Societal Impact

p of Engineering
g g

Electrical & Computer Engineering Societal Impact of Engineering I

 Engineering Solutions Impact Society

What Engineers do in creating, designing, building,

implementing has an extensive impact on society
implementing… society.
– Many impacts are desired and anticipated
– Many times this impact is unanticipated
Engineers have a responsibility to:
– Inform society of the positive and negative implications of
particular technological solutions
– Obtain societal approval before implementing a solution

Electrical & Computer Engineering Societal Impact of Engineering I

 Examples of Engineering Solutions with Significant
Societal Impact
• Power
• A
Automobile
bil
• Airplanes
• Radio
• Television
• Microwave oven
• Computers
• Internet
• Video/DVD
Electrical & Computer Engineering Societal Impact of Engineering I
 Engineering Solutions that are more emerging…

• Cell phones

Electrical & Computer Engineering Societal Impact of Engineering I

 The Sport Utility Vehicle
Industry identified a need for a rugged
vehicle with seatingg space
p similar to
a minivan and built on a truck
chassis
• Proposed Solution: SUV
• Unintended Consequences
– Low Fuel Efficiency
– Pollution
– Safety

• Potential Solution: Compact

Crossover SUV

Electrical & Computer Engineering Societal Impact of Engineering I

Examples of Engineering Solutions with
Unintended Consequences
• Automobile
• Internet
• Cell Phones
• Nuclear Power Plants
• Microwaves
• Power lines
• Nanoparticles
• Asbestos
• Chlorofluorocarbons
• Fossil Fuels

Electrical & Computer Engineering Societal Impact of Engineering I

 Activities to Minimize Unintended Consequences
1. Fully investigate solutions before making design decision
• Carefully
y assess all potential
p solutions and their societal and environmental
impacts as well as their technical effectiveness.
2. Research standards, regulations, and laws and make sure you are
complying with them in letter and intent
• Look at the history behind the regulations to better understand the problems
they are attempting to prevent.
3 Identify comparable solutions (and technologies) that have
3.
already been implemented; examine their societal impacts
4. Employ formal design methodology throughout the process
• This is
Thi i especially
i ll important
i t t in
i testing
t ti andd validation.
lid ti
• Consider a trial release

.
Electrical & Computer Engineering Societal Impact of Engineering I
 Activities (continued)

5. Examine costs versus benefits for your solution

• Be sure to examine
B i from
f both
b h a company’s
’ perspective
i andd from
f society’s
i ’
perspective
6. Use an independent group of experts or consultants to review your
decisions and to offer ideas
7. Have non-engineers look at solution and assess impact
8 Don’t
8. D ’t just
j t look
l k att our society;
i t ini a global
l b l marketplace
k t l we needd to
t
also consider impact on other societies
9. Think bot
both short-term
s o t te anda d long-term
o g te
• Develop contingency plans – how might you handle problems from
unintended consequences

Electrical & Computer Engineering Societal Impact of Engineering I

 Resources to help study similar problems, previous
solutions, and their societal impact
• Internet
• Technology media
– Trade journals (IEEE Spectrum), newspapers (NY Times:
Science section), and other technical journals
• IEEE Society on Social Implications of Technology
– also publishes Technology and Society Magazine
• Patent office
• Talk to senior engineers

Electrical & Computer Engineering Societal Impact of Engineering I

 Societal Impact Report (due 9/21/09; by 5 pm)

Write a review of a paper from IEEE Spectrum or IEEE Technology &

Society magazine that discusses a technology and its impact. Use the
following format:
Title (give the title of your paper, page numbers, and publication date)
Technology of Interest (Briefly describe the technology in your own
words. Cite any other references if you consult them to understand more
about this technology)
Problem the Technology is attempting to solve (Briefly describe the
technical problem)
Societal Impact (Discuss the impact to society by this technology)
Consequences (Discuss any intended/unintended consequences of the
technology)
Message (Describe the main message that this paper is trying to deliver)
Summary (Make a strong summary statement of 1-2 1 2 sentences)
sentences).

Electrical & Computer Engineering Societal Impact of Engineering I

 Societal Impact Report

Note:
•Please be organized, concise, and use your own words
•Please cite and reference anyy additional material that
you use;
•Be sure to treat any direct quotes in the proper way;

Electrical & Computer Engineering Societal Impact of Engineering I