Suggested readings week 6/2023
Ethics Self-Driving Cars
The Trolley Problem is often cited as an indicator for the difficulty in embedding ethics in an automated algorithm. Self-driving cars are not coming soon in our busy roads, even if they're already playing a role in controlled situations.
According to Chris Gerdes, professor of mechanical engineering and co-director of the Center for Automotive Research at Stanford (CARS), The Trolley Problem is best solved by embedding rules that force an autonomous algorithm to follow the law. Simple as it seems this sounds like an obvious path, while some resistance exists due to the perception (by someone) that an algorithm might eventually become even more capable than a law to regulate the traffic on a road.
https://hai.stanford.edu/news/designing-ethical-self-driving-cars?utm_source=pocket_reader
The Employee's Dilemma
This is a brilliant adoption of the Prisoner Dilemma to the relationship bewteen employers and employees.
https://tidyfirst.substack.com/p/signaling-cooperation-employees-dilemma?utm_source=pocket_reader
Innovative flow batteries
This is a detailed description of an electro-mechanical-chimical research study on batteries, aimed at reducing size and cost of a special kind of cell. It gives an idea of what's behind advanced research work and the need for interdisciplinary approach to complex problems. A very interesting read, apart the potential consequences in the energy storage domain.
https://spectrum.ieee.org/flow-battery?utm_source=pocket_reader
Nonlinear systems
Nonlinear system are those whose outputs are not in direct proportion to inputs. We humans are nonlinear systems, and nonlinearity is a key ingredient behind the phenomenon of chaos. The point of no return in sustainable human life on earth might come as a nonlinearity of our existence.