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Mechanica
Exploring Ethics
 the science and ethics forum
An ongoing series of free, public events jointly sponsored by the Ethics Center and the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center. Go to the full schedule of events at the Fleet.
Can we share electronic information without losing our privacy?
See a flyer for this event.

Special note: The Ethics in Science 2009 Awards with be presented this evening and our program will be extended until 7:30 p.m.
Date: July 1, 5:30 - 7:30 pm
Location: Reuben H. Fleet Science Center
Organizers: Mike Kalichman, Lawrence Hinman, & Stuart Henry, The Ethics Center
Jeffrey Kirsch, Lynne Kennedy, & Amanda Lincoln, Reuben H. Fleet Science Center
Program:
Internet Scientists and Computer Security experts need empirical data to protect and understand our information infrastructure. However, obtaining that data potentially raises many questions involving privacy, the law, and ethics.

The current default is defensive. The preference is to not share network data. This occurs in an environment of an incomplete and sometimes inconsistent patchwork of regulation, law, and commercial pressures. But we are also faced with evolving considerations of both threat models and ethical behavior. The lack of a coherent response may be that society has not yet felt the pain that normally motivates legislative, judicial or policy change- explicit and immediate "body counts" or billion dollar losses.

Nevertheless, failing to share data critical to empirical Internet research is no less consequential for our critical infrastructure. The soft underbelly of our political economy is increasingly dependent on a backbone of network communications.

Panelists will discuss these issues, particularly in the context of botnets in the underground economy, black box data about our network infrastructure, and the policy, legal and ethical aspects of related research. The panelists are:
  • Natasha Balac, San Diego Supercomputer Center
  • Erin Kenneally, California Institute of Information Technology and Telecommunications (Cal-IT2)/UC San Diego and Elchemy, Inc.
  • Julie Wartell, San Diego District Attorney’s Office and UC San Diego
In addition to this month's event, we will also present the Ethics in Science: 2009 Awards Program. Senior division participants in the 2009 Greater San Diego Science and Engineering Fair were invited to apply their interest and skills in science to address the ethical dimensions of their work. We are delighted to report that we have selected this year's finalists in the 2009 Ethics in Science Award Program. These students will be honored in an award ceremony at the beginning of the program. We will award four third place prizes of $100 each, two second place prize of $200, and one first place prize of $500. In addition, the ACLU of San Diego will present their first science fairs awards and both the San Diego Science Educators Association and the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center will acknowledge the recipients of their 2009 Science Fair awards.
RSVP: The program and parking are free but please RSVP by June 29.
To RSVP, go to http://ethics.ucsd.edu/2009July1.html.
Once we receive your RSVP, we will send a confirmation with driving and parking details. We recommend that you arrive at the event by 5 p.m. Only those who have RSVP'd will be allowed to go in at that time. At 5:15 p.m. we will open the Lecture Hall to walk-ins and those not on the RSVP list.
Contact: Ethics Center