University Lectures

Thursday, April 3rd
4:30pm – Adamson Wing Auditorium, 136A Baker Hall

Sarah E. Igo, History, University of Pennsylvania

THE AVERAGED AMERICAN: SURVEYS, CITIZENS AND THE MAKING OF A MASS PUBLIC

Sponsored by the Humanities Scholars Program, the Science and Humanities Scholars Program, and the Department of Statistics


Thursday, April 3rd
4:30pm – Steinberg Auditorium, A53 Baker Hall - PLEASE NOTE LOCATION OF THIS LECTURE!

Guglielmo Tamburrini, Professor of Philosophy and Science, Universita di Napoli Federico II

MUTUAL KNOWLEDGE AND THE ETHICS OF HUMAN-ROBOT INTERACTION

Sponsored by the Humanities Center

Epistemological analyses significantly bear on the ethics of human-robot interaction. This is brought out by a reflection on computational learning theories and formal verification methods, which identifies limitations of our ability to predict and control the behaviour of robots. The promotion and protection of personal autonomy is discussed in the light of these epistemic limitations and contextualized by reference to recent work on service robots and brain-machine interfaces. Ethical motivations are thereby introduced for scientific inquiries, which aim at improving mutual knowledge in environments where humans and robots interact.

Professor Tamburrini is Professor of Philosophy of Science at the Università di Napoli Federico II. He has been the coordinator of the European project “ETHICBOTS: Emerging Technoethics of Human Interaction with Communication, Bionic, and Robotic Systems”. This multidisciplinary project involves 10 research groups from 5 countries (France, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, United Kingdom). If you would like to meet with Professor Tamburrini, he will be available for meetings on Thursday, April 3, between 10 a.m. and noon, as well as between 2 and 3 p.m. Please send a note to Mauren Antkowski; Mauren's e-mail address is:

mauren@cmu.edu.

Monday, April 7th
4:30pm – Adamson Wing Auditorium, 136A Baker Hall
John G. Craig, Jr., Former Editor, Pittsburgh Post Gazette
Paul O’Neill, Sr., Former Secretary of the Treasury and Former CEO, Alcoa

BENCHMARKING THE REAL PITTSBURGH

Sponsored by the Distinguished Lecture Series in Environmental Science, Technology and Policy

Monday, April 7th
4:30pm – Doherty Hall A310 – PLEASE NOTE LOCATION OF THIS LECTURE!
Stuart J.D. Schwartzsein, Independent Consultant, Washington, DC

IRAQ: BLOOD AND OIL

Sponsored by the International Relations Program

Stuart J. D. Schwartzstein has worked as a foreign-affairs professional for more than 30 years, having served in the Defense and State Departments in a wide range of capacities, including as a diplomat, an analyst, negotiator, advisor and planner. He has also held positions in several think-tanks, including the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington D.C. His work has ranged broadly, both geographically and in subject matter, including defense industrial cooperation with European allies, technology transfer and export control issues, “information revolution” issues, encryption policy, international science and technology policy, chemical and biological weapons issues, refugee policy, Horn of Africa issues, relations with European allies and ASEAN countries.

While at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (1992-96), he did a good deal of work on Iraq issues, particularly focusing on human rights violations by Saddam Hussein and his regime. In 2004, he served in the Coalition Provisional Authority in Baghdad as an advisor to the Minister for Science & Technology and to the president of the Iraqi National Academy of Sciences. He has continued to follow events in Iraq and has maintained contact with a number of Iraqi friends, including several in senior Iraqi government positions, as well as officials and experts in the US.

Mr Schwartzstein is currently an independent consultant based in Washington, D.C.

Tuesday, April 8th
4:30pm – Rangos 1, University Center - PLEASE NOTE LOCATION OF THIS LECTURE!
John B. Carberry, Director, Environmental Technology, E.I. DuPont

SUSTAINABLE INDUSTRY IN A CHANGING SOCIETY

Sigma Xi Lecture

Changing Expectations of Society and Government: Over the past 40 years, the expectations of the public, regulators, and the government about the impact of industry on the environment has changed from almost laissez-faire to a strong and dynamic demand for sustainability. This trend was first manifest in a large array of laws and regulations that can be particularly expensive unless addressed proactively and, during the last decade has been increasingly reflected in the marketplace. This presentation seeks to review the major environmental issues and trends over that period along with methods to anticipate or otherwise prepare for these rising expectations along with examples of creative responses to these issues. The concepts of green manufacturing and sustainable businesses will be outlined in the context of the business case for meeting those expectations.