Ethics in AI presentation, S13E2
Engineering Out Loud
Imagine the camera of a self-driving car switches to a power-saving mode and takes low-resolution images. As a result, the car hits a pedestrian. A mundane decision to save battery thus becomes a decision to value battery life over human life. While we have long relied on software and automation, the prospect of a fully automated decision process charges many algorithmic decisions with a variety of ethical problems. The talk presented in this podcast, “Where do Ethics Belong in Artificial Intelligence?”, explores how philosophers and engineers think about ethics in artificial...
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Immersed in learning on the Klamath River, S14E3
Engineering Out Loud
The Klamath River is transforming after four dams were removed in 2024. In this episode, we join the research team studying the impacts of the dam removals on plant and algae. Hear from the students and faculty about what they are learning at the confluence of engineering and ecology. BONUS CONTENT
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How will the Klamath River transform? S14E2
Engineering Out Loud
The removal of four dams from the Klamath River was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to capture the interplay of science, engineering, and culture. Desirée Tullos, professor of water resources engineering at Oregon State University assembled a collaborative team that unites Western science and traditional ecological knowledge of Indigenous people. BONUS CONTENT:
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What is behind the Klamath dam removals? S14E1
Engineering Out Loud
This is a historic year on the Klamath River, where the biggest dam removal in the U.S. is underway. The hope for the monumental engineering project is that it will restore some balance to a damaged ecological system. We hear from Mark Bransom, who is overseeing the demolition and restoration, about why and how it’s happening and some of the challenges of the project. Bonus content: Video: May 21-22, 2024. Join us at the 2024 Clean Water Showcase hosted by Oregon State University to learn more about innovative and leading work to protect this precious resource through...
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NEWS: How many robots can a single human supervise? S13E1
Engineering Out Loud
Will swarms of unmanned aerial vehicles be able to aid humans in wildland firefighting or package delivery? Research summarized in a new paper in Field Robotics represents a big step towards realizing such a future. In this interview, Professor describes the research showing that one person can supervise more than 100 autonomous ground and aerial robots.
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Graduation day, S12E4
Engineering Out Loud
The final episode of the season occupies a time of transition, as spinoff company Espiku ramps up. We get an update on two systems that received patents and a third that could provide an environmentally benign technology for extracting lithium. We also hear from four graduating students who reflect on their experiences. Bonus content:
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And so, it flows, S12E3
Engineering Out Loud
The pandemic didn’t stop ’s desalination research. In this third episode, we learn about the successful lab-scale demonstration of his team’s technology and the next steps toward its commercialization. Plus, the team takes on a new project to clean up wastewater from oil and gas production. Bonus content: OSU spin-off company , Bend Source article
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Building the foundation, S12E2
Engineering Out Loud
In the second episode of this four-part season, we travel to Bend, Oregon to visit the Water and Energy Technologies Laboratory and meet the team that is inventing a new technology to desalinate water. Bahman Abbassi, associate professor of mechanical engineering, talks about building the lab from the ground up, and graduate student Mohammed Elhashimi demonstrates their system to desalinate water. Bonus content: Quest for Clean Water (, )
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Turning seawater into sweet water, S12E1
Engineering Out Loud
Can turning seawater into drinking water be a cost-effective way to provide clean, fresh water for the growing numbers of people facing water scarcity? , associate professor of mechanical engineering, is taking up that challenge with a mobile, modular, solar-powered, desalination system. This is the first episode in a four-part season. Bonus content
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Preparing for nature’s worst, S11E8
Engineering Out Loud
What is Oregon doing to prepare for earthquakes, tsunamis, and wildfire? are working with the state Legislature to help them make informed decisions about how to prepare for natural hazards. BONUS CONTENT: Japan 2011 Earthquake BBC News, March 17, 2011 National Geographic World Vision Earthquake and tsunami by Yumei Wang, Jay Raskin and Edward Wolf, The Oregonian, Jan. 9, 2011. (PBS Terra video) (KOIN) , Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Wildfire Oregon Capital Chronicle, November 17, 2021 , Oregon Capital...
info_outlineHow do you manage a COVID-19 surge? When intensive care units are beyond capacity, health care workers are stretched thin, and life-saving equipment is in short supply, there are a lot of tough choices to be made, and quickly. Joe Agor, assistant professor of industrial engineering, is gathering the data on how hospitals prepared and responded to the pandemic, as well as how their patients fared, with the goal of helping to better manage surge capacity for future pandemics or disasters.
https://engineering.oregonstate.edu/season-10-pandemic-puzzles/documenting-surge-s10e5