2010.12.06 19:00 - Ethical Engineering

The Guardian for this meeting was SophiaSharon Larnia. The lack of comments are by SophiaSharon Larnia. I left early in this (what turned out to be) short session. It's interesting though... the ethical considerations of engineering the environment where people live....

stevenaia Michinaga: am I the first arrival?

--BELL--

SophiaSharon Larnia: hi Stevenaia
SophiaSharon Larnia: hi Geio
SophiaSharon Larnia: Geo* sorry :)
stevenaia Michinaga: hello Geo
stevenaia Michinaga: Good to see you again
Geo Solari: Hello. Nice to see you
stevenaia Michinaga: interesting to see plants blooming near the ice
SophiaSharon Larnia: I'm sorry I really must leave, i'm sleeping at the keyboard :(
stevenaia Michinaga: ok, did you claim the log?
SophiaSharon Larnia: but i claimed the log :)
stevenaia Michinaga: :)
SophiaSharon Larnia: hehe
stevenaia Michinaga: thanks
SophiaSharon Larnia: bye for now
stevenaia Michinaga: night, sleep well

Geo Solari: Stev, Is this meeting over?
stevenaia Michinaga: hmm, seems we can't sit in the middle with the "ice" on the fountain
stevenaia Michinaga: no the meeting has just begun, I just arrived and sophia was sleeping at her post
stevenaia Michinaga: I shall report this defect to the iceman
stevenaia Michinaga: (the ice, not Sophia sleeping)                 (hahah Steve!!)
Geo Solari: A lot of technology. By the way, I liked the video you gave me (about the architects)
stevenaia Michinaga: yes, we are a pathetic group...smiles
stevenaia Michinaga: seems we need to be masochistic so we feel like artists

Geo Solari: So we can start a discussion on how one sees one's profession or job
stevenaia Michinaga: :), sounds interesting

stevenaia Michinaga: I know many engineers who work the required time, leave work and don’t think abut it until the next morning (in other words... a job)
stevenaia Michinaga: others are consumed by work, still other simply enjoy what they do and get much satisfaction from their work
stevenaia Michinaga: so they look forward to tomorrows time at their chosen profession
Geo Solari: The architects i know use their artistic imagination more than other engineers
stevenaia Michinaga: what have you found?
stevenaia Michinaga: there seems to be those exceptional engineers too, thinking those at Arup , or Nervi from the past
stevenaia Michinaga: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pier_Luigi_Nervi

--BELL--

stevenaia Michinaga: http://www.google.com/images?q=Pier+...w=1030&bih=735

stevenaia Michinaga: Are you a structural engineer?
Geo Solari: No, mechanical. Sometimes engineers when design they include values without being conscious about it
stevenaia Michinaga: you mean they put them in for no reason?
Geo Solari: I will give you an example. You design the safety of a technical solution. You calculate a safety index, or calculate probabilities. You select to give risk to some groups of people without being conscious that it must be a decision of the society
Geo Solari: Sorry for my bad expression
stevenaia Michinaga: I understand
stevenaia Michinaga: how do you feel about what you do?
stevenaia Michinaga: I think how you feel about your work will reflect on the outcome of whatever you are doing
Geo Solari: Confused sometimes. But by decoding the confusion, I learn more
Geo Solari: about myself and the society
stevenaia Michinaga: :), sounds like a good place to be, without confusion, as you said, there is no learning
Geo Solari: Engineers sometimes take decisions about matters that they should not, without transparency. This can create dilemmas

--BELL--

stevenaia Michinaga: I enjoy collaboration, let everyone "see" what's going on
Geo Solari: To "see" the broader aspect of things is not always easy
stevenaia Michinaga: it takes being open to assistance
Geo Solari: I agree, but organizations have their own culture
Geo Solari: narrow sometimes
stevenaia Michinaga: yes, true, somehow some larger organizations don't approach problems so "mechanically." That makes for a unique environment to work in.

Geo Solari: However, even in large organizations there are interests. There is not an absolute good will
stevenaia Michinaga: For a short time I worked for a large corporation.... seemed everyone in the middle was looking how to climb over the person next to them, each only interested in their own personal interests, I didn’t work there very long
Geo Solari: Some times it is difficult to have a broad view of things when you are in the middle. But even when you do have a broader view there are few things you can do
stevenaia Michinaga: it’s a good idea to look at how the environment affect you and see what can be done

--BELL--

Geo Solari: The environment sometimes "squashes" the personality. Making decisions according to your own values becomes hard
stevenaia Michinaga: an unfortunate result
Geo Solari: However there are always the good aspects of life. Pessimism isn't a good thing :)
stevenaia Michinaga: smiles, yes
stevenaia Michinaga: thanks, but it's time for me to leave
Geo Solari: Thank you very much!
stevenaia Michinaga: happy to join you
stevenaia Michinaga: good luck
Geo Solari: good luck to you