Todd L. Pittinsky

Understanding Technology and Society

• Broschiertes Buch

Produktbeschreibung

From the early days of navigating the world with bare hands to harnessing tools that transformed stones and sticks, human ingenuity has birthed science and technology. As societies expanded, the complexity of our tools grew, raising a crucial question: Do we control them, or do they dictate our fate? The trajectory of science and technology isn't predetermined; debates and choices shape it. It's our responsibility to navigate wisely, ensuring technology betters, not worsens, our world. This book explores the complex nature of this relationship, with 18 chapters posing and discussing a compelling 'big question.' Topics discussed include technology's influence on child development; big data; algorithms; democracy; happiness; the interplay of sex, gender, and science in its development; international development efforts; robot consciousness; and the future of human labor in an automated world. Think critically. Take a stand. With societal acceleration mirroring technological pace, the challenge is, can we keep up?

Produktdetails

• Verlag: Cambridge University Press
• Seitenzahl: 256
• Erscheinungstermin: 2. Juni 2025
• Englisch
• Abmessung: 216mm x 140mm x 14mm
• Gewicht: 327g
• ISBN-13: 9781009069878
• ISBN-10: 100906987X
• Artikelnr.: 72110729

Autorenporträt

Todd L. Pittinsky is a Professor in the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences at Stony Brook University (SUNY). He is the author, co-author, or editor of nine books, and his research has been profiled in leading outlets including the Economist and National Public Radio.

Inhaltsangabe

Introduction; 1. Which disciplines are concerned with the intersections of
science, technology, and society? What are some of their core
contributions?; 2. Do science and technology shape society or does society
shape science and technology?; 3. Where do scientific and technological
innovation come from? Can innovation be deliberately promoted or do we just
have to wait for the light bulbs to go off?; 4. When and how do new
technologies spread through society? Why do some die on the vine?; 5. What
can we learn by comparing the combination of science, technology, and
society in different parts of the world and at different times in history?;
6. Can technology be inherently good or bad for society, or is that a
matter of what we do with it?; 7. How can one be a savvy consumer of
increasingly complex scientific research?; 8. Do children develop
differently in a digitally saturated world? Is digital technology helping
children thrive-or stunting them?; 9. What is 'big data' and why does it
make such a big difference?; 10. Do algorithms make wise and fair
decisions?; 11. Are new technologies beneficial to liberal democracy and
good governance-or wreaking havoc on them?; 12. Does technological progress
make people happier?; 13. What has the relationship between sex and gender
and science and technology been-and what might it be?; 14. What are digital
divides and why do they matter?; 15. How do science and technology impact
international development, and how might they lead to a more sustainable
global community?; 16. Will AI be conscious?; 17. Will the AI robot economy
be a golden age or a dystopian era?; 18. Will AI create great art?
Appendix: A note on format.