Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Engineering As Social Experimentation
Engineering As Social Experimentation
Titanic Example
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Experimentations??
concepts Components and modules tested prior to detailed design Cycle of test and modification through production(Test feedback) Beyond specific elements of design, each project taken in a totality can be viewed as an experiment
available (ability to work with partial knowledge is one talent crucial to an engineers success)
project
Effective engineering depends on knowledge gained both before and after products are released
Monitoring
Monitoring ?
Is to make periodic observations and test in
order to check for both successful performance and unintended side effects. In-house monitoring that check
Products efficiency. Safety. Cost effectiveness. Environmental impact. Monitoring cannot be limited to in-house development it is also extends to the stage of client use.
Product history matters! Respect the past! Can you always know it? Competence, openness to learning. Do not be afraid to ask! Can you know about a competitors safety statistics? Are there good communication channels in your own company? Between different departments? Across generations of engineers? Is there a dangerous generation gap between young and old engineers?
Experiment control? Cannot control what humans may do with a product What applications will it be used for? Will they subject it to unforeseen stresses?
Keystone of engineer - public interaction What experiments are acceptable? Keep in mind that there is a large variance on the types of customers you might have. Can they all read?
Knowledge gained? Seek the unexpected!
Informed Consent
Keystone of properly conducted experiments involving human subjects
Main elements:
Volunteerism: absence of force, fraud, or deception Knowledge: all the information needed to make a
reasonable decision (not just what they request) Competence: consenter is competent to process the information and make rational decisions