On 12/05/2018 10:36 PM, wrote:
> On Sunday, October 28, 2018 at 11:11:04 AM UTC+8, The Real Bev wrote:
>>
>> My car should protect ME. It should hit whichever target is less likely
>> to injure the occupant. Anything else reflects personal or cultural
>> bias and is inappropriate.
>>
> The topic came up on a panel discussion on TV last night. They gave the
> hypothetical example of autonomous car that swerved to avoid a bunch of
> drunken hooligans, and in doing so killed car occupants (granma and little kid).
> Then suggested that some automaker will offer cars that protect the owner
> and doesn't care about anybody else. Naturally that would sell, so the idea
> of some common ethical principles behind all such cars seems unlikely.

I don't see it as an ethical question at all. A car shouldn't be called
upon to decide between the value of a group of drunken louts and a
family coming back from some familial activity. What if they were both
families, one of the religion of the car owner and the other of some
strange alien cult that worships weird ****? What if the alien family
had one more member? (The car can tell because of the bumper stickers.)

It should protect the occupants. Period.

IN ADDITION, I'd like cars to protect themselves. Chrome bumpers were
functional; you could bump into something trivial with no harm done.
Now the paint gets scraped off the plastic that PROTECTS the steel
bumper and it costs real money to replace something that's purely
cosmetic if you don't want to be subjected to a little stab of
adrenaline every time you look at your car. And I don't even want to
think about the fragile metal skin that used to be sturdy enough to
stand on...

--
Cheers, Bev
You need only three tools: WD-40, duct tape and a hammer. If it doesn't
move and it should, use WD-40. If it moves and shouldn't, use duct tape.
If you can't fix it with a hammer you've got an electrical problem.