upsc 11 min read
Biological significance
The importance of carbohydrates to living things can hardly be overemphasized. The energy stores of most animals and plants are…
THE ARTICLE LIBRARY
All stories.
Ideas and explainers from across SenseCentral.
Professional Ethics & Human Values 2 min read
What degree of risk is acceptable?
Safety is a matter of how people would find risks acceptable or unacceptable, if they knew the risks, and are basing their judgments on their most settled value perspective. So, to this extent, it is objective. Perspectives differ. To this extent, it is subjective. So, Safety is ‘acceptable risk’. Acceptable Risk ‘A risk is acceptable when those affected are generally no longer (or not) apprehensive about it.’…
Professional Ethics & Human Values 3 min read
Concept of Safety
1. “A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for” – John A. Shedd 2. ‘A thing is safe if its risks are judged to be acceptable’ – William W. Lawrence We buy an ill-designed Iron box in a sale-> Underestimating risk We judge fluoride in water can kill lots of people -> Overestimating risk We hire a taxi, without thinking about its safety -> Not estimating risk How does a judge pass a judgement on safety in these 3 cases? ….So, this definition won’t do in real life. Then, what is acceptable also depends upon the individual or group’s value judgment. Hence a better, working definition of concept of safety could be, “A thing is safe (to a certain degree) with respect to a given person or group at a given time if, were they fully aware of its risks and expressing their most settled values, they would judge those risks to be acceptable (to that certain degree).” -Mike Martin and Roland Schinzinger A thing…
Professional Ethics & Human Values 2 min read
SAFETY AND RISK
Imagine you are a fresh graduate. You get a job as an engineer in a large atomic power plant. Would you take it or not? Under what conditions would you take it? Under what conditions would you not? Why? People as Consumers: Active Consumers: directly involve themselves e.g., mowing the lawn, washing clothes or toasting bread. Passive Consumers: have less choice and less control e.g., Water, Electricity, Petrol, Bystanders: e.g., exposed to Pollution from unknown sources .What is safe to Entrepreneurs, may not be so to Engineers. e.g., Pilots: “Indian Airports are not safe; Low Vision in Fog“ What is safe to Engineers, may not be so to Public. e.g., Top loading Washing Machine Typically several groups of people are involved in safety matters but have their own interests at stake. Each group may differ in what is safe and what is not.
upsc 5 min read
Carbohydrate
Carbohydrate, class of naturally occurring compounds and derivatives formed from them. In the early part of the 19th century, substances such as wood, starch,…
Professional Ethics & Human Values 1 min read
Role of law in engineering
It is wrong to write off rule-making and rule following as futile. Good laws, effectively enforced, clearly produce benefits. Reasonable…
Professional Ethics & Human Values 2 min read
The problems of law in engineering
1. The greatest problem of law in engg is of ‘minimal compliance’. Engineers and employers can search for loop holes in the law to barely keep to its letter while violating its spirit. Engineers will tend to refer to standard readymade specifications rather than come up with innovative ideas. Minimal compliance led to the tragedy of the ‘Titanic’. 2. Continually updating laws and regulations may be counter-productive and will make law always lag behind technology. This also overburdens the rules and regulators. 3. Many laws are ‘non-laws’ i.e. laws without enforceable sanctions. These merely serve as window dressing, frequently gives a false sense of security to the public. 4. The opponents of the law may burden it intentionally with many unreasonable provisions that a repeal will not be far off. 5. Highly powerful organizations, like the government can violate the laws when they think they can get away with it by inviting would be challengers, to face them in lengthy and costly court proceedings. This also creates frustration with the law.
upsc 3 min read
Plant Cell vs. Animal Cell
Plant and animal cells have several differences and similarities. For example, animal cells do not have a cell wall or chloroplasts…
Professional Ethics & Human Values 2 min read
Limitations of Codes of Ethics
1. Codes are restricted to general and vague wording. They cannot be straightaway applied to all situations. It is impossible to foresee the full range of moral problems that can arise in a complex profession like engg. 2. It is easy for different clauses of codes to come into conflict with each other. Usually codes provide no guidance as to which clause should have priority in those cases, creating moral dilemmas. 3. They cannot serve as the final moral authority for professional conduct. If the code of a professional society is taken as the last word, it means that we are getting into a particular set of conventions i.e. ethical conventionalism. 4. Andrew Oldenquist and Edward Slowter pointed out how the existence of separate codes for different professional societies can give members the feeling that ethical conduct is more relative than it is and that it can convey to the public the view that none is ‘really right’. The current codes are by no means perfect but are definitely steps in the right direction.
Professional Ethics & Human Values 2 min read
Relative importance of the various functions of codes of ethics
The perspective of engg as social experimentation clearly emphasizes the primary role ‘supportive function’ of the codes of ethics. This is so because, only this support enables engineers, speak out clearly and openly their views, to those affected by engg projects. The, ‘inspiration and guidance’ and ‘educative’ functions are also important in promoting mutual understanding and in motivating engineers to act with higher moral standards. The ‘disciplinary’ function in engg codes is of secondary importance. Those with unethical conduct when exposed are subject to law. Developing elaborate paralegal procedures within professional societies duplicates a function which can be done better by legal system. At best, codes should try to discipline engineers in areas which are not covered by law. The worst abuse of codes has been to restrict honest moral effort in the name of ‘preserving profession’s public mage’ and ‘protecting status quo’. The best way to increase trust is by encouraging and aiding engineers to speak freely and responsibly about public safety.
