Science, Nature, and Humanity
A long time ago humans (some of them) discovered science. Or depending on your point of view, they created it. The way they did this was by, for the first time, separating culture from nature…
It’s not technology’s fault
Our society’s problem isn’t technology. It’s that we’re using technology to do the wrong things, better. To consume and create profits. To focus on ourselves through individualism and narcissistic attention. For entertainment and distraction. To put less effort...Technology without Progress is not Technology
What is the job of technology? What responsibilities do technologies have to live up to for us to adopt them and keep them? There are the functions that technologies offer, the dependable interactions we ask of them. But technology must also do more. It must fit into our lives. It must comfort us and maintain a relationship of trust with us. Technology needs to represent progress; advancement from a time when that technology was not available.
Rube Goldberg did not envision examples of techn…
First impressions as I walk in the door: Problems with STS
Being entirely new to the world of Science and Technology Studies (STS), I am both at a disadvantage and an advantage. My disadvantage of course is my inexperience and ignorance. I have much to learn, and I can be certain that in the future I will look back on what I write today with a completely different perspective. It’s entirely possible that I will someday disagree with myself.
However I also hold a certain advantage. Compared to my more experienced and knowledgable colleagues, my biases are those of an outsider, of the uninitiated and the un-indoctrinated. With fresh eyes I can see things in a way that those ahead of me (and my future self) could not.
Why does this matter? Because as I entered the world of Science and Technology Studies, it was obvious to me as soon as I walked through the door that there was an elephant in the room. STS has a huge problem – and no one is willing to admit it.
Discovering STS
The academic field of Science and Technology Studies wasn’t something I stumbled upon by mistake: I was looking for it.
After a number of years working in other industries, with a growing interest in contemporary social, political, and economic issues, I’d started paying closer attention to the evidence around me that the world we live in is changing fast, and not always in ways that are desirable. As our society accepts and becomes used to the developments of modernity, some find themselves lamenting elements of their new lives and missing the way things used to be. Why? How could innovations that we welcome to improve our lives seem like they are creating problems and decreasing our quality of life?
Why we need different rules for different drones
If we want to see the benefits of drones, or Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), we need smart regulations that allow the industry to grow while maintaining safety.