CS 3001 - COMPUTING AND SOCIETY EXAM QUESTIONS WITH CORRECT ANSWERS LATEST UPDATE
2026
What happened with the Therac 25?
How did the government respond? How did the company Respond? What was the specific software
error? - Answers -Therac 25 relied on software only and had no hardware checks
-Reuse of old code
-Cause of accidents:
*Turntable in wrong position
*Race condition (correct prescription, but new value not read in)
*Counter Overflow
-Government Regulation (FDA)
*No formalized procedures for investigation of accidents
-Corporate Response
*AECL repeatedly said "that's not possible" when told of errors
What were the casual factors involved? - Answers -Overconfidence in software
-Confusing reliability with safety
-Lack of defensive design
-Failure to eliminate root causes (added protection for a failed microswitch but, that wasn't the
problem)
-Unrealistic Risk Assessments
-Inadequate investigation or follow up on accident reports
-Inadequate software engineering practices
-software reuse
-Safe versus friendly user interface
-User and government oversight and standards
What are the tradeoffs of regulation? - Answers Regulation is a trade off
*Too Lose: More accidents
*To Strict: Slowing down life saving innovation
*increases cost
What happened with the Boeing 737 MAX? What was the specific software error? - Answers
What do we mean by artifacts have politics? Give some examples. - Answers The presence and even
the absence of technology shapes our society in intentional and unintentional ways.
In some instances the process of technical development is so biased that it produces results that are
considered a breakthrough to some and a crushing setback by others
-Robert Moses: designed low bridges
Technical Arrangements and Social Order: - Answers Technologies can be used in ways that enhance
the power, authority, and privilege of some over others.
Scientific Knowledge, technological invention, and corporate profit reinforce each other in deeply
entrenched patterns
Inherently political technologies - Answers Nuclear Power Plants: In order for these to exist you must
accept a techno-scientific industrial-military elite. (Authoritarian)
Solar Technologies(Democratic)
Moral reasons appear obsolete, "idealistic" and irrelevant in societies based on large, complex
technological systems - Answers Whatever claims one may wish to make on behalf of liberty, justice,
or equality can be immediately neutralized when confronted with arguments to the effect, 'Fine, but
that's no way to run a railroad' (or steel mill, or airline, or communication system, and so on)."
What is utilitarianism? - Answers *An action is good if the benefits exceed its harms, and an action is
bad if its harms exceed its benefits
*Only concerned with the outcome (not the intention/motive)
, What are the two types of utilitarianism? Define them/ what is the difference? - Answers Act
Utilitarianism: is the ethical theory that an single action is good if the net effect is to produce more
happiness than unhappiness (concerned with outcome of single act)
Rule Utilitarianism: Is the ethical theory that hold that we ought to adopt those moral rules that, if
followed by everyone, lead of the greatest increase in total happiness over all affected parties.
(concerned with moral rules and their outcome, if followed by everyone)
*A rule utilitarian chooses to follow a moral rule because its universal adoption would result in the
greatest net increase in happiness
What is the case for and against Act Utilitarianism? - Answers The Case FOR:
-Focuses on happiness
-It is practical
-It is comprehensive
The Case AGAINST:
-Where to draw the line in calculations?
-Too much energy put into every moral decision
-Ignores innate sense of duty
-We cannot predict certainty of the consequences of an action
-Susceptible to the problem of moral luck (consequences aren't fully under the control of the moral
agent)
What is the case for and against Rule Utilitarianism? - Answers The Case FOR:
-Not every moral decision requires performing utilitarian calculus
-Exceptional situations do not overthrow moral rules
-It reduces the problem of bias
-It appeals to a wide cross section of society
The Case AGAINST:
-It forces us to use a single scale or measure to evaluate completely different kinds of consequences
-It ignores the problem of an unjust distribution of good consequences
What is an argument? - Answers Combines truth seeking and persuasion
What is Deontology/Kantianism? - Answers Not considered with the outcome but the motive for
actions.
-Sense of dutifulness/ "ought to"
-Deontology: Duties
What are the two different types of duties? - Answers Perfect Duties - Are duties we are obliged to
fulfil in every instance (duty you must always do)
Imperfect Duties - we are obliged to fulfill in general but not in every instance (duty you must not
ignore)
What are the deontology imperatives? (A way in which reason commands will) - Answers 1. A
Hypothetical imperative: Is a conditional rule of the form "If you want X then do Y"
2. A Categorical imperative: is an unconditional rule: a rule that always applies, regardless of
circumstance.
What are the Deontology Categorical Imperative Formulations?
Note: Both formulations must be held for an act to be considered morally right. - Answers 1. Act only
from moral rules that you can at the same time will to be universal law
2. Act so that you always treat both yourself and other people as ends in themselves, and never only
as means to an end
What is the case for and against Kantianism/Deontology? - Answers The Case FOR:
-Treats all persons as moral equals
-It gives all persons moral worth by considering them as rational, autonomous beings
-Everyone is held to the same standard
-Kantianism produces universal moral guidelines
The Case AGAINST:
2026
What happened with the Therac 25?
How did the government respond? How did the company Respond? What was the specific software
error? - Answers -Therac 25 relied on software only and had no hardware checks
-Reuse of old code
-Cause of accidents:
*Turntable in wrong position
*Race condition (correct prescription, but new value not read in)
*Counter Overflow
-Government Regulation (FDA)
*No formalized procedures for investigation of accidents
-Corporate Response
*AECL repeatedly said "that's not possible" when told of errors
What were the casual factors involved? - Answers -Overconfidence in software
-Confusing reliability with safety
-Lack of defensive design
-Failure to eliminate root causes (added protection for a failed microswitch but, that wasn't the
problem)
-Unrealistic Risk Assessments
-Inadequate investigation or follow up on accident reports
-Inadequate software engineering practices
-software reuse
-Safe versus friendly user interface
-User and government oversight and standards
What are the tradeoffs of regulation? - Answers Regulation is a trade off
*Too Lose: More accidents
*To Strict: Slowing down life saving innovation
*increases cost
What happened with the Boeing 737 MAX? What was the specific software error? - Answers
What do we mean by artifacts have politics? Give some examples. - Answers The presence and even
the absence of technology shapes our society in intentional and unintentional ways.
In some instances the process of technical development is so biased that it produces results that are
considered a breakthrough to some and a crushing setback by others
-Robert Moses: designed low bridges
Technical Arrangements and Social Order: - Answers Technologies can be used in ways that enhance
the power, authority, and privilege of some over others.
Scientific Knowledge, technological invention, and corporate profit reinforce each other in deeply
entrenched patterns
Inherently political technologies - Answers Nuclear Power Plants: In order for these to exist you must
accept a techno-scientific industrial-military elite. (Authoritarian)
Solar Technologies(Democratic)
Moral reasons appear obsolete, "idealistic" and irrelevant in societies based on large, complex
technological systems - Answers Whatever claims one may wish to make on behalf of liberty, justice,
or equality can be immediately neutralized when confronted with arguments to the effect, 'Fine, but
that's no way to run a railroad' (or steel mill, or airline, or communication system, and so on)."
What is utilitarianism? - Answers *An action is good if the benefits exceed its harms, and an action is
bad if its harms exceed its benefits
*Only concerned with the outcome (not the intention/motive)
, What are the two types of utilitarianism? Define them/ what is the difference? - Answers Act
Utilitarianism: is the ethical theory that an single action is good if the net effect is to produce more
happiness than unhappiness (concerned with outcome of single act)
Rule Utilitarianism: Is the ethical theory that hold that we ought to adopt those moral rules that, if
followed by everyone, lead of the greatest increase in total happiness over all affected parties.
(concerned with moral rules and their outcome, if followed by everyone)
*A rule utilitarian chooses to follow a moral rule because its universal adoption would result in the
greatest net increase in happiness
What is the case for and against Act Utilitarianism? - Answers The Case FOR:
-Focuses on happiness
-It is practical
-It is comprehensive
The Case AGAINST:
-Where to draw the line in calculations?
-Too much energy put into every moral decision
-Ignores innate sense of duty
-We cannot predict certainty of the consequences of an action
-Susceptible to the problem of moral luck (consequences aren't fully under the control of the moral
agent)
What is the case for and against Rule Utilitarianism? - Answers The Case FOR:
-Not every moral decision requires performing utilitarian calculus
-Exceptional situations do not overthrow moral rules
-It reduces the problem of bias
-It appeals to a wide cross section of society
The Case AGAINST:
-It forces us to use a single scale or measure to evaluate completely different kinds of consequences
-It ignores the problem of an unjust distribution of good consequences
What is an argument? - Answers Combines truth seeking and persuasion
What is Deontology/Kantianism? - Answers Not considered with the outcome but the motive for
actions.
-Sense of dutifulness/ "ought to"
-Deontology: Duties
What are the two different types of duties? - Answers Perfect Duties - Are duties we are obliged to
fulfil in every instance (duty you must always do)
Imperfect Duties - we are obliged to fulfill in general but not in every instance (duty you must not
ignore)
What are the deontology imperatives? (A way in which reason commands will) - Answers 1. A
Hypothetical imperative: Is a conditional rule of the form "If you want X then do Y"
2. A Categorical imperative: is an unconditional rule: a rule that always applies, regardless of
circumstance.
What are the Deontology Categorical Imperative Formulations?
Note: Both formulations must be held for an act to be considered morally right. - Answers 1. Act only
from moral rules that you can at the same time will to be universal law
2. Act so that you always treat both yourself and other people as ends in themselves, and never only
as means to an end
What is the case for and against Kantianism/Deontology? - Answers The Case FOR:
-Treats all persons as moral equals
-It gives all persons moral worth by considering them as rational, autonomous beings
-Everyone is held to the same standard
-Kantianism produces universal moral guidelines
The Case AGAINST:
