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␈↓ ↓H␈↓α␈↓ α∩SUN DAY AND THE ETHICAL PROBLEMS OF ENGINEERS AND SCIENTISTS

␈↓ ↓H␈↓[These␈α∪remarks␈α∪are␈α∪adapted␈α∪from␈α∩an␈α∪article␈α∪"RESERVATIONS␈α∪ABOUT␈α∪SUN␈α∪DAY"␈α∩not
␈↓ ↓H␈↓printed␈α
by␈αthe␈α
␈↓↓Stanford␈α
Daily␈↓.␈α The␈α
original␈αemphasis␈α
was␈α
not␈αon␈α
engineering␈αethics␈α
but␈α
on␈αthe
␈↓ ↓H␈↓dangers␈αof␈αdeciding␈αengineering␈αissues␈αby␈αchoosing␈αup␈αpolitical␈αsides,␈αand␈αI␈αapologize␈αfor␈αthe␈αnot
␈↓ ↓H␈↓having time to revise it enough].

␈↓ ↓H␈↓␈↓ α_Sun␈α∂Day␈α∂is␈α∂an␈α∂attempt␈α∂to␈α∂get␈α∂greater␈α∂emphasis␈α∂put␈α∂on␈α∂solar␈α∂energy␈α∂by␈α∂the␈α∂technique␈α∞of
␈↓ ↓H␈↓political␈α
demonstration.␈α
 Its␈α
premise␈α
is␈α
that␈α
the␈α
country␈α
devotes␈α
insufficient␈α
resources␈αto␈α
developing
␈↓ ↓H␈↓and using solar energy.

␈↓ ↓H␈↓␈↓ α_The␈α∞country␈α∞is␈α∞already␈α∞putting␈α∞a␈α∞certain␈α∂amount␈α∞of␈α∞effort␈α∞into␈α∞solar␈α∞energy,␈α∞and␈α∂there␈α∞is
␈↓ ↓H␈↓nothing␈α
wrong␈α
with␈αadvocating␈α
that␈α
it␈αshould␈α
increase␈α
these␈α
efforts.␈α However,␈α
some␈α
aspects␈αof␈α
the
␈↓ ↓H␈↓Sun Day promotion are probably harmful.

␈↓ ↓H␈↓␈↓ α_1.␈α⊂Some␈α∂of␈α⊂the␈α∂promoters␈α⊂of␈α∂Sun␈α⊂Day,␈α∂including␈α⊂its␈α∂leader␈α⊂Denis␈α∂Hayes,␈α⊂have␈α∂explicitly
␈↓ ↓H␈↓declared␈α⊃their␈α⊃intention␈α⊃of␈α⊃using␈α⊃Sun␈α⊂Day␈α⊃to␈α⊃recruit␈α⊃support␈α⊃for␈α⊃the␈α⊃anti-nuclear␈α⊂movement.
␈↓ ↓H␈↓Other␈α
sponsors␈αof␈α
Sun␈α
Day,␈αsuch␈α
as␈αMayor␈α
Bradley␈α
of␈αLos␈α
Angeles,␈α
are␈αalso␈α
supporters␈αof␈α
nuclear
␈↓ ↓H␈↓energy.␈α
 One␈α
can␈α
bet␈α
that␈αHayes␈α
and␈α
his␈α
26␈α
paid␈αorganizers␈α
(according␈α
to␈α
the␈α
␈↓↓New␈α
York␈αTimes␈↓)
␈↓ ↓H␈↓will␈α∩succeed␈α∩in␈α⊃giving␈α∩Sun␈α∩Day␈α⊃an␈α∩anti-nuclear␈α∩tone,␈α⊃and␈α∩that␈α∩Mayor␈α⊃Bradley␈α∩will␈α∩end␈α⊃up
␈↓ ↓H␈↓surprised at the use made of his support.

␈↓ ↓H␈↓␈↓ α_2.␈α"Putting␈αpolitics␈α
in␈αcommand"␈αof␈α
scientific␈αand␈αtechnological␈α
issues␈αhas␈αbeen␈αdisastrous␈α
in
␈↓ ↓H␈↓the␈α
past.␈α
 One␈α
example␈α
is␈α
the␈α
Lysenko␈α∞movement␈α
in␈α
the␈α
Soviet␈α
Union␈α
in␈α
which␈α∞enthusiasm␈α
for
␈↓ ↓H␈↓the␈α∩idea␈α∩that␈α∩acquired␈α⊃characteristics␈α∩could␈α∩be␈α∩inherited␈α⊃led␈α∩to␈α∩misinterpreting␈α∩the␈α⊃evidence,
␈↓ ↓H␈↓ascribing␈αbad␈αmotives␈α
to␈αpeople␈αwho␈αdisagreed␈α
and␈αputting␈αthem␈α
in␈αconcentration␈αcamps,␈αto␈α
many
␈↓ ↓H␈↓years␈αof␈αoptimistic␈αclaims␈αfor␈α
imminent␈αsuccess,␈αand␈αfinally␈αto␈α
a␈αcollapse␈αof␈αthe␈αwhole␈α
effort␈αwith
␈↓ ↓H␈↓no␈α∩result␈α∩whatsoever.␈α∩ The␈α∩point␈α∩is␈α∪that␈α∩political␈α∩enthusiasm␈α∩can␈α∩sustain␈α∩losing␈α∪science␈α∩and
␈↓ ↓H␈↓technology␈αfor␈αmany␈αyears.␈α Substantial␈αresources␈αwere␈αwasted␈αon␈αLysenkoism␈αfrom␈α1939␈αto␈α1965,
␈↓ ↓H␈↓and␈α∪scientific␈α∪genetics␈α∪was␈α∪completely␈α∪suppressed␈α∪from␈α∪1948␈α∪to␈α∪1953.␈α∪ Soviet␈α∀recovery␈α∪from
␈↓ ↓H␈↓Lysenko␈α
took␈α
place␈α
in␈α
two␈α
stages.␈α
 With␈α
the␈α
death␈α
of␈α
Stalin,␈α
putting␈α
people␈α
in␈α
camps␈α
for␈α
wrong
␈↓ ↓H␈↓views␈α_in␈α↔genetics␈α_stopped,␈α_but␈α↔Kruschev␈α_retained␈α_some␈α↔enthusiasm␈α_for␈α_Lysenko.␈α↔ When
␈↓ ↓H␈↓Krushchev␈α
was␈α
ousted␈α
in␈α∞1965,␈α
all␈α
support␈α
for␈α∞Lysenko␈α
stopped.␈α
 Soviet␈α
recovery␈α∞from␈α
Lysenko
␈↓ ↓H␈↓would␈αhave␈αbeen␈αmuch␈αmore␈αdifficult␈αif␈αthe␈αsuppression␈αhad␈αbeen␈αworldwide.␈α Some␈αof␈αthe␈αsolar
␈↓ ↓H␈↓power␈α⊗enthusiasts␈α⊗are␈α⊗also␈α⊗ready␈α⊗to␈α⊗ascribe␈α⊗bad␈α⊗motives␈α⊗to␈α⊗anyone␈α⊗who␈α⊗is␈α⊗insufficiently
␈↓ ↓H␈↓enthusiastic.

␈↓ ↓H␈↓␈↓ α_Medvedev's␈α∂book␈α∞on␈α∂Lysenkoism␈α∂(of␈α∞which␈α∂I␈α∞have␈α∂only␈α∂read␈α∞reviews)␈α∂gives␈α∂examples␈α∞of
␈↓ ↓H␈↓how scientists and agricultural engineers were corrupted by the political support of bad science.

␈↓ ↓H␈↓␈↓ α_A␈α∞second␈α∞example␈α∞is␈α∞the␈α∞Chinese␈α∞"Great␈α∂Leap␈α∞Forward"␈α∞with␈α∞its␈α∞call␈α∞for␈α∞back␈α∂yard␈α∞steel
␈↓ ↓H␈↓plants.␈α Ideology␈αsaid␈αthat␈αeach␈αcommune␈αshould␈αmake␈αits␈αown␈αsteel␈αand␈αthat␈αall␈αefforts␈αshould␈αbe
␈↓ ↓H␈↓devoted␈α∂to␈α∂the␈α∂task.␈α∂ Nature␈α∂said␈α∂that␈α∂good␈α∂quality␈α∂steel␈α∂cannot␈α∂be␈α∂made␈α∂(with␈α⊂then␈α∂available
␈↓ ↓H␈↓technology)␈α∞in␈α∞small␈α∞plants␈α
with␈α∞acceptable␈α∞inputs␈α∞of␈α∞labor␈α
and␈α∞materials.␈α∞ The␈α∞Chinese␈α∞had␈α
to
␈↓ ↓H␈↓abandon␈α∞the␈α
effort,␈α∞and␈α∞it␈α
took␈α∞them␈α
many␈α∞years␈α∞to␈α
recover␈α∞from␈α
the␈α∞misdirection␈α∞of␈α
resources.
␈↓ ↓H␈↓No␈α
matter␈α
how␈α
much␈α
political␈α
enthusiasm␈α
backs␈α
it,␈α
a␈α
really␈α
bad␈α
technological␈α
policy␈αwill␈α
eventually
␈↓ ↓H␈↓lose.␈α
 The␈α
laws␈α
of␈α
nature␈α
cannot␈α
be␈α
violated,␈αand␈α
the␈α
only␈α
way␈α
to␈α
understand␈α
nature␈α
is␈α
with␈αall␈α
the
␈↓ ↓H␈↓objectivity that can be mustered.
␈↓ ↓H␈↓␈↓ εH␈↓ 91


␈↓ ↓H␈↓␈↓ α_Some␈αof␈αthe␈αAmerican␈αsolar␈αenthusiasm␈αis␈αbased␈αon␈αa␈αsimilar␈αidea␈α-␈αthat␈α
electricity␈αshould
␈↓ ↓H␈↓be␈α⊂generated␈α⊂house␈α⊃by␈α⊂house,␈α⊂or␈α⊃block␈α⊂by␈α⊂block.␈α⊂ It␈α⊃doesn't␈α⊂follow␈α⊂that␈α⊃the␈α⊂idea␈α⊂is␈α⊃bad,␈α⊂just
␈↓ ↓H␈↓because␈α∞it␈α
is␈α∞analogous␈α∞to␈α
the␈α∞Chinese␈α∞idea,␈α
but␈α∞much␈α∞of␈α
the␈α∞enthusiasm␈α∞for␈α
it␈α∞comes␈α∞from␈α
the
␈↓ ↓H␈↓same␈α
source.␈α
 My␈α
own␈α∞look␈α
at␈α
the␈α
technological␈α
possibilities␈α∞convinces␈α
me␈α
that␈α
the␈α∞present␈α
ideas
␈↓ ↓H␈↓for␈αlocal␈αenergy␈αgeneration␈αare␈αbad.␈α I␈αwill␈αbet␈αthat␈αthey␈αcannot␈αachieve␈αthe␈αcosts␈αor␈αthe␈αreliability
␈↓ ↓H␈↓of the present electric system.

␈↓ ↓H␈↓␈↓ α_Since␈α∀the␈α∀American␈α∀political␈α∀system␈α∀does␈α∀not␈α∀allow␈α∀the␈α∀suppression␈α∀of␈α∃scientific␈α∀and
␈↓ ↓H␈↓technological␈α∞points␈α
of␈α∞view,␈α∞and␈α
anyway␈α∞the␈α∞Sun␈α
Day␈α∞promoters␈α∞are␈α
not␈α∞demanding␈α∞that␈α
rival
␈↓ ↓H␈↓views␈α
be␈α
suppressed,␈α
we␈α
are␈α
unlikely␈α
to␈αsuffer␈α
the␈α
technological␈α
disasters␈α
of␈α
Lysenkoism␈α
and␈αthe
␈↓ ↓H␈↓Great Leap.

␈↓ ↓H␈↓␈↓ α_3.␈αThe␈αGovernment's␈αpromotion␈αof␈αsolar␈αenergy␈αhas␈αalready␈αresulted␈αin␈αa␈αcertain␈αamount␈αof
␈↓ ↓H␈↓intellectual␈αcorruption␈αamong␈αscientists␈αand␈αengineers.␈α This␈αcorruption␈αtakes␈αthe␈αform␈αof␈α
carrying
␈↓ ↓H␈↓out␈α⊂demonstration␈α∂projects␈α⊂when␈α⊂there␈α∂is␈α⊂no␈α∂idea␈α⊂that␈α⊂the␈α∂project␈α⊂will␈α∂lead␈α⊂to␈α⊂an␈α∂econmically
␈↓ ↓H␈↓viable␈α
result.␈α
 Consider␈αthe␈α
Livermore␈α
"solar␈α
powered␈αsurrey"␈α
with␈α
its␈α
roof␈αof␈α
solar␈α
cells.␈α
 I␈αwill␈α
bet
␈↓ ↓H␈↓that␈α
the␈αpeople␈α
who␈α
built␈αit␈α
don't␈α
seriously␈αconsider␈α
it␈αas␈α
a␈α
prototype␈αof␈α
anything␈α
useful.␈α When
␈↓ ↓H␈↓money␈α
becomes␈α
available␈α
to␈α
satisfy␈α
a␈α
politically␈α
generated␈α
enthusiasm,␈α
then␈α
engineers␈αand␈α
scientists
␈↓ ↓H␈↓sometimes␈αabdicate␈α
their␈αresponsibility␈α
to␈αundertake␈α
only␈αprojects␈α
which␈αthey␈α
believe␈αcan␈α
lead␈αto
␈↓ ↓H␈↓scientific␈α↔knowledge␈α↔or␈α↔a␈α_useful␈α↔device.␈α↔ They␈α↔feel␈α_that␈α↔the␈α↔politicians␈α↔have␈α_taken␈α↔this
␈↓ ↓H␈↓responsibility off their hands.

␈↓ ↓H␈↓␈↓ α_One␈αfoolish␈αdemonstration␈αproject␈αon␈αthe␈αPeninsula␈αwas␈αDial-a-Bus.␈α It␈αdemonstrated␈αthat
␈↓ ↓H␈↓people␈α∞would␈α∞buy␈α∞50␈α∞cent␈α∞taxi␈α∞rides␈α∞if␈α∞the␈α∞bus␈α∞would␈α∞really␈α∞come␈α∞when␈α∞called␈α∞-␈α∞otherwise␈α
not.
␈↓ ↓H␈↓When the Federal Government stopped subsidizing the cost, the project collapsed.

␈↓ ↓H␈↓␈↓ α_I will bet that some of the Stanford solar projects are equally irresponsible.

␈↓ ↓H␈↓␈↓ α_4.␈αThe␈αGovernment␈αis␈αalready␈αsupporting␈αat␈αsome␈αlevel␈αalmost␈αall␈αthe␈αpotentially␈αgood␈αways
␈↓ ↓H␈↓of␈α
generating␈αsolar␈α
energy␈α-␈α
such␈α
as␈αthe␈α
attempts␈αto␈α
bring␈αdown␈α
the␈α
costs␈αof␈α
solar␈αcells␈α
and␈αthe␈α
use
␈↓ ↓H␈↓of␈α
solar␈α
energy␈α
for␈α
space␈α
heating␈α
in␈α
some␈α
areas␈α
of␈α
the␈α
country.␈α
 Unfortunately,␈α
it␈α
is␈αalso␈α
supporting
␈↓ ↓H␈↓projects␈αthat␈α
demonstrably␈αhave␈α
much␈αgreater␈αcosts␈α
than␈αnuclear␈α
or␈αcoal␈α
energy.␈α (The␈αsolar␈α
boiler
␈↓ ↓H␈↓is␈αsuch␈αa␈αproject,␈α
because␈αthe␈αboiler␈αand␈α
generator␈αwhich␈αuse␈αessentially␈α
the␈αsame␈αtechnology␈αas␈α
in
␈↓ ↓H␈↓a␈α
nuclear␈αor␈α
coal␈α
burning␈αplant␈α
and␈αwhich␈α
constitute␈α
most␈αof␈α
the␈αcost␈α
of␈α
such␈αplants␈α
has␈α
a␈αduty
␈↓ ↓H␈↓cycle␈αof␈αless␈αthan␈αthirty␈αpercent,␈αbecause␈αa␈αsolar␈αplant␈αgenerates␈αelectricity␈αat␈αfull␈αpower␈αwhen␈αthe
␈↓ ↓H␈↓sun is well above the horizon and not obscured by clouds).

␈↓ ↓H␈↓␈↓ α_Even␈αin␈αthe␈αsolar␈αcell␈αarea␈αwhich␈αhas␈αreal␈αpossibilities,␈αthe␈αGovernment␈αhas␈αbeen␈αless␈αthan
␈↓ ↓H␈↓honest␈α
in␈αsetting␈α
target␈α
costs␈αfor␈α
solar␈α
cells␈αthat␈α
are␈α
unrealistically␈αhigh.␈α
 It␈α
is␈αwrong␈α
to␈αassume␈α
that
␈↓ ↓H␈↓solar␈αcells␈αcan␈αgo␈αinto␈αgeneral␈αuse␈αfor␈αelectric␈αpower␈αwhen␈αthe␈αcosts␈αper␈αpeak␈αwatt␈αequal␈αthe␈αtotal
␈↓ ↓H␈↓cost␈α
of␈α
a␈α
nuclear␈α
or␈α
coal␈αsystem␈α
-␈α
making␈α
no␈α
allowance␈α
for␈αstorage␈α
or␈α
the␈α
other␈α
parts␈α
of␈αthe␈α
system.
␈↓ ↓H␈↓There are also unjustified assumptions about the continued escalation of coal and nuclear costs.

␈↓ ↓H␈↓␈↓ α_I␈αfear␈αthat␈αthe␈αpolitical␈αmuscle␈αgenerated␈αby␈αthe␈αSun␈αDay␈αpromotion␈αwill␈αhave␈αthe␈αeffect␈αof
␈↓ ↓H␈↓postponing␈α
the␈α
solution␈α∞of␈α
America's␈α
energy␈α
problems.␈α∞ It␈α
reinforces␈α
the␈α∞Carter␈α
Administration's
␈↓ ↓H␈↓tendency␈α
to␈α
decide␈α
technological␈α
issues␈α
on␈α
the␈α
basis␈α
of␈α
which␈α
group␈α
of␈α
political␈αsupporters␈α
deserves
␈↓ ↓H␈↓to be rewarded, and which group of potential opponents needs to be bought off.
␈↓ ↓H␈↓␈↓ εH␈↓ 92


␈↓ ↓H␈↓αAddendum on ethical problems for engineers

␈↓ ↓H␈↓␈↓ α_Engineers␈αand␈αscientists␈αface␈αethical␈αproblems␈αwhen␈αthe␈αthe␈αgovernment␈αor␈α
their␈αemployers
␈↓ ↓H␈↓become␈α↔enthusiastic␈α⊗about␈α↔technologically␈α↔doubtful␈α⊗or␈α↔even␈α⊗downright␈α↔bad␈α↔approaches␈α⊗to
␈↓ ↓H␈↓problems.␈α
 The␈α
right␈α∞thing␈α
to␈α
do␈α∞is␈α
not␈α
always␈α
clear.␈α∞ Hear␈α
are␈α
some␈α∞of␈α
the␈α
situations␈α∞than␈α
can
␈↓ ↓H␈↓arise:

␈↓ ↓H␈↓␈↓ α_1.␈αThe␈αmost␈α
obvious␈αoccurs␈αwhen␈α
the␈αengineer␈αis␈α
asked␈αto␈αwork␈α
on␈αsomething␈αwhere␈α
he␈αis
␈↓ ↓H␈↓sure the benefits are illusory and the effects harmful.

␈↓ ↓H␈↓␈↓ α_2.␈α⊃Next␈α⊃we␈α⊃have␈α⊃the␈α⊃case␈α⊃where␈α⊃he␈α⊃merely␈α⊃neglects␈α⊃to␈α⊃consider␈α⊃whether␈α⊃the␈α⊃project␈α⊃is
␈↓ ↓H␈↓soundly␈αbased.␈α Clearly␈αsomeone␈αcould␈αwork␈αfor␈αten␈αyears␈αon␈αsolar␈αtowers␈αwithout␈αbeing␈αforced␈αto
␈↓ ↓H␈↓consider␈αthe␈αBethe␈α
argument␈αon␈αwhy␈α
they␈αcannot␈αbe␈α
as␈αcost␈αeffective␈α
as␈αnuclear␈αenergy.␈α
 Can␈αhe
␈↓ ↓H␈↓merely say that is his bosses' job to make such comparisons?

␈↓ ↓H␈↓␈↓ α_3.␈αThe␈αissues␈αthat␈αarise␈αmost␈αsharply␈αat␈αStanford␈αconcern␈αmaking␈αproposals␈αfor␈αgovernment
␈↓ ↓H␈↓support␈α
of␈α
research␈α∞aimed␈α
at␈α
solar␈α∞energy␈α
or␈α
some␈α
other␈α∞government␈α
enthusiasm.␈α
 If␈α∞the␈α
faculty
␈↓ ↓H␈↓member doesn't really share the government's belief

␈↓ ↓H␈↓John McCarthy
␈↓ ↓H␈↓Computer Science Department
␈↓ ↓H␈↓Stanford University