Group 61 Along with the modernization, the advancement and evolvement in the construction field have shed light on how rapid the world scenario is nowadays. Construction of an artificial island over the ocean is one of the most significant development, combining both human intelligence and technology. Generally, artificial island is made by using the land … Continue reading Artificial Islands – Beneficial or Detrimental?
Group 26 Nowadays, automatic system has already been employed in a wide field. With a high-level of control permission, automatic system in vehicles can act as a “driver” to take over the control of vehicle. But such high-level of control permission for automatic system can cause many ethical problems such as how to judge the … Continue reading Should automatic system have high-level control permission among vehicle?
Group 41 In 2010, FIFA awarded the right to host the 2022 World Cup to Qatar. The decision was controversial and has since been marred by allegations of corruption and the use of slave labour and unpaid migrant work in the construction of facilities for the tournament. It has been suggested that one of the … Continue reading Is it ethical for engineers to work on projects for the Qatar World Cup?
Group 56 Countries and media responded immediately when PRISM was exposed. The most concern is mass surveillance circumvents our right to personal data control. No one wants to be Truman. However, the United State keeps on collecting citizen information and uses it. As President Obama told the crowd, “I think it’s important to recognize that … Continue reading Should engineers provide private information of their clients to the government?
Group 20 The fate of many companies, CEOs and even western governments has been shaped by the eruption of corruption scandals linked to foreign investment. Only in 2011 the UK’s parliament passed The Bribery Act (1)which holds a “commercial organization” liable for “failure … to prevent bribery” and it is partly inspired by the American … Continue reading Securing engineering contracts in developing countries — is corruption a necessary evil?
Group 59 Most companies now feature video interviews as part of their recruitment process to evaluate potential candidates. These interviews are increasingly being assessed by machine learning (ML). ML, in this context, applies algorithms to quantitatively identify successful features in human behaviour as observed in the video interview. For example, features such as facial expressions, … Continue reading Engineering – You’re Hired? The Machine Learning Revolution
Group 47 Can you survive in a world where smartphones and computers do not exist? Tech giants such as Microsoft and Google have been shaping the future that we are living in right now. Embracing Internet of Things have changed how we deal with matters such as communication, shopping and entertainment. However, excessive reliance has … Continue reading Children and Technology: Development or Disaster?
Group 58 The online shopping industry is continually growing, with the UK’s e-commerce market becoming the third largest in the world. Accordingly, retail focus is shifting towards optimising product shipping, by reducing delivery cost and time. Drones are the next technological leap, carrying packages of 30kg at 54 km/h and have direct routes to customers. … Continue reading Should we implement delivery drones?
Group 72 The development of new medical treatments for both infectious and non-infectious diseases within the United States relies heavily on the usage of animal testing. The main purpose of these studies focuses on drug testing and toxicological screening. In 2016, the USDA reported a 7% rise in the usage of animal testing, reaching over … Continue reading Is the use of animal testing for medical purposes considered ethical?
Group 32 No New Faces For decades, technologies have been helping law enforcement to solve crime, it therefore doesn’t come as a surprise that, presently, machine learning has become the preferred method to tackle crime. However, using data analysis technology to predict crimes before it happens is a relatively new idea. Such a possibility may seem like a plot from … Continue reading Predictive Policing: Will cameras become racist?
Group 80 On July 20th 1969, America celebrated a global triumph when Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin stepped foot on the Moon. However, the US government spent the equivalent of over $150 billion and lost the lives of eight US citizens. This begs the question, “Should America have sent man to the Moon?” At the … Continue reading One Small Step for Man, One Giant Weep for Mankind?
Group 78 Virtual reality (VR) – a technological development that we would be more likely to associate with the gaming or entertainment industry than warfare. Yet as VR seems set to become a part of our future, it has already begun to, and seems set to increasingly play a huge role in warfare. Though this … Continue reading Virtual Reality Warfare – VRtually insane?
Group 79 With greenhouse gas emissions at an all-time high and global non-renewable resources depleting rapidly, drastic reform is required in the way we produce our energy. Nuclear remains an unpopular option, wind and solar cannot be depended on for consistent generation, and battery storage technologies are decades away from large-scale feasibility. Biomass provides cheap, … Continue reading Biomass: Energy of the Future or (Bio)Massive Waste of Space
Group 77 As an engineer, you can be exposed to sensitive information that you may find disturbing or believe to be illegal. You overhear someone talking about shortcuts they’ve taken in the design process or find a report of malpractice in your company that could put lives at risk. What do you do with that … Continue reading Whistleblowers: Should they be sued for leaking secrets?