ETHICS: A MISSION FOR THE ENGINEERING FEDERATIONS
Abstract Consideration is given to the dilemmas faced by engineers, if and when conflicts arise between the individual's sense of social responsibility and his specific technical interests. A specialized topic included with these is the protection required for whistle-blowers. In general, it is asserted that creating a climate in which ethical behaviour may flourish should be considered as one of the most sophisticated, but also one of the most rewarding, tasks facing the engineering federations. Recommended actions on behalf of IFAC and other engineering federations are outlined. Finally a warning is given against extremist attempts to exploit ethical issues in engineering.
The human role in the age of information
Age of automation entails freedom from most of the common working roles. Signs are changes in employment, unemployment, professional structures, relevance of services, entertainment industry, working hours, and the nature of social relations. Warnings are suggested against voluntaristic interventions, neglect of social, historical relations. New approaches are required in the fields of lifelong education and in the education of socially disadvantaged people. The changes in evolutionary inherited motivations and life styles are critical challenges to mankind. Open society and lessons of system control are recommended.
Numerical Simulation of Thermal Sensitivity for Explosives
In order to compare the thermal sensitivity of several typical explosives, this article solved numerically one-dimensional transient heat conduction equation including thermal decomposition for explosives with finite difference method. The explicit difference equations under different boundary conditions were established, and the corresponding stability criterion was derived. The ignition times for typical explosives were calculated, which was used to evaluate thermal sensitivity of explosives.