Solutions, Learning, and Issues

Engineering Solutions

Engineering solutions have always had a major impact: globally, economically, environmentally, and socially. It is crucial that, especially in engineering, that mankind as a whole create, integrate and transfer knowledge and practice in order to develop professionals, leaders, and citizens that define and serve societal and environmental needs by applying the skills and knowledge that they have gained from their education in an effective and sustainable manner. Globally, every engineer is responsible for keeping check and maintaining a constant level of safety in every level of the profession. The decisions that these engineers make could lead to the next nuclear meltdown, release of mass amounts of toxins into the air, or to the development of some new technology the improves the lives of people across the world. This is the type of responsible ability that engineers are faced with on the job every day. Economically, engineering solutions have the capability to improve things exponentially. From the design of some technical program that has to capability to eliminate of accounting errors and discover flaws within large economical systems to the development of some new synthetic material that eliminates the need for raw products such as oil and gas. In some ways it as if engineering solutions and ideas are the driving force of advancement in society as a whole. Environmentally, engineering solutions are making changes daily. From the new smart cars that have the capability to get over 100 miles to the gallon to the development of advanced solar systems that are capable of producing “green” power double that of their predecessors. In turn these type of environmental solutions is what will allow the continuation of life as a whole, even when resources become almost non existent. Overall, engineering solutions are what lead society to live a much more healthy, safer, and longer life.

Lifelong Learning

As an Electrical Engineering student I realize that lifelong learning is a must and is crucial to my personal success and future in the job world and technology, especially in my particular field, is constantly changing and becoming absolute. Without devoting myself to lifelong learning, just like the latest obsolete software or outdated flip phone, I too will become obsolete as an Electrical Engineer, unable to meet the demands of the new and constantly changing technological world. One of the greatest actions that I take in order to stay up on what is taking place in my field outside of my formal education at the University of Tennessee is involving myself with many other professionals in the field. One way that I achieved this goal is by becoming a member, locally and nationally, of IEEE. This membership provides a constant flow of the latest and greatest advances that are taking place within electrical engineering and computer science. Also, being a part of this organizations provides the networks, tools, and information that would otherwise be unavailable to me if I were not a member. However, one of the best ways to engage in lifelong learning is to become come interested and involved in all aspects of your field. While I am privileged to call myself a electrical engineer I never in any way limit myself to that title. Especially as a young engineering student, there is no point in my day in which I refuse to gain knowledge in any type of engineering or design just because it does not follow my specific path. This attitude toward learning does not stem from forcing myself to better myself, but rather from my strong interest in the chance of learning something new and exciting which may be valuable for future reference as I grow in the field and possibly receive a chance to solve a problem that no one else can. I didn’t choose the field I am in merly for a high salary but rather to live life being in a career being surrounded by what I love and enjoy. This is the attitude that, in my opinion, is crucial to any student or person that is wanting to dedicated themselves to a life of learning.

Important Issues In Electrical Engineering

Due to the fact that Electrical and Computer Engineering is a quickly growing field, there are constantly new improvements and technologies emerging everyday. One of the main issues facing this field is the ability to develop renewable resources for the planet. Our planet has a finite amount of resources that can be used to create energy, resourced that are predicted to be nonexistent in the near future. That fact has sparked a global attempt to find ways to create new resources or develop ways to reuse the resources we have access to. The development of these technologies is a priority in the field of engineering due to the devastating impact a lack of resources could have on the world as a whole. Another issue currently facing the world is the development of clean water and its distribution to underdeveloped nations. Clean water is such a vital part of health human development and several third world nations lack the access to water filtration which leads to malnutrition and disease. Developing a cheap, reliable way to filtrate and distribute water to these nations would greatly increase the health of those nations as a whole. Another piece of exciting technology that has recently gained popularity is the use of 3-D printing. With the new era of 3-D printing emerging physical meaning can be given to ideas in a very short turnover time, allowing more time for brighter ideas and further advancement of technologies. I myself have gained a lot of experience this area from designing and printing a waterwheel for my teams portable hydro generator idea this semester. A major contemporary issue in the field of computer engineering is the development of quantum computing. A group of engineers from Australia have developed a way to store a bit on a single atom of silicon's nucleus. The implications of this development could be monumental. This could lead to vastly improved computing speeds and data storage capacity. These are just a few of many issues that are being tackled in the global spectrum of electrical and computer engineering. Engineering is one of the fastest developing industries and new issues develop on a daily basis.

ABET

The "10 Commandments" of the IEEE Code of Ethics

1. to accept responsibility in making decisions consistent with the safety, health, and welfare of the public, and to disclose promptly factors that might endanger the public or the environment;

2. to avoid real or perceived conflicts of interest whenever possible, and to disclose them to affected parties when they do exist;

3. to be honest and realistic in stating claims or estimates based on available data; 

4. to reject bribery in all its forms; 

5. to improve the understanding of technology; its appropriate application, and potential consequences; 

6. to maintain and improve our technical competence and to undertake technological tasks for others only if qualified by training or experience, or after full disclosure of pertinent limitations; 

7. to seek, accept, and offer honest criticism of technical work, to acknowledge and correct errors, and to credit properly the contributions of others; 

8. to treat fairly all persons regardless of such factors as race, religion, gender, disability, age, or national origin; 

9. to avoid injuring others, their property, reputation, or employment by false or malicious action; 

10. to assist colleagues and co-workers in their professional development and to support them in following this code of ethics.f the IEEE Code of Ethics

The "24 imperatives" of the ACM COde of Ethics and Professional Conduct

1. GENERAL MORAL IMPERATIVES. As an ACM member I will . . .

1.1 Contribute to society and human well-being.

1.2 Avoid harm to others.

1.3 Be honest and trustworthy.

1.4 Be fair and take action not to discriminate.

1.5 Honor property rights including copyrights and patents.

1.6 Give proper credit for intellectual property.

1.7 Respect the privacy of others.

1.8 Honor confidentiality.

2. MORE SPECIFIC PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES. As an ACM computing professional I will . . .

2.1 Strive to achieve the highest quality, effectiveness and dignity in both the process and products of professional work.

2.2 Acquire and maintain professional competence.

2.3 Know and respect existing laws pertaining to professional work.

2.4 Accept and provide appropriate professional review.

2.5 Give comprehensive and thorough evaluations of computer systems and their impacts, including analysis of possible risks.

2.6 Honor contracts, agreements, and assigned responsibilities.

2.7 Improve public understanding of computing and its consequences

2.8 Access computing and communication resources only when authorized to do so.

3. ORGANIZATIONAL LEADERSHIP IMPERATIVES. As an ACM member and an organizational leader, I will . . . . .

3.1 Articulate social responsibilities of members of an organizational unit and encourage full acceptance of those responsibilities.

3.2 Manage personnel and resources to design and build information systems that enhance the quality of working life.

3.3 Acknowledge and support proper and authorized uses of an organization's computing and communication resources.

3.4 Ensure that users and those who will be affected by a system have their needs clearly articulated during the assessment and design of requirements; later the system must be validated to meet requirements.

3.5 Articulate and support policies that protect the dignity of users and others affected by a computing system.

3.6 Create opportunities for members of the organization to learn the principles and limitations of computer systems.

4. COMPLIANCE WITH THE CODE. As an ACM member, I will . . . .

4.1 Uphold and promote the principles of this Code.

4.2 Treat violations of this code as inconsistent with membership in the ACM.

Define what a “conflict of interests” is.

Give an example; identify what the interests are; identify what the conflict is; describe how someone would do something unethical because of the conflict between these two interests.

A conflict of interest (COI) occurs when an individual or organization is involved in multiple interests, one of which could possibly corrupt the motivation for an act in another. A conflict of interest arises in the workplace when an employee has competing interests or loyalties that either are, or potentially can be, at odds with each other. A conflict of interest causes an employee to experience a struggle between diverging interests, points of view, or allegiances.

Example:

Mike is a board member on the Neighborhood Council.

His spouse is a 50% partner in a Downtown Skyscraper. The property owner next to

the Downtown Skyscraper seeks to develop the property into a mall and seeks the

Neighborhood Council's support. What are Mike's economic interests? Is Mike

disqualified from participating on the proposal to develop property next to the Downtown

Skyscraper?

Answer:

Mike is disqualified from voting. Mike has an indirect interest in the downtown

skyscraper due to his wife's 50% ownership. Since the mall is next door to the

skyscraper, or within 500 feet of the skyscraper, Mike is deemed to have a material

interest that is financially affected by a decision on the mall.

Explain how the ACM/IEEE Codes are designed to permit the development of autonomous robots whose purpose is to spy, destroy, or kill.

Neither code of ethics explicitly says that you cannot harm others, only that you will avoid it. I avoid pot holes while driving, but I don't always miss them. IEEE's code states that you will "avoid injuring others, their property, reputation, or employment by false or malicious action" and ACM's code says to only "avoid harm to others". Loose language allows for loose interpretation.

Chapter 19 and 20

     Chapter 19 begins by talking about great designs.  Brooks continues to talk about well known products.  Then he talks about the conservative process of a great design. There are also many compromises throughout a product design. The important part of design is to hold off just long enough to make a great design and talk about smaller issues later. Then other products are made similarly. Improved designs raise the  floor of a design; however, only genius designers can raise the roof. Then brooks talks about Steve Jobs a little and his great designs. Finally he concludes with a few sentences on conceptional integrity.

       Brooks begins Chapter 20 by talking about where great designers come from.  He mentions Schon's ideas on Technical Rationality.  Brooks believes in order to really create something awesome you must have a good design education. Only by designing many things will one learn from experiences.  Then brooks talks about a dual-ladder. Plans keep designers' minds broad and on point. He also says sometimes outside resources can open designers minds.  For many jobs only the right designers will work.  A secure manager is very important in a design.  A good design technique is to sketch ideas and have them reviewed. Designers should also learn from others past experiences, duhh. Brooks concludes talking about good designer training techniques.