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AdamB wrote:Do you think it is the lack of ability, or not, to do research that is primary...or the inability...or lack thereof, to be objective on a topic?

I think there is an inability to be objective on a topic. I used to see that a lot of climate change skeptics happened to have engineering backgrounds. If you consider that it is engineers that have developed many of the amazing technologies that have improved our lives and that many of those technologies require the use of fossil fuel energy sources it should not be a surprise that many engineers would be attracted to the climate change denial camp. Who wants to believe that the work you have dedicated your life to is have a growing negative impact on the planet and society?

yellowcanoe wrote: Who wants to believe that the work you have dedicated your life to is have a growing negative impact on the planet and society?

That is an interesting perspective. Looking back on my experience with engineers, I can't say I've seen them being that introspective. It is more as you supposed, they slave away happy in their creation of new widgets, taking delight in the challenge of the better mousetrap, and then moving on to the next. But stopping to think at a macro level from an engineer... the good or bad flowing from their better mousetrap? Haven't seen it, but it could certainly be out there.

AdamB wrote:

yellowcanoe wrote: Who wants to believe that the work you have dedicated your life to is have a growing negative impact on the planet and society?

That is an interesting perspective. Looking back on my experience with engineers, I can't say I've seen them being that introspective. It is more as you supposed, they slave away happy in their creation of new widgets, taking delight in the challenge of the better mousetrap, and then moving on to the next. But stopping to think at a macro level from an engineer... the good or bad flowing from their better mousetrap? Haven't seen it, but it could certainly be out there.

System Engineers think at the macro level...Sort of.

Peace

careinke wrote:System Engineers think at the macro level...Sort of.
Peace

Sure.
Systems Engineering is a transdisciplinary and integrative approach to enable the successful realization, use, and retirement of engineered systems, using systems principles and concepts, and scientific, technological, and management methods.

Yellowcanoe mentioned "engineers" in general, as compared to this specific subset. And I responded that my experience with engineers didn't include many with the kind of large scale perspective moving all the way to the philosophical as to the good, or bad, nature of what they created and its knock on effects in society at large.

The definition of systems engineer would appear to be more expansive than the run of the mill "engineer" tag that Yellow and I appeared to be discussing, and to be honest I can't say I've ever bumped into that specialty.

Would you care to enlighten us on your experience with this particular sub specialty and if they do, or do not, regret having made things, and apparently retired them, that help human progress down the path to anti-terraforming the planet?

careinke wrote:

AdamB wrote:

yellowcanoe wrote: Who wants to believe that the work you have dedicated your life to is have a growing negative impact on the planet and society?

That is an interesting perspective. Looking back on my experience with engineers, I can't say I've seen them being that introspective. It is more as you supposed, they slave away happy in their creation of new widgets, taking delight in the challenge of the better mousetrap, and then moving on to the next. But stopping to think at a macro level from an engineer... the good or bad flowing from their better mousetrap? Haven't seen it, but it could certainly be out there.

System Engineers think at the macro level...Sort of.

Peace

SOME do.
As opposed to Civil Engineers!

Joking aside, it is hard to find people capable of thinking on a macro level.

I spent several years fighting those battles. I could convince very few, even when I had demonstrative proof. It is kinda either you get it or you don’t.