Historical Cases
In 1986, poor ethical decisions were made by engineers and administrators alike ultimately leading to the failure of an O-Ring due to cold temperatures.
What does this refer to?
The Challenger Disaster (1986)
Starlink satellites are capable providing global internet access to even remote areas of Earth. They also contribute ~40% of space debris currently.
What is the parent company?
SpaceX
Developing machine learning algorithms that perpetuate or amplify social biases; managing vast amounts of private user data; societal impact of automation.
Name the major.
Computer Science
Texas Instruments (TI) develops military hardware like guided missiles, radar systems, and high-reliability electronics.
What consumer product do they manufacture?
Calculators
Known for manufacturing world-class musical instruments, the majority of this company's corporate revenue comes from its motorized divisions, focusing on high-performance motorcycles, industrial unmanned helicopters, and massive marine boat engines.
Yamaha
The atomic bomb is the epitome of the phrase "Just because you can doesn't mean you should". Over 250,000 deaths are attributed to its initial explosions alone (much higher due to long-term radiation).
What does this refer to?
The Manhattan Project (1940s)
A simple game collected billions of crowdsourced, geotagged player images that were used to build large geospatial models which autonomous systems and delivery robots rely on to navigate urban environments.
What is the company?
Niantic
Privacy of thought; free will and personal autonomy; equity and access; augment normal human capability.
Name the major.
Neural Engineering
General Electric (GE) is a major supplier of military and commercial aircraft engines.
What consumer product do they manufacture?
Refrigerators, washing machines, and ovens
Famous for inventing the Aspirin, this massive pharmaceutical company brings in BILLIONS from agrochemicals like Roundup which have been linked to cancer and widespread ecological destruction.
Improper safety regulations, critical design flaws, and poor risk management - all of which involved engineers' input - led to ~1500 lives being lost. Of those, roughly 1100 could've been saved with the right amount of lifeboats.
What does this refer to?
Titanic (1912)
Next on their list of species to de-extinct: Woolly mammoth, Tasmanian tiger, and the dodo bird.
What is the company?
Colossal Biosciences
The safety and testing of pharmaceuticals; managing and disposing of hazardous waste; prioritize human life and health over production targets and cost savings.
Name the major.
Chemical Engineering
Honeywell supplies aerospace and defense industries with engine components, navigation, and control systems.
What consumer product do they manufacture?
Home thermostats, humidifiers, and security equipment
This well-known consumer retail company, with an English Bull Terrier as its mascot, operates one of the most advanced criminal forensics and anti-theft tracking labs in the world.
Target
Engineers building a suspension bridge removed deep support trusses for aesthetics and purely relied on small bridge calculations/testing. Wind ultimately caused the bridge to collapse.
What does this refer to?
The Tacoma Narrows Bridge Collapse (1940)
"Sunlight on Demand" can increase crop yield and more than double power generated by solar farms. This power can also decimate the sea turtle populations. They ran their first field test on Oct 10th, 2026 in California.
What is the company?
Reflect Orbital
Ethical use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs); water and land resource depletion; responsible use of animal subjects in research.
Name the major.
Agricultural and Biological Engineering (ABE)
3M develops advanced materials, sensors, and components used in defense and aerospace applications.
What consumer product do they manufacture?
Scotch Tape, Command Strips, Post-it Notes
Two companies merged back in 1994 to form a major aerospace and defense corporation that manufactures the well-known B2 Spirit Bomber. Which of the two companies designed the USPS mail trucks that are still in use today.
(Northrop) Grumman
Efficiency over safety is never a good idea. Engineers knowingly used a less safe, graphite-moderated reactor design and operators chose to disable safety protocols. While only immediately killing 2 workers on-site, another 10-600 THOUSAND deaths are counted in the final estimated toll.
What does this refer to?
Chernobyl Disaster (1986)
Deceased spiders are being researched in a new field of engineering called "Necrobotics".
What Texas-based university is leading this research?
Rice University
Environmental responsibility; auditory pollution; designing responsible-use autonomous systems; long-term accountability for operational waste.
Name the major.
Aerospace Engineering
Ball (BAE Systems specifically) is a leading provider of spacecraft, optical systems, and antenna systems for defense and intelligence customers like DoD (think F-35 fighters).
What consumer product do they manufacture?
This company designs, manufactures, and services power systems for aerospace, defense, and marine sectors, but formerly manufactured luxury automobiles
Rolls-Royce