CS 3001 Midterm questions well
answered to pass graded A+ passed
What happened with the Therac-25? - correct answer ✔✔There was a malfunction with the
software due to many casual factors which led to multiple accidents which also led to 3 deaths
between 1985-1987. There were 11 installed machines and 6 accidents. FDA did not have any
formalized procedures at the time and the company creating the machines, AECL, were
Canadian. For every accident, there are an estimated 600 close calls/minor incidents. Low
reporting bc of peer pressure, fear of regulatory bodies, and fear of lawsuits.
What are the differences between the Therac-20 and 25? - correct answer ✔✔20 had built in
hardware checks which contained the possibility of overdosing but the 25 relied solely on
software which was integrated with the machine and led to overdoses.
What was the cooporate response to the Therac-25? - correct answer ✔✔AECL repeatedly said
"that's not possible" when told of errors. Falsely said they increased safety by 5 orders of
magnitude. A better response would include warning users, and recreating the error to
understand the problem. When radian machines are taken out the market, life changing
treatment is not as accessible.
What are the casual factors for the therac-25? (10 things) - correct answer ✔✔1.
Overconfidence in software
2. Confusing reliability with safety
3. Lack of Defensive Design
4. Failure to eliminate root causes
5. Unrealistic risk assessments
6. Inadequate investigation or follow-up on accident reports
7. Inadequate software engineering practices
8. Software reuse
,9. Safe versus friendly user interfaces
10. User and government oversight and standards
Examples of artifacts with intentional politics? - correct answer ✔✔Bridges in NYC are built
intended to keep poor people away from beaches because public buses are not able to go
there. We know it was intentional bc the designer was racist and said racist things.
Example of artifacts with unintentional politics? - correct answer ✔✔Stairs were not intended
to exclude people in wheelchairs. Another example is the tomato harvester. It saves money but
gives advantage to big farms and tougher tomatoes are made.
Example of something that is not wrong, but harmful. Example of something is is wrong, not
harmful - correct answer ✔✔For first, taking a job that someone else needed it more.
For second, white hat hacking: hacking into OS to tell developers about an error.
Relativism
Cultural relativism - correct answer ✔✔You are a passenger and your friend speeds and get into
an accident. Depending on what culture the people were, they would rat them out. Saying it is
relative does not explain anything due to cultural differences.
Explain both types of Utilitarianism - correct answer ✔✔Act U: Performs analysis on each act
and how much utility/happiness it generates for affected parties.
Problems:
-does not account for innate sense of duty. It says breaking promise is okay if it generates for
happiness.
-morality has nothing to with intent.
-no absolute right. i.e. okay killing someone to give 10 ppl organs.
Rule U: Adopt moral rules, if followed by everyone, will lead to most utility/happiness.
, Advantages over Act U:
-calc is easier.
-would argue keeping promise benefits everyone if followed by everyone.
-solves problem of bias. "is it okay for EVERYONE to do it?"
-solves problem of moral luck
Deontology/Kantianism - correct answer ✔✔Based upon rationalist view that the rightness or
wrongness of an act depends upon the nature of the act, rather than consequences.
What are the categorical imperatives? - correct answer ✔✔First formulation:
"Act only from moral rules that you can at the same time will to be universal moral laws."
Ex. you can break a promise
-illogical as it contradicts the whole point of making a promise.
Second formulation:
"Act so you always reat yourself and other people as ends in themselves, and never only as a
means to an end."
Ex. you want to hire new works for plant but plan to move out of state later.
-You have to tell them or you would be using them (intention behind an action is primary).
Advantages and disadvantages of categorical imperatives - correct answer ✔✔Advantages:
-rational, universal, and applies to everyone.
-all people are treated equal.
Disadvantages:
-no single rule characterizes an action.
-ex. stealing food to feed starving children.
answered to pass graded A+ passed
What happened with the Therac-25? - correct answer ✔✔There was a malfunction with the
software due to many casual factors which led to multiple accidents which also led to 3 deaths
between 1985-1987. There were 11 installed machines and 6 accidents. FDA did not have any
formalized procedures at the time and the company creating the machines, AECL, were
Canadian. For every accident, there are an estimated 600 close calls/minor incidents. Low
reporting bc of peer pressure, fear of regulatory bodies, and fear of lawsuits.
What are the differences between the Therac-20 and 25? - correct answer ✔✔20 had built in
hardware checks which contained the possibility of overdosing but the 25 relied solely on
software which was integrated with the machine and led to overdoses.
What was the cooporate response to the Therac-25? - correct answer ✔✔AECL repeatedly said
"that's not possible" when told of errors. Falsely said they increased safety by 5 orders of
magnitude. A better response would include warning users, and recreating the error to
understand the problem. When radian machines are taken out the market, life changing
treatment is not as accessible.
What are the casual factors for the therac-25? (10 things) - correct answer ✔✔1.
Overconfidence in software
2. Confusing reliability with safety
3. Lack of Defensive Design
4. Failure to eliminate root causes
5. Unrealistic risk assessments
6. Inadequate investigation or follow-up on accident reports
7. Inadequate software engineering practices
8. Software reuse
,9. Safe versus friendly user interfaces
10. User and government oversight and standards
Examples of artifacts with intentional politics? - correct answer ✔✔Bridges in NYC are built
intended to keep poor people away from beaches because public buses are not able to go
there. We know it was intentional bc the designer was racist and said racist things.
Example of artifacts with unintentional politics? - correct answer ✔✔Stairs were not intended
to exclude people in wheelchairs. Another example is the tomato harvester. It saves money but
gives advantage to big farms and tougher tomatoes are made.
Example of something that is not wrong, but harmful. Example of something is is wrong, not
harmful - correct answer ✔✔For first, taking a job that someone else needed it more.
For second, white hat hacking: hacking into OS to tell developers about an error.
Relativism
Cultural relativism - correct answer ✔✔You are a passenger and your friend speeds and get into
an accident. Depending on what culture the people were, they would rat them out. Saying it is
relative does not explain anything due to cultural differences.
Explain both types of Utilitarianism - correct answer ✔✔Act U: Performs analysis on each act
and how much utility/happiness it generates for affected parties.
Problems:
-does not account for innate sense of duty. It says breaking promise is okay if it generates for
happiness.
-morality has nothing to with intent.
-no absolute right. i.e. okay killing someone to give 10 ppl organs.
Rule U: Adopt moral rules, if followed by everyone, will lead to most utility/happiness.
, Advantages over Act U:
-calc is easier.
-would argue keeping promise benefits everyone if followed by everyone.
-solves problem of bias. "is it okay for EVERYONE to do it?"
-solves problem of moral luck
Deontology/Kantianism - correct answer ✔✔Based upon rationalist view that the rightness or
wrongness of an act depends upon the nature of the act, rather than consequences.
What are the categorical imperatives? - correct answer ✔✔First formulation:
"Act only from moral rules that you can at the same time will to be universal moral laws."
Ex. you can break a promise
-illogical as it contradicts the whole point of making a promise.
Second formulation:
"Act so you always reat yourself and other people as ends in themselves, and never only as a
means to an end."
Ex. you want to hire new works for plant but plan to move out of state later.
-You have to tell them or you would be using them (intention behind an action is primary).
Advantages and disadvantages of categorical imperatives - correct answer ✔✔Advantages:
-rational, universal, and applies to everyone.
-all people are treated equal.
Disadvantages:
-no single rule characterizes an action.
-ex. stealing food to feed starving children.
