Week 6: Engineering

We read Petroski's To Engineer is Human: The Role of Failure in Successful Design.

Goals:

• Consider goals, processes, and principles of engineering.
• Write about readings from the last two weeks.

• On to Week 7, Structures

Monday, February 23: Perspectives on engineering and design

Read Petroski, Preface through Chapter 7 (pp. vii - 84).

1. Today's reading uses a number of anecdotes and metaphors. What is one that you find particularly memorable? (Include page numbers.) Why do you find it memorable? What point is Petrosky trying to make with it?
2. How does today's reading address the title of our course, "Evolution of Technology"?
3. What is one question about the reading that you would like to discuss?
4. About how long did you spend on the reading and your response?

• Members of study teams 1 and 2 should post their answers to the above questions in the appropriate forum. As a reminder, reading responses are due by 7:30 the day before the class meeting.

Wednesday, February 25: Failure and fatigue, safety and success

Read Petroski, Chapters 8 through 12 (pp. 85 - 157).

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. Petroski discusses a number of circumstances that can lead to a structure's untimely failure. What such circumstances stood out in your mind? Cite an example from the text.
2. What practices can help engineers avoid such failures?
3. What is the most important thing you learned from today's reading?
4. What is one question about the reading that you would like to discuss?
5. About how long did you spend on the reading and your response?

• Members of study teams 3 and 4 should post their answers to the above questions in the appropriate forum. As a reminder, reading responses are due by 7:30 the day before the class meeting.

Friday, February 27: Understanding failure

Read Petroski, Chapters 13 through Afterword (pp. 158 - 232).

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. How do engineers learn from failures? How does that process seem to be effective or ineffective?
2. What connections did you see with prior readings?
3. What is the most important thing you learned from today's reading?
4. What is one question about the reading that you would like to discuss?
5. About how long did you spend on the reading and your response?

• Members of study teams 5 and 6 should post their answers to the above questions in the appropriate forum. As a reminder, reading responses are due by 7:30 the day before the class meeting.

Friday, February 25, 5:30 p.m.: Rough Draft 3 due

Submit a short essay (rough draft). Be sure to review the guidelines for essays. As I reminded you when I returned your first rough drafts,

• be sure your essay has an identifiable thesis;
• be sure your essay adequately addresses the prompt you are responding to;
• include formal citations and a list of works cited;
• proofread your essay to ensure that you used the words that you meant to use and there are no missing or extra words that impede legibility.

Respond to one of the following prompts.

• Winner described the colliding worlds of the pedestrian and the motorist; in class, I ranted about how our lives are ruled by clocks. (Indeed, it seems that a college would be a very different institution, if it were possible at all, without clocks.) Analyze a contemporary technology as a new form of life, perhaps drawing upon the popular media. (Are people today reflecting on the role of technology in shaping their lives?)

• Consider Latour's assertion that "We have been able to delegate to nonhumans not only force as we have known it for centuries but also values, duties, and ethics." Do you agree with this? Is it possible to transfer values and ethics into nonhuman machines? (from Maja)

• Carefully compare ideas from two of our readings in the course thus far, including at least one reading from week 5.

• Technological determinism is the stance that the uses of a technology are wholly determined by the design of the technology itself. Conversely, social determinism holds that technologies are fundamentally neutral; social processes determine how technology is used, regardless of its design. Of course, there are intermediate positions between these extremes.

• Analyze a reading from Tenner or from week 5 in this light. What stance does the author take? Interpret quotations from the text to support your analysis.
• Argue for one of these positions, or for an intermediate position. In your argument, draw on readings from the course.

To submit your essay, please place it in the folder outside my door. Feel free to drop in and chat if I am available and you would like to talk with me about your essay.

Janet Davis (davisjan@cs.grinnell.edu)