Richard L Dunn
Articles
Will the terror continue?
Are the most recent terrorist events in schools a portent for industry? The tragedy of Littleton, CO, has sparked all the usual questions, accusations, and frustrations as people search for reasons, explanations, and understanding.
Good working definition
I'd like to congratulate the person who wrote this want ad that appeared in a Chicago paper recently: Plant Engineer You will support ongoing operation, troubleshoot, resolve emergencies, implement shutdowns, and support Y2K program.
Who owns your brain?
For years, I've thought the concepts of artificial intelligence (AI) and expert systems (ES) were really good ideas -- especially in the face of a growing shortage of skilled workers coincident with increasingly complex industrial processes, equipment, and systems. Capturing the brainpower of your most knowledgeable people so that it could be passed along to assist others has always sounded like a good plan. But lately I've been having second thoughts. After all, who really owns that knowledge, and why should it be distributed -- usually without compensation. There are some difficult legal and ethical dilemmas involved here.