Category: Public Affairs

Exploring Ethics of Drones and Other UAVs

When you hear the word “drone,” what first comes to mind?

Most people usually think of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) operated by the military in order to spy on citizens and drop bombs on unsuspecting targets.

Lucien Miller, CEO of Innov8tive Designs, explains that the first drone, called the Kettering Bug, was flown almost a hundred years ago, in 1918. Early drones like this were essentially torpedoes with wings, unguided aircraft that dropped bombs with little target accuracy.  It was these types of UAVs that have led people to fear the term drone and the destruction associated with them.

But today, drones and UAVs are rapidly gaining commercial popularity as UAV systems are becoming available at prices non-military budgets can afford. Miller says modern UAVs are becoming so small, they can  be purchased for as little as $400. And now their uses extend far beyond covert military operations, such as search and rescue missions, endangered species protection, and infrastructure inspection, just to name a few.

Keith McLellen, CEO of ROV Systems joins the show to discuss the risks that come with the benefits of drones, the biggest concern being an increase in aerial surveillance and an invasion of privacy.

Watch “Drones and Other UAVs: Benefits and Risks – Exploring Ethics” to hear from Miller, McLellen, and retired Commander Bob Osborne, who worked for the LA County Sheriffs department for 38 years, about the life-saving and livelihood-threatening technology of modern drones.

Watch other videos about UAVs and Drones.

The Pivot to Asia with Kurt Campbell and Susan Shirk

Kurt Campbell, Former Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, visits his Alma Mater, UC San Diego, to share some insight and some anecdotes from his political career.

Campbell, who is now Chairman and CEO of the The Asia Group, sits down with Susan Shirk, the chair of the 21st Century China Program and Ho Miu Lam Professor of China and Pacific Relations at the School of International Relations and Pacific Studies (IR/PS) at UC San Diego, to discuss US relations with Asia and how that continent has garnered more attention than it has in the past.

When Campbell worked with Secretary Clinton in writing a statement predicting that the 21st century would be largely focused on Asian countries, their piece coined the phrase “pivot to Asia.” This phrase caught the attention of the international media, with some unintended consequences.

Hear Campbell explain the controversy and intentions behind the “pivot towards Asia” as well as the relations between China and Japan in “The Pivot to Asia with Kurt Campbell and Susan Shirk.”

See what other programs are available on International Affairs.

Richard Dreyfuss on Civic Duty

The trend of declining voter turn out has been ongoing for over a century. In the most recent presidential election, only 57.5% of people eligible to vote actually voted.

What is causing this decline in our sense of civic duty?

It is proven that younger generations are less inclined to vote, but in the 2012 election not even half of the youngest generation of eligible voters made it to the ballot box.

According to a report from the United States Census Bureau, voter rates increase with age. In the most recent election only 41.2 percent for 18- to 24-year-olds voted, compared to 71.9 percent for those 65 and older.

Actor Richard Dreyfuss seems to think that it is the duty of the older generation to reverse this voter apathy. At UC San Diego’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, he introduced the Dreyfuss Initiative, a plan to better teach civics in schools with the hope that children will better understand our democracy before it is their to turn to run it.

Watch “Richard Dreyfuss: Common Sense is not Common” and don’t forget to register to vote!

See what other programs are available on education and society.

The Resurgence of Manufacturing

The most recent presidential election brought the issue of outsourcing to the forefront of Americans’ minds as citizens became concerned that they were losing their jobs to factories in China or Bangladesh.

However, Peter Cowhey, Dean of the School of International Relations and Pacific Studies at UC San Diego, tells us that the U.S. remains the largest manufacturer based on total output.

As rumors stir about the de-industrialization of America, Cowhey explains that the rate of manufacturing only seems to be drastically declining, because it is not growing as fast as the rest of our economy.

In “The Resurgence of Manufacturing in the United States,” Cowhey is joined by Qualcomm CEO Paul Jacobs, Vizio CEO Willliam Wang, former Gateway CEO Ted Waitt and journalist James Fallows to discuss the trends of manufacturing as well as strategies for keeping and creating jobs in the United States.

For more videos with Peter Cowhey, click here or see what other programs on globalization are available.

Elephants and the Ethics of Extinction

Domestic cats in America kill millions, maybe even hundreds of millions of song birds each year.

It is estimated that one third of all song bird species are declining in the United States. If this pattern continues, people will eventually be forced to take sides on which animals existence is more important.

This is just one example Robert Wiese, Chief Life Sciences Officer at the San Diego Zoo, gives to illustrate the way humans interfere with the ebb and flow of animal populations. He discusses what happens when people introduce foreign species to an unfamiliar ecosystem with no natural predators and why it’s important to maintain checks and balances in populations.

If humans cause the decline in a species’ population, are they responsible to restore it? With success stories like the captive breeding program of the California Condor, we know that it is possible to save species from extinction. But at what cost?

Check out “Elephants or People? Ethical Dilemmas in Recovering Endangered Species,” part of “The Silent Spring Series-Exploring Ethics.”

Check out more videos about the environment and conservation.