Being Blue at PSU

By Liam Sadlier In my engineering ethics class, we often discuss the role of technology in our lives and the ethical implications of the technology we use. Recently, our class had a discussion on the neutrality of technology. The prompt that sparked our conversation was, “Are technological artifacts morally neutral?” While this might not immediately seem to be an important conversation, it is important to remember how influential technology is in our everyday lives. Assuring that we properly analyze the development of technology could prevent dangerous mistakes as technology continues to become more powerful. To dive deeper into this discussion, let’s first define some terms. Technological artifacts are “material objects made by human agents as means to achieve practical ends” (oreilly.com, 2024). Technology is “the practical application of knowledge especially in a particular area” (merriam-webster.com, 2024). For example, a scalpel or an X-ray machine would be some technological arti...

By Avery Heverly   America is complicit in genocide, and it is time we stop tiptoeing around it. For the sake of humanity, a ceasefire must be enacted. Immediately. I am tired of the retaliatory, “an eye for an eye” rhetoric that has been spewed regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and I am enraged at the lack of compassion for human life. I understand that it is a privilege to be “tired” of this anti-humanitarian rhetoric. I understand that it is a privilege to be “enraged” at the complicity of the United States. This is the lived experience of Israeli, Palestinian, Jewish, and Muslim people, and my tiredness and enrage are minuscule in comparison. I understand that. I also understand that there is no way for me to fully comprehend the complex history that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict holds, which, again, is a privilege. I acknowledge the privilege that I have in writing this post. My hope is that my freedom to be able to share this collective call for a ceasefire can a...

By Baybars Charkas “Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him. Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own conceit.”  - Proverbs 26:4-5 (KJV)  I remember first hearing of Robert Caro’s sprawling four-volume series The Years of Lyndon Johnson over half a decade ago, when a teacher held up one of the books as an example of a tome that might kill a man if you plopped it onto his head. At 3,378 pages and over 1,900,000 words, the four volumes together are nearly twice as long as Edward Gibbon’s monumental Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire –and there is a fifth and final instalment of the series on the way. Not a little intimidated by their length, I put off reading the books until, last December, I was looking forward to an uneventful winter break and decided there would be no better time to have a go at it. I went off to Pattee Library and pulled the third volume, The Master of the Senate , off the shelf.  I chose to s...