About Understanding Technological Failure: Finitude, Fallen-ness, and Sinfulness in Engineering Disasters
| Authors | Ermer, Gayle E. |
|---|---|
| Date | 2006 |
| Proceedings | Proceedings of the 2006 Christian Engineering Education Conference |
| Vol / Pages | pp. 129-142 |
| URL | https://drive.google.com/file/d/1hhqsQSKqYAfI0rfh4e8MHK9rZbrPEjp4/view |
Type: Conference Paper
Tags: Christian Engineering
Abstract
It is important to know why engineering designs sometimes fail catastrophically. Not only does blame need to be assigned justly in these situations, but the success of new technology depends on accurately predicting how technology and the individuals and societies with which it interacts will behave in the future. Christians recognize that technological failures, along with all other suffering in this world, occur because of the effects of humanity’s estrangement from our Creator God. In this paper, the categories of human finitude, societal fallen-ness, and individual sin will be used to discuss the nature of different contributions to specific engineering disasters. Causes related to human finitude include the limitations of our predictive models and the characteristics of modern technology that make failures more likely. Causes related to societal fallen-ness include the political and economic contexts in which modern technology operates that contribute to engineering disasters. Causes related to individual sinfulness include the unethical choices and sinful dispositions of people that contribute to engineering disasters. The relative contributions of each of these categories to specific disasters will be explored. The technological disasters considered will include automotive fatalities, commercial airplane accidents, the Bhopal chemical plant disaster, and the near meltdown of the Three Mile Island nuclear reactor. Identifying factors that contribute to engineering failures will allow the practice and teaching of engineering to appropriately counteract these tendencies. Solely training engineers to be more ethically responsible cannot avoid catastrophic failures. Engineering instructors and students need to be aware that the nature of the technological systems in North American society and the means by which these systems are designed and controlled all contribute to the catastrophic potential for technological failures.