DIALOGO ENTRE DOIS ENGENHEIROS ( Texto para reflexão ) - INGLÊS

Beyond engineering ethics:

Lessons from a dialogue between two engineers (after their earthly life) (*)

Paulo F. Ribeiro

The dialogue takes place in a paradise country, where Billy Joego, an engineer from a hellish and dark province, comes for a brief visit to former member Jim Vander Broke. Both were famous research engineers and scientists on Earth.

"Wow," said the provincial engineer, looking around at some of the buildings and technologies exhibited in the paradisiac country.

"Wow what?" He asked his last colleague.

"I mean, well, all that. I would like to work on these new technologies and expand their applications. "

"I should not worry about it if I were you."

"No one will be able to work on engineering projects here?"

"Look comes first."

"But I've already looked. I saw exactly what I wanted to do. I could quickly become a great engineer in this country - - - a principal investigator, chief engineer or director of new projects, etc. "

"You have not changed much?"

When you worked on engineering projects on Earth, at least in your early days, it was because you envisioned a world where our limitations could be overcome by proper use of technology. The success of your project was measured by your ability to help others with your needs and help them think of greater possibilities. But here you are already having the thing itself. This is where the message came from. There is nothing good about expanding these technologies here, as we already see this - all that can be. "

"So there's never going to be any point in engineering in this country?"

I would not say that. When you become a more complete person, there will be some things you will see better than anyone else. But at the moment your business is to see.

There was a short pause. "That will be wonderful," said the provincial engineer, in a rather monotonous voice.

"How long do you think I could lead one of the teams working on new applications of these technologies? "I doubt you can find a more qualified candidate than I am," he added.

Jim burst out laughing. "You do not see? You can never work on these projects the way you think about them. "

"Electricity and Controls were your first love: you loved engineering only as a means of demonstrating the beauty and utility of electricity and electronics."

"Oh, that was centuries ago," said the provincial engineer. One day we left. Of course, you have not seen my latest work on advanced engineering applications and new publications. The person becomes more and more interested in engineering by itself. "

"In fact it does. I also had to recover from that. It was all a trap. Powerful computer simulation tools, presentations at international conferences, etc. All this was needed down here on earth, but they were also dangerous stimulants. Every researcher, university professor or professional engineer was initially attracted by the love of engineering as part of our professional vocation, hence for the sake of telling others about it, hence the financial compensation began to be more important, until they could not be interested in engineering, but only in what they said about it. Finally, they sink - and are interested in their own personalities and then for nothing but their own reputations. "

"I do not think I'm very worried about that," Billy said rigidly.

"That's great," Jim said. "Many of us did not get over it when we got here. But if there is any inflammation, it will be healed when you get to the source. "

"What source is this?"

"It's up there on the mountain," said the engineer from the paradise country. Very cold and clear between the two green hills. A bit like oblivion. When you drink, from that fountain you forever forget all the property in your own works. You like them as if they were someone else's: without pride or modesty. "

"Let's change the subject. How about interesting people to meet here?

"Everyone is being interesting."

I was thinking of people of our own profession. Let's meet Michael Faraday, James Maxwell, Albert Einstein?

Sooner or later, if they're all here.

"But you do not know them?"

"Well, of course not. I've only been here a few years. All odds are against me having crossed them - there are many of us, you know. Do not you remember that our professional society (IEEE) used to have more than 400,000 associates when we were active members? "

"But surely, in the case of famous engineers, comrades and noble laureates, would you hear about them?"

"But they are not more important - no more than anyone else."

"You mean there are no famous engineers here?

"My friend," said Jim. "Do not you know that you and I are already completely forgotten on earth?"

"What's that?" Billy exclaimed. "You mean the Virtual Engineers won after all?"

"Yeah! You got it," Jim said, flashing with laughter. "You could not get $ 100 an hour for your consulting fees. We're dead out of fashion. "

"I must leave this place immediately," said Billy. "Let me go! This is absurd, someone has a duty to the future of engineering. I need to go back to my friends in the province. I need to write a new book, start an advanced technical committee, and become editor of a new engineering journal. I need to restore my reputation and get a lot of publicity. Let me go. This is beyond a joke.

"And without hearing the reply of the engineer of the paradise country and the plea that he should remain, the engineer of the infernal province disappeared in the dark.

(*) Adapted from a chapter in The Great Divorce (CS Lewis)