MODULE 1: Intro to STS, Ethical Dilemmas

Module 1 Prelim

Science

It describes the methodical and systematic process of accumulating and arranging knowledge about the behavior of the universe by observation. Experimentation which then results to conclusions.

Is it derived from the Latin term “Scientia”, which means “knowledge”

Technology

Is the process of using scientific principles, laws, and knowledge to create services, supplies, equipment, and machinery meant to address practical issues.

Comes from the Greek word “Techne”, which means “Craft, skills, or cleverness of hand”

Society

A collection of people who live together in a community, share standards and beliefs, and are frequently governed by well-established institutions.

Within a particular geographic or cultural context, it encompasses social interactions, connections, and the collective arrangement of human activities.

Dilemma

It is a situation where a person is forced to choose between two or more conflicting options neither of which is acceptable.

Moral/Ethical Dilemmas

They are situations where persons, who are called “moral agents” in ethics, are forced to choose between two or more conflicting options, neither of which resolves the situation in a morally acceptable manner.

Moral/Ethical Dilemmas

No matter what course of action is taken, some moral principles are always compromised

Helix

(Emerging Ethical Dilemmas)

• A digital app store design to read genomes

BlessU - 2 Popper

(Emerging Ethical Dilemmas)

• First robot priest and monk

Emotion - Sensing Facial Recognition

(Emerging Ethical Dilemmas)

• A software being developed to assess your reactions to anything such as shopping and playing games

Ransomware

(Emerging Ethical Dilemmas)

• A way of holding data hostage through the backing and requiring a ransom to be paid

Textalyzer

(Emerging Ethical Dilemmas)

• A device that analyzes whether a driver was using his or her phone during an accident

Social Credit System

(Emerging Ethical Dilemmas)

• A system of scoring citizens through their actions by placing them under constant surveillance

Google Clips

(Emerging Ethical Dilemmas)

• A hands-free camera that lets the user capture every moment effortlessly

Sentencing Software

(Emerging Ethical Dilemmas)

• A mysterious algorithm designed to for courts in sentencing decisions

Friendbot

(Emerging Ethical Dilemmas)

• An app that stores the deceased’s digital footprint so one can still chat with them

Citizen App

(Emerging Ethical Dilemmas)

• An app that notifies users of ongoing crimes or major events in a specific area.

Social Implication

Are the results on society or part of society, of the event or the action

The idea can be extended to a law or policy, that is, a planned set of repeated actions.

Personalized genetic tests/personalized medicine

(Dilemmas & their Social Implications)

• What are the potential privacy issues, and how do we protect this very personal and private information?

Hacking into medical services

(Dilemmas & their Social Implications)

• How do we make sure these medical devices are secure?

Driverless Zipcars

(Dilemmas & their Social Implications)

• The ethics of automation and equality of access for people of different income levels are just a taste of the difficult ethical, legal, and policy questions that will need to be addressed

3D Printing

(Dilemmas & their Social Implications)

• The future of this printing can cut out the manufacturing sector completely

Adaptation to climate change

(Dilemmas & their Social Implications)

• The differential susceptibility of people around the world to climate change warrants an ethical discussion

Low-quality and counterfeit pharmaceuticals

(Dilemmas & their Social Implications)

• The enormous amount of trade in pharmaceutical intermediaries and active ingredients raise a number of issues

Autonomous systems

(Dilemmas & their Social Implications)

• Who is responsible for the actions undertaken by autonomous systems? If robotic technology can potentially reduce the number of human fatalities, is it the responsibility of scientists to design these systems?

Human-animal hybrids (chimeras)

(Dilemmas & their Social Implications)

• Is interspecies research the next frontier in understanding humanity and curing diseases, or a slippery slope, rife with ethical dilemmas, toward creating new species?

Ensuring access to wireless and spectrum

(Dilemmas & their Social Implications)

• We need to have a policy conversation about how to make the most effective use of the precious radio spectrum

Data collection and policy

(Dilemmas & their Social Implications)

• How often do we consider the massive amount of data we give to commercial entities when we use social media, store discount cards, or order goods via the internet?

Human Enhancements

(Dilemmas & their Social Implications)

• Where do we draw the line between therapy and enhancement? How do we justify enhancing human bodies when so many individuals still lack access to basic therapeutic medicine?