greece, Spain, France, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Austria, Portugal, Finland and Slovenia. EU countries not using the euro: Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Sweden and the United Kingdom.
I thought of the EU.
The European Union (EU) is an example since it is a family of democratic European countries committed to work together for peace and prosperity. The EU embraces 27 countries and 490 million people with a wide range of issues. In the continent different traditions and languages but a shared values of democracy, freedom and social justice.
The EU gives citizens some rights like a shared currency, the ability to travel without a passport, allows citizens from one country to work in another without visa’s and such. These benefits have region consequences, if one of the countries is having an economic down turn they can’t completely change the their economic policy the EU is the governing body but this allows for benefits for all of Europe to be inter-connected to provide peace and prosperity for all citizens.

6. Five Key Dimensions Practitioner Dimension Technical Dimension
Motives of the person.
Alexander Bell – device to help hearing impared.
Technical Dimension
Technology innovation may aries from fixing a different problem.
Vaseline
Post it Notes
Practitioner – if you lose a loved one to cancer you may go into cancer research or give money to it.
The motives of a person and commitment to their cause.
Technical Dimension
During the research, discovery and innovation of a technic sometimes you discover that you solve a different problem with the discovery.
Vaseline – Was discovered by Robert A. Chesebrough when he was investigating an oil well. He discovered the gooey substance that was causing problems since it stuck to drilling rigs they seized up. He found the Oil workers would smear it on their skin to aid in healing cuts and burns. His curiosity let him to extract usable petroleum jelly from the gooey substance. This is used by new mothers as an shield for diaper rash, used by workers in extreme cold to relieve dry chappend skin and others on the skin since it doesn’t freeze.
Post in Note History – A inventor (Silver) at 3M research was attempting to invent a strong glue, instead he developed an adhesive that was weaker then what 3M had manufactured. It was super week and could easily be lifted off. They didn’t know what to do but it was never discarded. One Sunday a different scientist (Arthur Fry) was trying to keep his play in a hymnal but the markers kept falling out. He remembered the weak glue and placed it on a piece of paper, they worked great for keeping his place. Today they are one of the most used office products in the world.
Post it notes are offered in eight standard sizes and 62 colors

7. Five Key Dimensions cont.
Political-Economic Dimensions
Focus on political and economic forces
Apollo mission – US to stay ahead
The Cold War between Russia and US
Scientific Developments
Cure Dieseses – support by government to help society of a whole.
Cure for Cancer, AIDS, etc.
The Political and Economic factors and forces decide how we proceed.
During the cold war when russia launched spunik (see article) the US was pushed into a race to win space.
Scientific developments – Governments are supportive of helping society to cure diseases. The AIDS and Cancer are major diseases that a lot of governments want to find a cure.
Example Diabetes causes the US enconomy about $150 billion dollars a year. Much out of the federal and state budgets, since the cost of health care is enormous. Intially when we find a cure the cost would continue but as the cure is used it will save billions of dollars.

8. Five Key Dimensions cont.
Cultural Dimension
The culture of a societies view of a technology
Energy – Wind Turbines on Long Island
Coal
Coal Mine Diaster in Utah
The culture’s view of technology. The impression they feel techology will enhance or detract from their lives.
1. Energy – Electric is a big concern on Long Island since there are 2 million people living in nassau and suffolk (not including the 6 million in NYC). There is not enough electric for continued growth and expansion. A proposal was brought to install Wind Turbines but the societies view these would be an eye soar and detract from the beautiful coastline, even though it could improve the lives of thousands of people.
2. Coal – The use of coal is always controversay since environmentally it causes a lot of greenhouse gases but it is cheap and highly available.
Only with the Coal Mine disaster’s recently has this been brought to societies attention, which brings into question the use of this energy to create electricity.

9. Five Dimension cont Environmental
How the new technology enhancment affects the environment.
Disposal problems
Cell phones, computers, PDA’s, Monitors, Camera’s, Paper from Printers, Ink cartridges,
Energy use of Technology
Switches, routers, networks, etc.
The effects on our environment, will we be disposing items that are not recyclable.
We discussed how to create a technic you need vast resources but with today’s ever changing technology our items become outdated and need to be replaced. Cell phones, PDA’s, computers and such but what do we do with all these items to dispose of them. This can create problems if we can’t recycle can we burn or add to a landfill, should we?
Environmentally we need to understand that the use of technology requires energy and this is a resource that we could be using somewhere or sometime else.

10. Five Dimension cont Environmental
How the new technology enhancment affects the environment.
Disposal problems
Cell phones, computers, PDA’s, Monitors, Camera’s, Paper from Printers, Ink cartridges,
Energy use of Technology
Switches, routers, networks, etc.
The effects on our environment, will we be disposing items that are not recyclable.
We discussed how to create a technic you need vast resources but with today’s ever changing technology our items become outdated and need to be replaced. Cell phones, PDA’s, computers and such but what do we do with all these items to dispose of them. This can create problems if we can’t recycle can we burn or add to a landfill, should we?
Environmentally we need to understand that the use of technology requires energy and this is a resource that we could be using somewhere or sometime else.

11. Summary Five Dimensions
Practitioner
Technical
Political Economic
Cultural
Environmental

12. Intro to Ethics and Technology
In the last few decades many ethical issues have developed in the field of Science and Technology, including advances in …
- reproduction
genetic engineering
weapons
life- prolonging technology
What are other examples?

13. Ethical Clarification
1. Facts: determine the facts of each situation 2. Patients and Interests: Identify all persons or “protectable interests” that will be impacted by the outcome of this conflict 3. Key Concepts, Criteria, Principles: What is the ethical issue to be discussed? 4. Ethical Arguments
This slide we look at the the ethical issues that can arise.
What are the facts? Understand everything about the issue
See if anyone has vested interest in this issue. - I have a patent on this use of making these cell phones so anything you say I would object to it.
Seeing what are issues are already being discussed
The types of Arguments -

14. Ethical Arguments
Definitions of Ethical Theories Utilitarian Theory refers to an action or policy that is right if and only if it is likely to produce a greater surplus of good over bad, as compared to any other effective alternatives Deontological Theory maintains that actions are inherently right or wrong independent
Utiltiarian Theory – The action we are going to do has more GOOD outcomes over bad alternatives
the production of nuclear power has more good outcomes the possible side effects of radioactive material and a plant having an issue since we will get cheap power
Deontological Theory – say that your actions are just wrong based on your behavior.
For example people who follow this theory say that since you told a lie you are then always wrong on all things you say.

15. Ethical Moral Issue
Violations of Supposedly Exceptionless Moral Principles:
The use or failure to use, or withdrawal of a particular scientific procedure or item of technology that violates moral principles that some believe are exceptionless. Life must ALWAYS be preserved.
- Example: Withdrawal of life-prolonging medical equipment; war, harvesting fetal tissue
People view that violation of a moral issue - That life should exist no matter what.
As I mentioned in an earlier class the Terry Shivo case where a woman in a wheelchair, not moving, living on a feeding tube. The Ethical issue is should we let her live in this vegeated state with a feeding tube even though she has no interaction with the world or do we let her die?
Technology has developed a new medical device but what are the ethical issues.
What do you think should we let her live with a feeding tube or let her pass away?

16. Ehtical Distribution of Technology
An Issue with who should have access to the benefits of technology.
The allocation of science and technology may not bring equitable benefits to all.
- “Distributively just” issues often emerge when demand for the benefit exceeds its supply
- Example: Need for…
- human organs
- medical technologies
- Aids medication
Technology has given us so many advances but this distribution has not been uniform even in Developed nations.
There is an ethical issue about technology advances. Who should have access to vital human organs? If we have a situation where we have a farmer in the mid-west who’s kidneys are failing but he is poor and un-insured he is added to the list for a new kidney.
At the same time a weathly woman from California is having a simliar issue with her kidneys she has lots of money and has insurance. Who should get the kidney?
What are the ethical questions?
The same exist with Aids medication – should we decided that some people can’t have the new advance technology to keep them alive because they can’t afford it. ?

17. Science or Technology Precipitated Value Conflicts
A technological advance allows something new to be done that precipitates a value conflict. This conflict is between two or more cherished values within one person. These conflicts would not exist if it were not for technological innovation. Example: - Life extending technologies related to human life preservation or death with dignity - Genetic Disorder Tests that identify Down’s Syndrome,
The values we have may be in conflict.
For example we now test babys in the mothers womb for Down’s syndrome and if we determine that the baby has this diesease based on the classifcation of a certain gene then we allow the woman to abort the baby. This may be in conflict with her beliefs. If she is a catholic they believe in the right to life and as soon as the heart beat has begun they can’t kill a baby with abortion.
Do you think we should do the testing? Is this a personal decision even though it may go against the values we believe?
What about keeping ourselves alive on a respirator even though we are in a comma. Is this right? For example if you were in a car accident and all of a suddent you were in a comma and could not communcate with your family and friends. They only way to keep you alive was on respirator. Would you want to be keep alive? What is your values? What if this was your mother or father does your view change?
The advances in technology give us these questions.

18. Infliction of Harm without prior consent
Infliction of Harm or Exposure
Activities that may benefit one group can also harm or pose significant threat of harm to others without their consent
-Examples: Animal research, multi-generation air pollution, carcinogen producing work places, operation of “hair-trigger” military defense systems
This is where a group of individuals, companies or others are doing something that could cause problems for everyone else and they are going to do it anyway even though they know it will cause the public harm.
Tobacco – I always think of Tobacco and Smoking, the big business makers have known for years that it causes lung cancer but they can continue to sell, advertise and push it out their for the need to make money. Is this right?
What about animal research? Is it right that we do experiments on monkeys to determine if a new drug will work on us, even though this may cause side effects in their behavior?
What is your view? Should companies or researchers do this? If they should ask first who should they ask? How can they ask?

19. Public Harms of Aggregation
If one person is involved in a negative action, the result will not have the same social impact as many persons
acting in negative ways.
Example:
One person throwing out garbage on the highway is quite different than thousands throwing out their fast food lunch papers.
The aggregate of pollution created by 400 million cars
The difference of how one person acts compared to how every acts can cause public health and associated negative actions.
I love this example. - One person throws garbage on the highway more of an annoyance but imagine everyone dropping all their garbage on the roads and highways. Would you want to or even could you drive?
The same is true for Taipei and the motorcycles, if only one person was riding a motor cycle their would no real issue with pollution but when you multiple it by 5 million you know have other concerns. What about the parking on the side walk? One person does it is ok what about when everyone does it. Where do you walk?

20. Practitioners Experimentation and Research vs helping people
Practitioners – the Cost, benefits, risks they are doing and are they doing everything they can do.
Example: US Public Health placebos to 431 black men in Alabama
In 1932 the US Dept. of Public Health admistered placebos (drugs that don’t do anything) to 431 black men in Alabama – Came in to the dept of Public Health for an area wide campaign to fight syphilis. Each were tested and did have the disease. The subjects were never told nor treated for the disease. The experiments were to find out scientific knowledge of the long term effects of syphilis patients, mental and physical health. This continued for 40 years even after researches new the cure for the disease was penicillin.
At least 30% died due to this illiness. Where the dept of health right in doing these experiments to find the long term effects at the cost of these men’s lives?
Do the practitioners need to follow some code?

21. Practitioners – whistle Blowing
When engineers or scientists have knowledge of a deliberate or negative action on part of colleagues or business they need to decide if they should go public (“blow the whistle”).
Examples: NASA Challenger accident – Senior engineer testimony to congress about the launch. He was subjected to mis-treatement and then put on extended sick leave
This can be a very difficult thing to do. Since you could lose your job or livelyhood.
1986 the Challenger Shuttle blew up soon after launch at the Nasa space center. A senior engineer testified to congress about how a O ring seal on the booster rocket was not tested in cold temperatures. Even though NASA authroized the launch. When he returned to work his co-workers mis treated him and his superiors ended up putting him on extended sick leave since he told about the problems inside of the company.
1972 – three engineers at the San Francisio subway system had concerns about safety issues and didn’t get any response from management. They went to the press about these concerns and were immediately fired for voicing their concerns to the public.
Do you think we should tell? Is your family worth it? What values do you hold dear?

22. Cell Phones How do they affect society? History Article Telegraph
Telephone in everyone’s home
Cell Phones everywhere
Cell Phones
Telephones started with Alexander Graham Bell wanting to create a device to help the hearing impaired instead created a telephone. We began the use of telephones with a few in towns and in some businesses but the phones were shared. As the century went on we all had a phone in our house and we could call friends, relatives and neighbors.
In the last 8 years the basic phone in our house has changed to a cellular phone that we carry around wherever we are in the country then even there are phones that work anywhere in the world.
The payphone above is practially non-existance since everyone has a cell phone.
Please read the Article I am passing out and lets sit in a circle to discuss the implactions on society this technology delivers.
Article

23. Cell Phone Debate Split Class into two sides
Cell phones are the best new technology in the last 10 years
Cell phones are a major society problem since they interfere and cause problems in life. In addition – could cause Cancer.
Give them the two groups each a few minutes to write down some thoughts about cell phones then ask each group some questions with each group sending one representative to point out their side of the argument.
Then when I pose then next question they have 5 minutes to come up with an answer and have a different representative discuss their issue and answer any questions.
What is your view on cell phones?
- maybe same question - Why do you think cell phones are an innovation technology and why? (The good and bad).
Do you feel that cell phones have improved society?
Do you think that always being available has taken away some of your privacy and at what price?
Should you use cell phones while driving a car or on a motorcycle?
What do you think about all the new features the cell phones now have ? List the features and are they good or bad.
If knowing what you heard your colleagues discuss would you still support your view on cell phones or do you think your colleagues have a better argument and why?
What benefits and negatives that cell phones have brought?

24. Cell Phones and Society
Society Effect
Always available
Blackberry and
Classes and using Phones at School
Text Messaging
Cheating
Using for illicit conversations (drug deals)
What is the effect on society?
We are always available and never can get time to ourselves. We may have lost part of the time we were could just be by ourselves or even sitting at a table to meet people since most people when they are alone seem to always be on the phone.
Today we even have Blackberries and world phones where everyone is connected all the time. Blackberries are sometimes nicknamed CrackBerries after the addiciting drug crack which doesn’t allow people to stop.
I use to use my Blackberry everywhere in the car, walking to a meeting, sitting at home waiting for my wife to get off the phone, and at the dinner table. I then realized what kind of life am I living I am spending more time working then enjoying time with my family, friends and son. It is changing society and the lines between work and home life are getting more blurred.
What are the implications of using text messaging during class? Can you text message you friend during a test? Is this considered cheating even though you just were setting a time to meet for dinner?
Text Messenging – is this effecting the grammer of youngsters since they are only using abbrevations.
Cell phones have changed society in the last few years that once we use to be out of the house we were unavailable by phone now we are in constant communication and as the article states we can change plans or be late all the time.

25. Group Work Give out article on Bridge Collapse
Analyze the article and list the dimensions that are impacted by the Bridge Collapse,
What do you think should be done to fix older bridges around the world?
Then them discuss then present.

26. Bridge Collapse Older bridge Poor initial designs
Not enough money to fix or rebuild bridges throughout the world.
Demonstrates an infrastructure problem in US.
Read the slide and just agree with them that the United States has a number of old bridges and some are poor design that are 100 years old.
This is systematic of a larger problem where their isn’t enough money to fix the aging infrastruce but the bridge collapse is a technology advanced industry with the new designs but Money as a resource is needed to fix, rebuild or redesign.

27. Summary Micro/Macro 5 Key Dimensions
Bridge collapse and society implications
New Technologies changing society.